WSU Salutes
WSU Salutes 2016 honorees: left to right
Back row: Thomas K. Welch; Kimberlee Henrichsen; Steven M. Petersen; Jewel Lee Kenley; Jane A. Marquardt; Jason Beardall
Front row: Natasha Pruhs; Joaquin Zetina Huesca; Nora L. Axton; Ronald M. Axton
Photo by Robert Casey
{Distinguished Alumna}
At WSU’s School of Nursing, Kimberlee Henrichsen AS ’85 gained the skills she needed to earn a prestigious fellowship from the University of Pennsylvania and forge an impressive career at Intermountain Healthcare. As vice president of clinical operations and chief nursing officer, Henrichsen sets the vision and provides strategic support for Intermountain’s collaborative health care system.
{Outstanding Young Alumnus}
Technical sales skills acquired at Weber State helped Jason Beardall BA ’06 become a 2014 regional Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Today, Beardall is president of England Logistics, a Salt Lake City-based third party-logistics company and freight brokerage firm. At WSU, Beardall is an industry advisor to the Alan E. Hall Center for Sales Excellence.
{Distinguished Service}
His study of applied technology at Weber State prepared Steven M. Petersen for his tenure as president/CEO, and later, chairman of Petersen Incorporated, a manufacturing facility in Ogden with clients worldwide. Petersen serves on WSU’s National Advisory Council and advocates for the university on Utah’s Capitol Hill. Petersen Incorporated is also a major sponsor of Wildcat Athletics.
{WSU President’s Award}
Jane A. Marquardt’s engagement with Weber State dates back to the 1980s when she served on the board of trustees. A graduate of the University of Utah’s law school, Marquardt began her legal career at Utah Legal Services. Marquardt and her spouse, Tami, established the Marquardt Peace & Possibility Speaker Series as part of WSU’s LGBT Resource Center.
{Emeriti Lifetime Achievement}
Former student body president Thomas K. Welch’s BS ’69 luminous career has included positions such as president and CEO of Maverik, a leading convenience store operation, and executive vice president and general counsel for Dee Smith, where he helped grow Smith’s Food & Drug into a $3 billion company. Welch was instrumental in bringing the 2002 Winter Olympics to Utah, serving as the head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
{Lewis W. Shurtliff Award For Contributions to Education}
To date, more than 60 WSU students have received one of two scholarships Jewel Lee Kenley established in memory of her husband and daughter. The owner of a Ford dealership in Layton, Utah, Kenley and her company support local school foundations and raise money for scholarships through multiple initiatives. Kenley is a member of WSU’s National Advisory Council.
{Emeriti Homecoming Royalty}
Ronald M. BS ’66 and Nora L. Axton vividly remember Ron’s struggle to put himself through school. “We did everything we could to make ends meet and didn’t get a dime from anyone,” Ron said. “Scholarships would have really made a difference for me.” To make things easier for current students, the Axtons have endowed a scholarship through WSU’s Center for Community Engaged Learning. Ron and Nora have been married 57 years. Now retired, they credit their educational experiences at Weber State with opening doors to career opportunities at Hill Air Force Base.
{Student Homecoming Royalty}
Joaquin Zetina Huesca AS ’13, AAS ’15 moved to America when he was 12 and is a three-time recipient of WSU’s Oportunidad Scholarship for first-generation college students. A senior majoring in medical laboratory sciences, Huesca, an avid volunteer, maintains a 3.71 GPA and dreams of becoming a physician.
A piano student since age 4, Natasha Pruhs AS ’15 started at Weber State on a music scholarship. While she uses her keyboard skills to support charities, she is now working toward a dental hygiene degree. Her involvement with the WSU Student Association has resulted in numerous recognitions of her leadership.