W.H. Thompson
Alumni Center
University of
Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, NE
68182-0010
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554-2444
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: May 5, 1996
Contact: Anthony Flott
aflott@mail.unomaha.edu
(402)
554-2989
Three graduates receive UNO Alumni Citation
(OMAHA, NE) — The University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni
Association bestowed its Citation for Alumnus Achievement Award on three
distinguished alumni Saturday, May 4.
The award, which began in 1949, is presented each year at UNO's spring
commencement to graduates who have achieved distinction in their fields. Dick
Nattrass, 1996 UNO Alumni Association president, presented Citations for
Alumnus Achievement to Clifford Hollestelle, Brigadier General Michael S.
Kudlacz and Fran Flairty Marshall.
Clifford
Hollestelle
Hollestelle graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1963
with a bachelor of fine arts degree. He went on to earn a master's degree in
education from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1970.
He has worked for UNL for more than 31 years, the last 22 as
administrative assistant to the director of the Barkley Memorial Center.
He is best known for his wildlife art, particularly carvings, and has
won numerous awards throughout the United States and Canada. In 1990 he was
named Wildlife Artist of the Year by Western Douglas County Ducks Unlimited. In
1986 he was the Nebraska Ducks Unlimited Artist of the Year.
Hollestelle also judges wildlife sculptures at various national and
international shows and competitions.
Exhibits of his sculptures have been displayed in Nebraska, Wyoming,
Colorado, California, Illinois and Kansas. His art has been a favorite of
collectors in such distant places as Japan and Germany. Hollestelle also is
active in teacher education programs for special education and speech pathology
and audiology.
Since May 1995 Brigadier General Michael S. Kudlacz has served as
commander of Air Combat Command's largest wing, the 55th Wing at Offutt Air
Force Base, Neb. As commander, Kudlacz
leads a wing employing six diverse flying missions from units covering more
than four continents.
Michael
S. Kudlacz
Kudlacz graduated from UNO in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in
criminal justice. While at UNO he received his commission through the
university's Reserve Officer Training Corps program.
He is a command pilot with more than 3,000 hours, primarily in the
B-52 and RF-4C aircraft. During his career he has flown 220 combat hours over
Southeast Asia and has commanded several units.
Before assuming command of the 55th Wing, Kudlacz served as the 416th
Bomb Wing commander at Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y., since 1993. Promoted to
Brigadier General in August 1995, he has won numerous awards and decorations,
including the Legion of Merit, the Air Medal and the Armed Forces Expeditionary
Medal.
An active community volunteer, Fran Flairty Marshall is a 1984
graduate of UNO with a bachelor's degree in finance. She also earned a master's
degree in management from UNL in 1989.
Fran
Flairty Marshall
Marshall has been an instrumental part of the UNO Women's Walk, which
each year raises more than $100,000. She was chairperson of the walk in 1993
and 1994 and remains a member of the Steering Committee and UNO Athletics
Advisory Board.
She also is involved with the Girl Scouts, Luther Memorial Church, the
Omaha 2000 Volunteer Outreach Task Force and United Way's Human Services 2000.
In 1994 she was named among the YMCA's Women of Distinction in business and
received an Honor Pin from the Girl Scouts. She was named by the Jaycees in
1990-91 as one of Ten Outstanding Young Omahans.
Marshall currently is a senior vice president at First National Bank
of Omaha heading First Integrated Systems, a division which provides
data-processing services to more than 50 financial institutions in 10 states.
She has worked for First National for 22 years, beginning as a clerk/typist in
the mortgage loan department.
The first Citation for Alumnus Achievement award was presented to
Stanton W. Salisbury in 1949. Since then 101 graduates have received the award.
Previous recipients include Omaha Police Chief James Skinner (1990), U.S.
Senator James Exon (1974) and longtime UNO figure William H. Thompson (1960),
after whom the association’s Alumni Center is named.
