2021

• Docter Thomas D. Simpson
• William "Bill" Volna

2020

• Dick Anderson
• John Vandermyde

2019

• Jim Johnson

2018

• Rita Andrescik
• Jim Mastro

2017

• Robert (Bob) Nehotte, Class of 1948
• Sandi Best, Class of 1981

2016

• Robert A. Hovde  Class of 1972

2015

• Pam (Stegora) Axberg Class of 1981

2014

• Frank Rog - Class of 1947 (Deceased)

• Gary Wilson - (Deceased)

2013

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

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.

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

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

2010