30 years
DeAn McKee (1980-2010) and husband Gerry moved to Watertown in the 70’s to attend school, and her tenure of thirty years of service began. DeAn began working in the Extension Office in 1980. The duties expanded to include public relations and Welcome Center responsibilities shortly after that time, and in the mid-80’s, she transitioned to support in administrative offices. For the last 20+ years, she’s been a part of the business office functions and holds an integral role in keeping track of keys, vehicle usage, insurance processing, the coffee pot, as well as being the person behind the “voice” of Maranatha’s switchboard. All is right with the world when DeAn’s calm spirit is present at work.
25 years
Dr. Dwayne Morris (1986-2010) has been at the college for 25 years and is a Maranatha alumnus. He is a Professor in the Bible Department, as well as the Speech Program Coordinator. His most satisfying experiences have been when he has interacted with graduates who are ministering in their chosen fields serving the Lord and doing so effectively. He states, “This ministry is not about teachers getting credit; it’s about Christ being exalted in the ministries of our graduates.” Dr. Morris recounts with fondness significant highlights in the school’s history of which he was a part: 1) seeing God assist the college in overcoming early financial challenges, 2) witnessing the development of the graduate school and Seminary, 3) serving as soccer coach for numerous years when the team took first in the region and third in the nation, 4) participating in the college’s efforts to become regionally accredited, and 5) serving several times as interim pastor to needy churches.
15 years
Marge Gersdorf (1995-2010) began working at Maranatha in June 1995. Her task was to help students and their families through the jungle of forms needed to secure financial aid. She brought some order to the complexities of ever-changing regulations while winning the hearts of parents from afar with her gentle, but affirming, answers. Grandma Marge, as she’s known to the student body, has worked throughout her life to meet the needs of others, including completing tax returns, cutting hair, and housing students. In 2005, Mr. Stevens made a strategic move to transition her to the accounts payable clerk position in the Business Office. It’s pretty tough to argue with a tenacious grandmother who’s hounding you for your missing receipts!
Lois Oetken (1995-2010) has served at Maranatha for 15 years. When Miss Oetken came to Maranatha, the library was still housed in two areas – what is now Burckart Hall and the Academy. She came to the college serving first as the assistant librarian and then for the last 8 years as the head librarian. She is known for possessing high levels of administrative and managerial skill and is one of the College’s most committed and knowledgeable staff members related to the college-wide efforts in promoting and implementing continuous quality improvement. Her greatest satisfaction comes from the rewards she receives when she helps a frustrated patron to locate materials that are needed for a research project. The thank you e-mails that she has received over the years from students have been great blessing and encouragement. Her greatest sense of achievement has come from being vitally involved in the construction and relocation of the library to the new Cedarholm Library and Research Center. One of her special joys was the opportunity to twice travel to India to assist Christian colleges on the mission field in the establishment of their libraries.
Mike Zwolanek (1995-2010) has served with the college for 15 years. Mr. Zwolanek is an associate professor in history but also teaches various technology classes and frequently serves as a teaching mentor to our faculty. Mr. “Z” states that “teaching in a Christian environment is a little like being the mother of Moses when she worked for Pharaoh’s daughter . . . you get to do what you really want to do AND get paid for it!” When asked for some of the greatest sources of thanksgiving related to serving at Maranatha, Mr. Z said, “When I hear that former students are doing well and serving the Lord – that’s the best!” Other causes for joy in his service at Maranatha include seeing students finally light up when learning a difficult concept or noticing a student who had a significant “work ethic” challenge finally “get it together” succeeding in learning and life.
10 years
David Handyside (2000-2010) arrived at Maranatha 10 years ago. He currently possesses Associate Professor rank in Teacher Education. His prior very successful experience in Christian schools as a teacher and principal equipped him well for becoming an able director of student teaching. Mr. Handyside has a wonderful reputation amongst students and cooperating schools. His greatest satisfaction also comes from know the students and witnessing their growth, graduation and professional success. His greatest highlights are to see student teachers placed with Maranatha educational alumni who have also been successful in their teaching. Mr. Handyside always enjoys hearing from student teachers who are excited about how they have been able to share God’s love and the gospel during their teaching experience.
