UNO Alumni Honors Brunch Celebrates the Achievements and Service of 11 Graduates

Contact: Davina Schrier

Director of Communications, University of Nebraska Foundation / UNO Alumni Association
davina.schrier@unoalumni.org
402-504-3340

The achievements and service of 11 University of Nebraska at Omaha alumni were celebrated at the UNO Alumni Honors Brunch on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at the Thompson Alumni Center in Omaha, Neb. Presented by the UNO Alumni Association and Omaha Athletics, the ninth annual awards event includes the induction of members of the UNO Athletic Hall of Fame. The following awards were presented at the special ceremony with guests and past alumni award recipients.

• Jim Leslie Outstanding Service Awards: Bridget Weide Brooks and Jon Brooks; Jerry Cederblom, Ph.D.
• Public Service Award: Senator Wendy DeBoer
• Young Alumni Achievement Awards: Jared Hall; Megan Holt, CPA, FRM
• UNO Athletic Hall of Fame: Mitch Albers; Mike Denney; Dan Ellis; Zach Miller; Lindsey Slocum Robertson

JIM LESLIE OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARDS

Established in 1974, Jim Leslie Outstanding Service Awards honor faculty, staff, alumni or friends who have shown long, outstanding service to the alumni association and/or university. With this year’s honorees, the list of recipients grows to 123 individuals. The award was renamed the Jim Leslie Outstanding Service Award in 2022 in honor of Jim Leslie, CEO and president of the Alumni Association from 1973–2006.

Bridget Weide Brooks and Jon Brooks
Jon and Bridget (Weide) Brooks are best known as “MavPuck.” They have operated a fan site for Omaha Hockey since 2000 to help share their love of Maverick hockey. They are season ticket holders and have attended every UNO home game since the program began on Oct. 17, 1997. The hockey program was announced just a few days after the duo graduated from UNO with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and public relations in Spring 1996. Jon and Bridget started their business, Image Building Communications, while seniors at UNO. They were honored as UNO Communications Department Rising Star Alumni Award recipients and were members of the inaugural class of the UNO Young Alumni Academy in 2010. Jon and Bridget are ambassadors for the annual Wear Black, Give Back giving day for the university.

Jerry Cederblom, Ph.D.

Jerry Cederblom, Ph.D., serves UNO as faculty coordinator for the Thompson Learning Community and as a professor of philosophy. He is a previous chair of the Goodrich Scholarship Program, which he helped found in 1972. As chair of the University Committee for the Advancement of Teaching, he helped initiate a program of teaching circles and helped promote the integration of critical thinking and active learning into college teaching. As chair of the University Committee on Retention, he helped initiate First-Year Experience Sections of introductory courses. He received UNO’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 1991 and the Chancellor’s Medal in 2000. He is the co-author of three books: “Justice and Punishment”, “Ethics at Work” and “Critical Reasoning.” In 2007-2008 he helped design and launch the Thompson Learning Community which, like the Goodrich Program, provides scholarships to students with financial need. These programs help students connect with the university in ways that encourage their success academically and in their careers. Through his work in the Goodrich Program, the Thompson Learning Community, and as a faculty member, Cederblom has sought to enhance the educational experience of UNO students from all backgrounds for 52 years.

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

The Public Service Award recognizes UNO alumni who have a record of outstanding public service benefiting the advancement of the university and higher education in general.

Senator Wendy DeBoer

Senator Wendy DeBoer has served in the Nebraska Legislature since her election in 2018 and was re-elected in 2022. A dedicated educator, she advocates for education, healthcare and economic development. Wendy is a graduate of Burke High School in Omaha. She earned a B.A. in Economics and English from Hastings College in 1996; a J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1999; an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2003; an M.A. in Theology from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 2008; and an M.Phil. in Religious Studies from Syracuse University in 2015. The former lawyer is the recipient of the Order of the Barristers, National Courtroom Advocacy Honorary award.

YOUNG ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

Established in 2014, Young Alumni Achievement Awards recognize outstanding career achievement, active community involvement or exceptional service to the university by graduates 40 or younger.

Jared Hall

Jared Hall is an entrepreneur and fashion designer. He earned his degree in multidisciplinary studies from UNO in 2020. That same year Hall founded 3am Luxury, a handbag and leather accessories company. Hall launched his e-commerce business in June 2021 and began appearing on runways in Kansas City and Los Angeles mid 2022. One year later, Hall was recognized for his unique designs and unparalleled quality when he displayed 3am Luxury in Dubai, Monte Carlo and Paris. Magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Los Angeles Forbes and many others have recognized the young talented designer. You can find 3am Luxury products in stores in Omaha, Dubai and Paris. Recently, Hall landed a partnership with Fashion Factor & Golden Wings, a highly recognized fashion community in Dubai that is focused on increasing the presence of 3am Luxury.

