BVU names 13 nominees for 2026 Education for Service Award

At Buena Vista University, the people who answer financial-aid questions, schedule events, support labs and guide students through admissions were all in the running for one of the school’s highest employee honors.

BVU named 13 nominees for its 2026 Education for Service Award, a recognition built to spotlight exceptional service across the university community. The winner will receive $2,500 in professional development funds, a crystal award and a framed certificate, and will be recognized at the BVU Employee Recognition Celebration on May 13.

The nominee list stretched across nearly every corner of campus, underscoring how much of Storm Lake’s largest institutions depends on work that students and families often notice only when it is done well or when it is missing. The nominees were Vice President for Student Success Dr. Jamii Claiborne, Life Science Laboratory Coordinator Daniel de Groot, Director of Financial Assistance Patti Demers, Executive Assistant to the President Angie Dye, Head Baseball Coach and Assistant Director of Athletics Steve Eddie, Director of Development and Alumni Communications Tim Gallagher, Event Planning Assistant Michele Hoppe, Director of CASE Samantha Kay, Assistant Director of the Center for Academic Excellence Theresa Melohn, Director of the Center for Academic Excellence Donna Musel, Academic Recruitment Specialist for Science Aaron Poor Bear, Assistant Director of Admissions Puritie Smith and Director of Enrollment and Student Success Jen Stockdall.

That spread matters for Buena Vista County because BVU is not just a college on the hill. It is a major employer and a daily economic presence in Storm Lake, with staff members whose work reaches into classrooms, athletic fields, offices and student services. A strong admissions office helps fill residence halls and classrooms. Financial aid staff help families sort out costs. Academic support employees affect retention. Athletic and event staff shape the campus experience that draws students, parents and visitors into town.

The Education for Service Award is meant to recognize that broader mission, not simply reward popularity inside one department. By naming leaders, coaches, support staff and specialists together, BVU made clear that service on campus is measured in many forms, from the person who keeps a lab functioning to the administrator who keeps student success programs moving.

For Storm Lake, the nomination list offered a clear reminder that the university’s day-to-day operations are built by people whose names may not always make headlines, but whose work helps the institution, and the local economy around it, keep moving.