Margaret Handyside (2000-2010) has also served the college for 10 years. She has worked with her husband in supervising Education student field experiences and has been successful in re-designing and implementing our Learning Assistance Program. She has been successful at building a good base of competent tutors and has also instituted a college writing lab, subject-specific tutoring programs, and supplemental instruction for some of the more difficult college classes. She indicates that “it is wonderful to work with like-minded Christians on the faculty and staff and to enjoy their fellowship.” Her greatest reward is to see students gain confidence, grow in their skills, and succeed in life.
Caron Manion (2000-2010) returned to her alma mater in 2000 to begin ten years of faithful service in the Custodial Department. During the course of her ministry at Maranatha, she has been responsible for daily rounds in the women’s residence halls, the guest suites, and the major campus buildings. Her commitment to excellence is manifested in her efforts to make the buildings for which she is responsible as clean and presentable as possible. No task is too menial or too distasteful for Caron to undertake. Her pleasant greeting and winning smile as she goes about her duties brighten the days of students and staff alike.
Dennis Manion (2000-2010) returned to his alma mater in 2000 to begin his service as plant electrician, providing an extremely valuable service for Maranatha the last ten years. As a licensed electrician, he is qualified to do much of the electrical work that must be done on campus at a considerable savings to the College. His work is characterized by his desire for excellence. It may seem unusual to describe electrical work, often hidden inside walls or above ceilings, as “pretty;” but that is an apt adjective to describe Dennis’ work. His commitment to the success of Maranatha is reflected in his willing spirit and desire to be of service, a dedication often manifested by his presence on the job late into the evening or on the weekend. It is no overstatement to say that the Facilities Management Department would not be the same without him
Randy Montgomery (2000-2010) has also served the college and academy for 10 years as an Assistant Professor in Science and Teacher Education. He has received his greatest satisfaction from his personal growth in knowledge and experience through teaching. Mr. Montgomery reports that “Sitting down over the course of an extended period of time and preparing lectures, quizzes, tests and assignments is very satisfying.” Among his most cherished achievements is the fact that he is just completing his 33rd year in Christian ministry. He is also thankful for the varied opportunities and benefits that he has had while at Maranatha. Examples include collegiate-level coaching, seeing his children graduate from the college, becoming a trained CPR instructor and EMT, and having many opportunities to put his life-saving skills into practice.
Sue Montgomery (2000-2010) has been a teacher at Kiddie Kampus since they moved from Colorado in 2000. She brought her wealth of experience, love for children, and creative ideas to Kiddie Kampus as one of their first teachers. Sue’s relationships with parents won their hearts and their trust as a place to leave their children. Recently Sue has moved from the 4/5 year old room to lead teacher of the Kiddie Kradle, baby house of Kiddie Kampus. Her genuine love for her babies has again made a real connection with the mothers, as they see how she daily interacts with these “little people.” She thrives on teaching them to crawl, to talk, to interact with each other, and then lovingly teaches them to transition to the one-year-old room. They are HER babies, and they love her dearly. She IS Kiddie Kampus in every way. She is loved and appreciated by her co-workers, the children, and their parents.