Megan Holt, CPA, FRM

Megan Holt is the chief financial officer (CFO) at Mutual of Omaha Mortgage, Inc. As CFO, Holt is responsible for the company’s financial and reporting functions, including accounting, treasury, financial planning and analysis and enterprise-wide reporting. Holt began her career with KPMG, LLP and served clients in financial services industries for six years before joining Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company in 2016. At Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, Holt held roles in technical accounting, internal controls assessment and both financial and emerging/strategic enterprise risk management. Holt joined Mutual of Omaha Mortgage, Inc. in July 2022 as vice president of financial reporting and took on the role of CFO in July 2023. Holt received her BSBA in Accounting from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2009. She earned her Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation in 2010 and her Financial Risk Management (FRM) certification in 2022. Holt also serves on the Board of Directors for the Nebraska Society of CPAs, is Chair of the Board of Directors for a local nonprofit, Live On Nebraska, and is the independent director for the Board of Directors of Volano Software.

UNO ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

A joint venture of the UNO Alumni Association and UNO Athletics, the UNO Athletic Hall of Fame began in 1975 to recognize former athletes, coaches, administrators and others who have made lasting contributions to Maverick Athletics.

Mitch Albers
Mitch Albers was a four-year letterwinner for UNO, lettering from 2007-09 and 2010-12. He finished his career as the No. 2 scorer in program history with 1,790 points, just 26 shy of all-time leader. As a senior, Albers averaged 18.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and one steal per game. Albers ranked 36th among Division I scorers that season and was named a first-team All-Independent selection by College Sports Madness. He also was third-team All-MIAA. His career totals place him third all-time for field goals made (633) and fourth in 3-pointers (187). At the conclusion of his career, he also ranked 19th all time for assists (230). He was named honorable mention All-MIAA recognition in 2008-09. In the 2010-11 season, Albers averaged 17.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and two assists per game.

Mike Denney

Mike Denney is the most accomplished coach in the history of UNO Athletics. He led the Wrestling program from 1979 until it was discontinued in 2011 when UNO transitioned to Division I. At UNO, he compiled a record of 314-111-5 with seven national championships. Twice his teams won three consecutive national titles (2004-06; 2009-11). Denney coached 181 NCAA Division II All-Americans, 33 NCAA Division II National Champions and four NCAA Division I All-Americans. Denney received the UNO Chancellor’s Medal in 2000 in honor of his significant contributions to the university. Denney’s additional honors include InterMat NCAA Wrestling Coach of the Year (2011); NCAA Division II Wrestling Coach of the Year (1981,1991, 2009); and Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year (2006). This is the eighth hall of fame induction for Denney.

Dan Ellis
Dan Ellis played three seasons for the Mavericks from 2000 to 2003. As a sophomore, he became the first Maverick goaltender to reach 1,000 saves in a season (1,098)—still a UNO record—and first Maverick goaltender to be named to the CCHA All-Rookie Team. The following season, he was named CCHA Defensive Player of the Week for three consecutive weeks, the first time in league history. In his final year, he set the single five game record for saves with 53 against Ohio State. He ranks first on the UNO career list in games (118) and minutes played (6,900) and is second all-time for career saves (3,125), save percentage (.910), goals-against average (2.69), wins (53) and shutouts (7). Ellis was selected in the second round of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars. On Feb. 18, 2004, he became the first former Maverick to play in an NHL game. He finished with a career record of 87-79, a 2.79 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.

Zach Miller
Zach Miller was an all-time leader in points (306) and touchdowns (51) at UNO. He also finished No. 2 in career total offense (7,218 yards) and rushing (3,122 yards). He set single-season standards in touchdowns (19) and points (114) and had the fourth-best season for total offense (2,569 yards). He set the record for completion percentage in a single game (.895) and had the fifth-most rushing yards in a single game (239). In 2006, Miller was named All-North Central Conference and NCC Offensive MVP. He received the Brad Beckman Award for offensive excellence in 2006 and 2007. During his four years, the Mavericks had a combined record of 33-11 with three NCC championships and four NCAA playoff appearances. Jacksonville drafted Miller in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played three seasons for the Jaguars followed by a brief stint with Tampa Bay before joining the Chicago Bears in 2014. He finished his NFL career with 146 receptions for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Lindsey Slocum Robertson
Lindsey Slocum Robertson was a four-year letter winner for the UNO softball team and a two-time Louisville Slugger/NFCA First Team All-American. She left her mark in the Maverick record book as both an outfielder and a pitcher. She redshirted at UNO in 2007, then was a regular fixture in the UNO lineup the next four seasons, starting 221 of 225 career games. Slocum Robertson ranks second all-time with 54 career doubles, fourth all-time in career RBI with 153 and total bases (363) and is tied for ninth all-time with 27 career home runs. She finished with a career batting average of .318 in 226 career games. As a pitcher, Slocum Robertson struck out 480 batters, fifth most on the UNO career list. She finished with a 2.03 ERA while putting together a career record of 52-12 with four saves in 444.2 innings. She ranks 10th all-time in wins. She averaged 7.56 strikeouts per game during her career. Slocum Robertson helped the Mavericks make the NCAA Division II playoffs all four years.

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About the UNO Alumni Association

The UNO Alumni Association exists to strengthen connections between the University of Nebraska at Omaha and its alumni and friends. Founded in 1913 by the first graduating class of the University of Omaha, the association connects more than 125,000 living graduates around the world through events, programs, communications and meaningful ways to engage with UNO and each other. All alumni of the University of Nebraska at Omaha – individuals who have completed more than 60 credit hours at the institution – are members of the UNO Alumni Association. Learn more at unoalumni.org.