April 21, 2014
Contact Pat Kerrigan at 608-796-3041 or pgkerrigan@viterbo.edu
VITERBO
UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES 2014 RECIPIENTS OF POPE JOHN XXIII AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED
SERVICE
LA
CROSSE, Wis.—Lee Rasch, president of Western Technical College; Dick Record, a
familiar voice in the broadcast industry; and Phil and Barbara Quillin, with
longtime ties to the grocery business and volunteer activities, are the
recipients of the 2014 Pope John XXIII Award for Distinguished Service.
The award banquet and ceremony will
be held on campus Thursday, May 29.
Rasch has served as president of Western
for 25 years, the longest tenure for that position in the state. Recognized for
growing the size and reputation of Western, he is well known for his
collaborative spirit in working with the business and educational partners. His
early support of the Health Science Consortium led to its successful
implementation nearly 15 years ago. He has led sustainability efforts at
Western that include the construction near campus of the Urban Landscape and Agriculture
Center, one of a number of projects associated with the recently passed $79.8
million referendum. Beyond his work at Western, Rasch was instrumental in forming the Friends
of Cameroon and has visited the African country on several occasions, bringing
supplies and help made possible by the organization’s fundraising efforts. He
is also a long-time supporter of Greyhound Rescue, an effort that seeks to
rehabilitate these animals from abusive racing environments.
Record’s long tenure in the broadcasting business as
the general manager and president of Midwest Family Broadcasting earned him
induction into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame. For nearly 40 years,
Record was known for his role as an on air radio personality, morning news
anchor and the commentator of “As I See It’” which covered a spectrum of
political and contemporary issues. He is a quiet and generous philanthropist
whose significant support of the Arts have benefited virtually every cultural
entity from Viterbo, the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra and the Pump House for
the Regional Arts to emerging groups and performers just needing a start. His other community involvements are
extensive and he serves on boards at ORC Industries,
RSVP,
the City Arts Board, City Vision Foundation Board, the La Crosse Housing
Authority, and Viterbo University.
Barbara and Phil Quillin have lived
most of their lives in La Crosse and have been major community boosters. For
both, their faith has defined much of their lives and they are longtime members
of Holy Trinity Parish. Barb has logged over 10,000 volunteer hours with the
auxiliary at Mayo Clinic Health System, Franciscan Healthcare. She also served
on the Viterbo University Board of Advisors. Together they served as Commodore
and “First Mate” for La Crosse Riverfest. Phil worked for 53 years at Quillin’s Foods
as general manager, president, chair, and owner. He has received Mayo’s Spheres
of Influence Award, the Wall of Fame Award from both the La Crosse Area Boys
and Girls Clubs of La Crosse and UW-L as well as the Rotary 4-Way Test Award. Today, there are 10
Quillins Food Stores located in Iowa, Minnesota and locally on French Island. He has also been
involved in a number of boards including United Way, the YMCA and Aquinas.
The
Pope John XXIII Award is the highest non-academic award bestowed by Viterbo
University. Recipients are chosen on the basis of contributions in one or
several of the following categories: education, business, philanthropy, peace
and justice, and religious life.
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