Rosemary Muse (2000-2010) Rosemary moved to Watertown 17 years ago when her husband Rick became the Director of the Food Service at Maranatha. After 7 years of working for a home health agency in town, in the Fall of 2000, Rosemary became the campus nurse at MBBC. Rosemary has faithfully served the Lord and students in this position for the last 10 years being both campus nurse and “Mom” to hundreds of students. Rosemary and her husband are committed to Maranatha. In May of this year, their daughter Julie will graduate with her bachelor’s degree and their son Nathan will graduate with his masters of divinity degree. Their oldest son David graduated from MBBC in 2004. Rosemary and her husband have both played an important role here at Maranatha. They have a love for both the student and the Lord. Their love for the faculty, staff, and students is evidenced in the many relationships that have been developed over the years. It is a blessing to see God at work in her life. Rosemary has commented that, “it is exciting to see how prior experiences in my life (home or work) have prepared me for the many facets of my job. It is fulfilling when I know the Lord has used me to help a student or relieve a parent’s fears when their daughter or son is ill or injured.” Whether Rosemary is simply taking a student to a doctor appointment or keeping everyone safe from the H1N1 (Swine Flu), she has fulfilled her responsibilities with love and professionalism. We are very thankful for Rosemary’s faithful years of ministry here at Maranatha!
Bruce Roth (2000-2010) transferred as a student to Maranatha in 2000 in order to move back to Wisconsin, closer to his family. His background in military office experience caught the eye of an admissions office employee who was aware of a need in the Business Office for an accounts payable clerk. He worked on his business degree, graduating in 2004. It was his steadfastness and attention to detail that made him the right choice for a permanent role in the Financial Aid Office, where he concentrates much effort with veteran’s benefits along with the paper pushing that’s needed for the ROTC program and continuing compliance of Department of Education requirements.
Jamie Saxon (2000-2010) has been a part of the academy faculty teaching Spanish I and II for the past ten years. She has graciously taught Bible, speech, drama, and Bible teaching when needed. Jaime has written and assisted our directors in several Academy concerts and programs including a program that she wrote based on the life of John Bunyan and his greatest work Pilgrim’s Progress. Jaime has coached and mentored several Academy students in preparation for the WACS and AACS academic and fine arts competitions where she has also served as a judge on both the state and regional levels. Jaime’s experience and wisdom have made her a very valuable asset and blessing to the Academy.
Rosie Steuerwald (2000-2010) came to Maranatha on July 1, 2000, to begin ten years of faithful service in the Custodial Department. During the course of her ministry at Maranatha, she has fulfilled her position as assistant custodial supervisor with excellence! She has been responsible for the oversight and cleanliness of main campus facilities, as well as supervising the student workers on the girls’ side. She manifests a true servant’s heart and is passionate in her pursuit of reaching and mentoring the hearts of her workers. Her greatest reward in working with the girls is to know that she has made a difference in their life. Her motto of “cleaning with excellence” permeates all aspects of her work each and everyday without fail. Always willing to go above and beyond, she manifests a “whatever it takes” approach and facilitates a team work spirit. This mingled with her pleasant greeting, winning smile, and never ending treats for all to share, brighten the hearts and tummies of students and staff alike.
5 years
Ron Barrie (2005-2010) began his ministry at Maranatha in December 2005 as the maintenance carpenter. In that role, his love for and ministry to the students became most obvious in the satisfaction he manifested by working to improve the students’ living conditions in the dorms. Ron assumed the Custodial Supervisor position in July 2008. In his new position, he has worked to streamline product purchasing and utilization; spearheaded efforts to purchase specialized equipment, making possible more thorough care of floor surfaces; restructured cleaning schedules, thereby creating efficiencies while also extending daily custodial availability; eliminated outsourcing where possible, making more on-campus jobs available for student workers; and reduced the yearly custodial budget by approximately $25,000. Ron’s efforts have led to increased custodial services campus wide, better maintained facilities, and safer working conditions for the 55-60 student workers who serve in the Custodial Department. Ron’s contribution to the success of Maranatha is not limited to the Facilities Management Department. As a consequence of his desire to serve and his musical expertise, he directs the Academy percussion ensemble (recently placing second at the National Association of Christian Schools), teaches percussion to strings and piano students throughout the year, and assists the music faculty with the summer music camps.
