Past Distinguished Alumni Recipients
2018
- Rita Andrescik
- Jim Mastro
2017
- Robert (Bob) Nehotte, Class of 1948
- Sandi Best, Class of 1981
2016
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Robert A. Hovde Class of 1972
2015
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Pam (Stegora) Axberg Class of 1981
2014
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Frank Rog - Class of 1947 (Deceased)
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Gary Wilson - (Deceased)
2013
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Walt Dziedzic - Class of 1950
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Robert Guzy - Class of 1951
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Patrick McHale - Class of 1979
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Dr. Jay Gould III - Class of 1948
2011
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Ralph Strangis - Class of 1954
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Bill Chorske - Class of 1954
2010
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John Edward (Jack) Anderson - Class of 1935 (Deceased)
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D. James Guzy - Class of 1954
2016
Robert A. Hovde
Class of 1972
Known as Rob by his high school friends and teachers, Rob graduated with distinction from the University of Minnesota in 1976 earning a Bachelor of Science Business Accounting Degree. Rob passed the CPA exam in 1977 and practiced as an Audit Manager in the area of corporate planning and taxation. In 1982 Rosen’s Diversified, Inc. hired Rob as their Controller for their Agricultural Chemical Distribution Group headquartered in Fairmont, Minnesota. In 1984 Rob was appointed to Chief Financial Officer of Rosen’s Diversified, Inc. He has held that position ever since.
During Rob’s tenure at Rosen’s, the company has grown from a having a consolidated sales revenue of around $100 million to a company with revenues of $4 billion and which currently employs nearly 5,000 employees with good paying jobs and great benefits. Today Rosen’s Diversified is ranked in the top 200 largest privately held businesses in the United States.
Rob was a high energy go-getter at Edison, and he obviously has carried that attribute over into his adult life. He and his wife Helen have “four wonderful children.” In addition to working hard to build Rosen’s business, Rob found time to be church treasurer, Sunday School Teacher, youth hockey coach for 11 years and serve on several non-profit boards—and basically to volunteer for whatever needs to be done.
As one of Rob’s former coaches, I have great satisfaction in his accomplishments; especially his commitment to “play it forward” as revealed by Rob’s involvement in community activities. It is especially rewarding to know that the young lineman, who played in the mud and dust of the Edison field always with a smile on his face, has become the kind of leader that we believe Edison helped influence and shape him into who he is today. The ECSF is proud to welcome Rob Hovde to our list of Distinguished Alumni.
2015
Pamela J. Stegora Axberg
Class of 1981
Education
Edison High School, Class of 1981
Saint Catherine University, 1985
University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, 1989
Business/Professional
Senior Vice-President, United Healthcare/Optum
Senior Vice-President, Qwest
Boards
YWAC Minneapolis, Board of Directors and Board Chair
Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest, Board Member
Topline Credit Union, Board Member and Supervisory Member
Women in Healthcare, Advisory Board Member
Volunteer
Girl Scouts, Troop Leader
Industry
Network Reliability and Interoperability Advisory Committee to ICC, Chair Steering
US West Platform Committee, Chair
2014
Frank Rog- (deceased)
Class of 1947
Gary Wilson- (deceased)
Teacher/Coach/Mentor
2013
Walt Dziedzic
Class of 1950
Dziedzic grew up in NE & graduated from Edison High in 1950 where he was an all city athlete and earned 10 letters in football, baseball, & hockey. He served in the Army during the Korean War,. Played professional baseball for the Brooklyn Dodgers for three different seasons, he even played catch with Jacky Robinson.
Went to College at St. Thomas. After graduation, he taught at DeLaSalle High School for a year in 1960-61.
Joined the Mpls Police Dept. During his 16 years there he had "commendations for bravery and promotions for excellence" and worked his way up to Inspector of Police, then Lieutenant investigator, and then burglary detective.
In 1976, he ran for an open First Ward council seat. On the Mpls city council he was elected & re-elected for 22 years. Served on the Park Board for another 12 years where he convinces Jim Lupient to develop a waterpark in NE named Jim Lupient Waterpark.
He is co-founder of Art A Whirl. Dziedzic was also very proud of working to create the Quarry Shopping Center, the "largest retail development" in Mpls "outside of downtown" in the late 1990s.
50 years of Public Service!
