BANGOR, MAINE, Oct. 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Friday, October 18, 2019, Husson recognized five prominent individuals as part of the University’s prestigious Alumni Hall of Fame awards ceremony. The presentations took place at 5 pm in the G. Peirce Webber Campus Center in Peabody Hall on the University’s Bangor, Maine campus and was followed by a reception.
Husson University President Dr. Robert Clark said, “All of these special individuals are exemplary professionals who serve as role models to past, present and future students. The distinction they have brought to themselves and to Husson, as well as their support for our University and its mission, make them worthy of recognition.”
The individuals who were honored this year included:
Young Alumna - Michelle Osgood Montgomery, DO, ’11. A Northern Maine native, Michelle Osgood Montgomery’s love for medicine began after attending a health career exploration camp hosted by the local hospital. She began working as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at a nursing home while attending Husson, and eventually became an emergency department technician.
Montgomery earned dual bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry, with a minor in mathematics from Husson in 2011. She furthered her education at Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tennessee to earn her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in 2017. While enrolled, she was honored with the Student of the Year Award for the Class of 2017. Following the completion of her doctoral program, Michelle married Reed Montgomery, whom she met at Husson, and became a resident physician in obstetrics and gynecology at Advocate Aurora Health Care in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she currently resides and practices. She is proud to have earned the Intern of the Year Award as well as the Distinguished Research Award for her exciting new data on family-centered caesarean deliveries.
Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee - Albert W. Allen ’86. Albert Allen is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the State of Maine and earned his bachelor’s degree in public accounting from Husson in 1986. Following graduation, he worked in the audit division for the international CPA firm Arthur Andersen in Boston. He continued his career by working in various manufacturing firms in executive finance management. His positions included serving as the vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) of ZF Lemforder’s North American Operations Division and manager of corporate finance at Pioneer Plastics.
In 1995, Allen and two partners started ABM Mechanical, Inc., a mechanical contracting firm, in Bangor, Maine. In 2005, he joined ABM Mechanical full time as a part-owner, vice president and chief financial officer. ABM is the second-largest mechanical firm in the State of Maine with 150 employees and a footprint from Kittery to Fort Kent. Allen is responsible for the administrative, financial, information technology, human relations and legal functions.
Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee - Karen F. Clements, RN, ’04G. Karen Clements has been the chief nursing officer of Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) since June of 2016. She joined D-H in July of 2013 and has held several pivotal roles within the medical center, focusing on quality; patient and staff engagement; and the elevation of the role of nurse leaders. Clements is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is the current regent for New Hampshire and the past president of the Northern New England Chapter. She also serves the community as the past president of the Lebanon-Riverside Rotary Club.
Before joining Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Clements worked with Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS) in Bangor, Maine for 23 years. Initially, she worked with Eastern Maine Medical Center as the nurse manager of the Emergency Department, Trauma and Urgent Care, then as the administrative director of several services including: Emergency, Trauma, LifeFlight, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Telemedicine, and Inpatient/Outpatient Rehabilitation. During her final three years at EMHS, Clements was the chief nursing officer/vice president of patient care services of The Acadia Hospital. In addition, Clements proudly served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps from 1988-1999.
She graduated from the University of Maine’s School of Nursing with her Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN), from Husson University with a master’s degree in business and from Dartmouth College with a master’s degree in healthcare delivery science.
Presidential Outstanding Service Award- Larry Homsted ’64. Lawrence (Larry) Homsted earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration from Husson in 1964. Prior to retirement, he worked in the banking industry for 31 years. He started with Merchants National Bank in April of 1961 and moved to Penobscot Savings in 1976.
Penobscot Savings became part of Peoples Heritage Bank. Homsted retired in 1992 as their chief security officer and telecommunications coordinator.
After banking, Homsted worked in logistics management for a wholesale distribution firm and finally in an electrical contractor’s office. Today, he continues to work part-time for an electrical contractor.
He enjoys serving the institution and community that means a great deal to him. When he’s not tending to his gardens or remodeling the house, Homsted is helping Jeri Misler as an usher for various Gracie Theatre shows, making and delivering his homemade peanut butter fudge to Advancement staff and others on campus, and helping to beautify their offices with plants from his home.
Homsted was an Eastern Maine high school football official for 21 years, working several games when Coach Gabby Price was on the sidelines. He has become a “groupie,” following the women’s soccer team, and more recently, the volleyball team. In September, he established an annual award program in memory and honor of Patricia ’63, his late wife of nearly 52 years. The award program will benefit graduate students in physical therapy and occupational therapy. He is always willing to lend a helping hand on campus, from Late Night Breakfast to the Graduate Hooding Ceremony and Commencement. Homsted is considered a great ambassador for Husson University.
Honorary Alumnus - Dewey Martin. Martin has a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in taxation. In addition, he is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Management Accountant. He has worked for two of the largest accounting firms in the world - most recently as a manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Boston. Martin is currently the sole owner of a public accounting practice with many small business and personal clients.
He was a full-time faculty member at Husson University for 39 years and loved every minute in the classroom. Martin retired in May 2019. He is a member of many professional organizations and has been recognized as the Accountant Advocate of the Year for Maine and New England by the Small Business Administration. In addition, the Maine Society of CPAs presented him with their Public Service Award. The Hampden Business Association named him the Businessperson of the Year for 2011. He is also a past President of the Maine Society of CPA's and a long-term member of the Guardian Advisory Council for Maine in the National Federation of Independent Business. Martin has testified before the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee in Washington, D.C. on small business tax reform. His commitment to the university and his dedication to the success of each of his students has been inspirational and transformational. Martin is the epitome of an outstanding educator and mentor. He has been a foundational member of the Husson community and his impact on the institution will never be forgotten.
Plaques honoring this year’s Alumni Hall of Fame recipients will be displayed prominently, along with plaques of other past honorees, in a hallway adjacent to the Campus Center on the ground floor of Peabody Hall on Husson University’s campus in Bangor, Maine. This hall features every Alumni Hall of Fame recipient since the award’s inception.
For more than 120 years, Husson University has prepared future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent superior value in higher education. Our Bangor campus and off-campus satellite education centers in Southern Maine, Wells, and Northern Maine, provide advanced knowledge in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. In addition, Husson University has a robust adult learning program. According to a recent analysis of tuition and fees by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is the most affordable private college in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu.
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