Debbie Cronin (2005-2010) is the first person students, faculty, administration, parents, and others see when they step into the Registrar’s Office. Along with greeting, helping, and directing incoming people, her primary focus is on academic worksheets (degree audits) and student services. Mrs. Cronin helps with academic advisement of students and invests considerable effort on behalf of the candidates for graduation. In addition to being tenacious as she makes certain students are on track to graduate, she is their advocate. Debbie plays a key role in preparing for registration and demonstrated lots of initiative in the development of the Registrar’s Office MNet page. If you have not seen it, you should visit it. It will point you to summer school and fall schedules and registration, along with lots of other helpful resources. Mrs. Cronin has the skill set needed to work with students, stay on task, and handle interruptions by administrators, staff, and others. She can work on something on her computer, while talking on the phone and helping a student at the counter in front of her desk. Fortunately, she usually gives her full attention to those whom she is helping. Students are aware of Mrs. Cronin’s genuine concern for their academic and personal success. Mrs. Cronin is detail-oriented and seeks to pursue every preposition, verb, computer glitch, academic error, and student, faculty, and administrative concern until it is remedied. She is a well-organized self-starter who delights in helping others. Debbie is patient, persistent, and compassionate. Debbie’s contribution to the office team and its productivity is immense, and she is appreciated.
Tony Fell (2005-2010) has a nearly life-long connection with Maranatha. Tony’s parents moved to Watertown in 1971 and were saved as a consequence of the faithful witness of a Maranatha student. Tony graduated from Maranatha Academy and attended Maranatha for two years. A few years later, he graduated from ITT with a degree in Electronics Engineering Technology. The Lord used a number of circumstances and answered prayer to direct Tony back to Maranatha, where he now serves as maintenance sSupervisor. In that position, he has the primary responsibility for keeping all the buildings comfortable, operational, and maintained. Arriving on campus early each morning to plan the day’s work, he provides invaluable leadership for the technicians in his department. His knowledge of technology is of particular value in overseeing the mechanical building systems and the electronic devices that control many of those systems. Equally as comfortable in the computer world as in the maintenance world, Tony has been instrumental in implementing maintenance management software in the Facilities Management Department and in utilizing office software products to convert departmental records from paper forms to electronic records. His positive spirit and knowledge of the college constituencies make a significant contribution to success of the Facilities Management Department.
Nathan Huffstutler (2005-2010) has served with the college for 5 years. He came to the college shortly after having received his Master of Arts degree in English. Since then he has demonstrated excellent growth as a classroom teacher and achieved the rank of Assistant Professor in English a little over a year ago. Mr. Huffstutler reports that he receives his greatest satisfaction from building friendships with students and being used of the Lord to help them grow in wisdom, in stature and in favor with God and man. Mr. Huffstutler is thankful for the opportunity to grow as a teacher and a person at Maranatha and indicates that “reading course evaluations has been a blessing at the end of each semester, instead of a discouragement.”
Becky Owens (2005-2010) has proven to be the anchor of the Stewardship Services Office. She has served faithfully for three different directors and has proven to be flexible as well as extremely dependable. Her work ethic is supreme, and she does each task with accuracy and diligence. Multitasking is her middle name and is always able to handle another project, without showing any outward signs of stress or resistance. Her ever-present smile brightens the office. Becky is a wonderful problem solver, a great team player and has a genuine interest in the people she interacts with in the office or on the phone. She has been instrumental in developing and managing a myriad of development events and changes, including an office relocation. She is the epitome of a servant-worker. Her current boss could not survive without her!
Lisa Werner (2005-2010) was hired as the serials librarian in 2005. This position entails tracking journal subscriptions, changes of titles, changes in format and preparing issues for circulation. Lisa was a key team member in accomplishing a Quality Action Project that involved developing a process for de-selection and acquisition of journal titles. Her ability to be flexible and learn new procedures is commendable as the documentation process she uses has changed three times. She constantly demonstrates a Christ like spirit both in her work and her relationship with students.