Robert Guzy
Class of 1951
U of M College of Liberal Arts 1951-1954
U of M Law School 1954-1958
1956 BSL
1958 Juris Doctor
Degree
1958 MN Bar Exam
Navy 1959 US Navy
Competent and qualified by the Navy Advocate General to perform duties at Trial Counsel and Defense Council of General Courts of the Armed Forces of the US
October of 1958 qualified as an attorney and counselor of the Supreme Court of the state of MN and authorized to appear in that court and in all other courts in the state of MN
Past President of the MN State Bar Association
Past president of First Lutheran Church of Columbia Heights Minnesota
Director of the NE Bank Walter C Rasmussen Foundation.
Instrumental in raising funds for the funding of the U Of M Law School Joseph E Wargo –Anoka County Bar Association Professor Chair in Family Law.
Developed the firm now called Barna, Guzy, Steffen Law Office. Largest MN Law firm North of Minneapolis/St. Paul.
2012
Patrick McHale
Class of 1979
Education
University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Science
Degree in Accounting
Business/Professional
Graco Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer 2007 to present. Vice President & General Manager, Lubrication Division 2003-2007.
Vice President, Manufacturing and Distribution Operations 1999-2003.
Vice President, Contractor Equipment Division – 2000-2001
Vice President, Lubrication Equipment Division – 1999-2000.
From 1989 to 1999, Mr. McHale held a variety of management and operations roles at Graco, with responsibilities for manufacturing, purchasing, systems engineering, customer service and logistics.
Member, Board of Trustees, North Memorial Health Care
Director, Graco, Inc.
Director, The Graco Foundation
Dr. Jay Gould III
Class of 1948
Education
United States Military Academy - 1954. Bachelors of Military Arts, Literature & Sciences.
US Air Force, Air War College - 1989. MBA Graduate School of Business. University of Southern California - 1995. Doctor of Public Administration Penn State University - 2004. Distance Learning Cert.
Business/Professional
Professor of Engineering Management
Defense Acquisition University
Litton Microwave Products, Project Manager; H-M Vehicles, Chief Engineer; 3M Company, New Products Engineer; Honeywell Aero Division, Business. Systems Analyst; Martin-Marietta, Program Engineer; US Army Cadet / Officer
Awards/Honors
District Chairmen Boys Scouts of America; Presidential Peacekeeper Award;
Defense Acquisition University Award
2011
Bill Chorske
Class of 1954
Mr. Chorske graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He went on to work for Hewlett Packard. Mr. Chorske went back to school where he attended Harvard and got his MBA. After graduation he went on to work for a high-tech company on the east coast, spent ten years at Medtronic, first as their Chief Financial Officer and then as President Medtronic Europe.
After retiring he started the William and Gayle Chorske Family Foundation which awards Scholarships to Edison students. So far every Chorske scholar has graduated from College, due in some part from Bill’s mentoring.
Ralph Strangis
Class of 1954
Mr. Strangis received B.S.L. and Juris Doctor degrees (1960 Magna Cum Laude: order of the coif) from the University of Minnesota. He was an editor for the Minnesota Law Review, founding member of Kaplan, Strangis, and Kaplan, PA.
Professional activities include serving as a member of the Minnesota Secretary of State’s Advisory Task Force on corporate law matters which drafted the current Minnesota Business Corporation Act (1979-1981) and as past chairman of the Minnesota Bar Association Business Law Section and the Hennepin County Bar Association Securities Regulation Section.
2010
At the Annual Senior Honors and Awards Ceremony that took place on Thursday, May 27th, 2010. The Edison Community & Sports Foundation presented plaques to honor our first ever recipients.
John Edward (Jack) Anderson-
January Class of 1935
Edison High School Valedictorian. Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. UCLA-Bachelor of Arts/Science. Harvard Master of Business Administration. George Fisher Baker Scholar. Loyola J. D. Law Degree. Navel Officer WW11. CPA, Attorney, and Law School Teacher.
Currently oversees 70 businesses in diverse industries such as agriculture, automotive dealerships, insurance real estate. Member of Forbes 400 Richest Americans since 1988.
D. James Guzy-
Class of 1954
B. S. University of Minnesota. M.S. Stanford University. Director of Intel 1969-2008. Director of Cirrus Logic 1984. Director of Novellus Systems, Director of the Board Plxtechnology-1986. Director of SRC Computers, Chairman
Because of health reasons Mr. Anderson was unable to attend, but he sent a letter of Thanks for the award and words of wisdom for the students which was read by one of the honor students.
Mr. Guzy was present to receive the award expressing thanks for the honor and spoke words of encouragement and hope to all of the students.
This honor was given to honor their outstanding accomplishments in the areas of business and their positive contributions to society.