During this year’s annual Community Appreciation Breakfast on February 10, Union Adventist University rolled out the red carpet to welcome friends and dignitaries while honoring community organizations who help the university fulfill its educational mission.
Alan Orrison, director of Union’s Art and Design Program, presented the Valued Partner Award to Dana Clements and Julia Noyes of the Clements Noyes Gallery. A long time adjunct professor in Union’s Art and Design Program, Noyes has taught classes such as watercolor, acrylic and oil painting. In 1993, she founded the Clements Noyes Gallery in Lincoln’s Haymarket, providing a venue to support local and upcoming artists. She recently has turned over the reins of the gallery to Dana Clements, her co-honoree.
Orrison noted the gallery’s commitment to building Lincoln’s art community, particularly during First Friday events, which have often included work by Union students. “For young artists, this is not a small gesture,” Orrison said. “It’s often their first time even in a gallery, and certainly to have their work shown in a gallery. Seeing their art thoughtfully installed, publicly celebrated and taken seriously says to emerging artists, ‘Your work matters. You belong here.’ The Clement Noyes Gallery exemplifies what it means to be a valued partner, not only supporting an institution like Union, but by investing in people, nurturing talent, and strengthening the cultural fabric of Lincoln.”
Rebecca Lovelace, assistant director for International Rescue and Relief, presented the Community Partnership Award to Eagle Fire and Rescue. The small town department serves the Village of Eagle located approximately nine miles outside of Lincoln, providing fire prevention, rescue and emergency medical services. They also have provided training and support to future first responders and health care providers in Union’s IRR Program.
“Strong programs are never built in isolation,” Lovelace said. “They are built through relationships, through people who are willing to invest their time, resources and expertise in the growth of our students. Eagle Fire and Rescue has exemplified that spirit in every interaction with our students in the International Rescue and Relief Program. Through their generous donations of older equipment and expired medications our students can practice with, Eagle Fire and Rescue has helped ensure our students have what they need to learn. But even more meaningful has been their willingness to open their doors: welcoming our students into trainings, allowing them to observe, ask questions, and experience firsthand what it looks like to share with excellence and compassion.”
The Community Appreciation Breakfast was hosted by Garrett Fortney, a 2024 graduate who is project manager at Live Well Designs and Fortney Development, and Kiana Kabanje, a 2017 graduate and senior communications specialist at ICF Next.
This is the thirteenth year Union has presented the award to a local business or organization that helps the university accomplish its mission to create a personal, student-focused community that empowers students for a lifetime of learning, service and leadership. Previous Community Appreciation Award recipients include Nebraska Orthopaedic Center, the Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals, Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, Lincoln Public Schools, Bryan Health, Capital and Eastern Nebraska Chapter of the American Red Cross, People’s City Mission and Union Bank & Trust.
The university also thanks the Lincoln Independent Business Association for sponsoring the solid crystal award.
