Congratulations to Nancy Wehrbein, director of sponsored programs and foundation relations, who was awarded the university’s CORE Award on March 13.
The CORE Award recognizes a staff member whose efforts and contributions significantly exceed expectations in demonstrating or promoting Nebraska Wesleyan’s core values: excellence, liberal arts, personal attention to students, diversity, community, and stewardship.
The project to raise funds for a new science center started in June of 2012. Since that time, the university has received over 150 gifts to fund the science center. It has been a team effort. Yet, we want to honor one person whose work has stood out.
Nancy Wehrbein’s work over the past 5 years has had a significant and positive impact on the current construction of a new science center.
Nancy’s colleagues said:
- Succinctly put, Nancy is meticulous in preparing proposals, presents NWU’s excellence artfully and exactly, and uncovers little-known facts and assembles compelling stories about lives changed by an education at Nebraska Wesleyan University.
- It is her passion for student learning and for the liberal arts that makes her grant writing so compelling.
- Nancy is a dedicated steward of NWU’s dollars. She writes the grant budgets down to the penny and then manages the budgets right down to the penny.
- She performs always at the highest level of expertise and with excellence.
- I have known Nancy for nearly 30 years. I would sum up her interest in helping everyone at Nebraska Wesleyan with the following two words: fiercely passionate.
- I appreciate her desire to see others succeed and her genuine desire to provide NWU with recognition and resources.
- Nancy has a talent for taking volumes of information and condensing it into persuasive support for NWU.
- It is apparent to all who work with her that Nancy invests herself completely in ensuring that her deliverables are of the highest standard.
- She works diligently (at all hours) to ensure that facts are accurate, her responses are thorough, NWU and its interests are well represented and timelines are met.
- I rarely see a professional work under more pressure with higher stakes and Nancy does it all while being calm, collegial and with a beautiful smile on her face.
- Nancy has been the architect of a number of grants that have significantly elevated Nebraska Wesleyan and brought us ever closer to national recognition.
- Nancy’s reputation for excellence in grant writing with regional and national universities and foundations has positioned NWU to receive national recognition with the awarding of six-figure grants and seven-figure gifts; a least four $1 million dollar gifts, one NFS grant at $650,000 and several $100,000 grants from local and regional foundations in support of our science program.
- Nancy, you are a master at completing outstanding projects with exceptional results.
Given Nancy Wehrbein’ s significant role and performance in support of NWU’s new science center, we are happy and proud to present to Nancy the CORE Award.