Outstanding Alumni to be Recognized during Homecoming 2010 at University of Minnesota, Crookston; Recognition banquet and program Friday, September 24, 2010

Two alumni from the University of Minnesota, Crookston will be honored during homecoming weekend on Friday, September 24, 2010, during a recognition banquet and program that also includes the Athletic Hall of Fame. The evening begins with a social at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the program, in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center. This year's honorees include Jan Patenaude, '77, and James Clack, '80. Reservations are required and may be secured by contacting the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at 218-281-8439.

patenaude_j.jpgJan Patenaude (left) graduated with an associate degree in institutional management from the U of M, Crookston Technical College in 1977. She went on to the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, and then to Viterbo College in LaCrosse, Wis., graduating with a bachelor of science in community /medical dietetics in 1982. She is currently the director of medical nutrition for Signet Diagnostic Corporation in Riviera Beach, Fla. She also works as a consultant dietician and a freelance writer from her home in Marble, Colo.

Certified as a LEAP therapist, Patenaude has more than 30 years of experience in the field of medical nutrition. Her work as a consultant has involved work with hospitals, nursing homes, drug/alcohol rehabilitation facilities, home health care, employee and corporate health, food companies, and her own private practice.

James Clack (right), currently the Baltimore, Md., fire chief, was born in Crookston but grew up inChief James Clack Large.jpg Fowler, Calif. He attended the U of M, Crookston Technical College graduating in 1980 with a degree in general business administration. Clack began as a firefighter in February 1986 and spent five years at Station 11 in southeast Minneapolis on the hazardous materials team. In 1992 he was promoted to captain--where he moved from station to station--and in 1998 he was appointed deputy chief of personnel.

He became assistant chief and was officially appointed chief in 2007after serving as acting chief for about a year. During the August 2007 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Minn., Clack and his department played an integral role. For the first 24 hours the Minneapolis Fire Department was the lead agency of the unified command team, making Clack the primary commander of the rescue effort. He has been Baltimore fire chief since 2008.

To learn more about homecoming events, visit www.umcrookston.edu/homecoming.

The Crookston campus opened its doors in 1906 as the Northwest School of Agriculture educating high-school students for 60 years until 1968. During its last two years of operation, the campus transitioned to a two-year technical college, known as the University of Minnesota Crookston Technical Institute. In 1993, the campus transitioned again to offer baccalaureate degrees and became the first-ever laptop university in the nation.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Corby Kemmer, director, alumni and development, 218-281-8434 (ckemmer@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Pages