Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients

2008	Morris Blankespoor 1966 - English Blankespoor has dedicated his life to the enterprise of Christian education and has given most of his career to Pella Christian High School where he has served for over 40 years. Morry taught at Western Christian High School for four years and then at Oskaloosa Christian Grade School for two years before moving to Pella Christian High School. He taught high school English for 35 years at PCHS and retired from teaching following the 04-05 school year. For the past two and one-half years Blankespoor has served as the development coordinator for a $20 million "Upon the Rock Campaign", a financial endeavor to raise funds for a new campus. Mark Vogelzang 1979 - English Vogelzang is President & General Manager of Vermont Public Radio. This is a five-station network based in Burlington, Vermont. As chief executive for the only NPR station serving the citizens of Vermont and surrounding regions, Vogelzang is responsible for an operation with over 21,000 contributing members and 300 business underwriters. Vogelzang was named Public Radio’s General Manager of the Year in July of 2002, served as President of Eastern Public Radio from 1997 to 1999, and is a member of the National Public Radio Board.
2007	Ida Kaastra Mutoigo 1982 - Agriculture Ida Mutoigo is the Director of Christian Reformed World Relief Committee-Canada. Mutoigo has a B.A. in Agriculture and Biology from Dordt College and a B.S. in Crop Science from the University of Guelph. She has spent nine years in Uganda as a planning and development advisor and then as Uganda field director for the CRWRC. She also spent five years as the Christian Reformed Church's ServiceLink coordinator in Ontario, Canada before returning to Africa.
2006	Gregg VandeKieft 1983 - Biology Dr. Gregg VandeKieft is a faculty physician in the Family Medicine Residency Program and the medical director for hospice and palliative care are Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington. He is also a clinical associate professor of family medicine at the University of Washington.
2005	Distinguished Alumni Series suspended for Jubilee Year
2004	Julia Stronks 1982 - Political Science Ms. Julia Stronks is an associate professor of history/political & international studies at Whitworth College, Spokane, Washington. She is the author of Law, Religion, and Public Policy: A Commentary on First Amendment Jurisprudence.
2003	Randall Kroll 1980 - Business Administration Randy Kroll is a Certified Public Accountant and the President of Wilkerson, Guthmann, and Johnson, an accounting firm in the Twin Cities. He specializes in working with not-for-profit organizations to bring hope to individuals and organizations by the way he works with them.
2002	Lloyd and Vicki (Veenstra) Vander Kwaak 1978 - Social Service (Lloyd); Psychology (Vicki) Lloyd is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Childserve and organization providing services for children and families with special needs. Vicki is a medical social worker and the bereavement coordinator Mercy Hospice. The Vander Kwaaks live in Johnston, Iowa.
2001	Judy (Arends) Brueggeman 1972 - Elementary Education Judy Brueggeman is the principal and curriculum director at Harris-Lake Park Community School. Brueggeman was named State of Iowa Elementary Principal of the Year and National Distinguished Principal in 1993. In 1998, she and her school earned a First in the Nation (FINE) Award in student achievement in reading with technology, and in the same year she earned the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award.
2000	David Mulder 1979 - Biology David Mulder is a doctor of osteopathy. He served as Chief of Staff and medical officer at the Indian Health Service Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
1999	Brian Fikkert 1986 - Mathematics Brian Fikkert is an associate professor of economics at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. He is also the executive director of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development.
1998	Valerie (Haarsma) Green 1985 - Business Administration Valerie served two terms with the English Language Institute in China as a tent-making missionary and English language teacher. While traveling in China Valerie was involved in a near-fatal bus accident that affirmed her faith in a caring God who hears and answers prayer. She continued to pursue international and cross-cultural outreach during a term with CRWRC in Bangladesh. Since returning to the United States in 1996, Green has completed a masters degree in theology and is currently the manager of resident life at the University of Utah.
1997	Randall Palmer 1978 - Social Science Randy Palmer is the chief political correspondent for Reuters in Canada. Previous assignments included Beirut (the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks); Geneva (Iran-Iraq peace talks, US-Soviet arms negotiations, environmental conferences, and refugee issues); and Bahrain (OPEC conferences and oil news).
1996	Ray Vander Laan 1973 - Psychology Rev. Ray Vander Laan teaches Bible at Holland Christian High School in Holland, Michigan. He is the author of video series, That the World May Know" made available and popular through Focus on the Family. He continues to lead frequent educational tour groups to the Holy Land.
1995	Brent Assink 1977 - Business Administration & Music Brent Assink is the Executive Director of San Francisco Symphony. Prior to this appointment in 1997 he served terms as the President of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and the general manager of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
1994	Karen Helder 1974 - Psychology Ms. Helder is currently the director of operations for Bethany Christian Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has also served as the director of professional services at Wedgwood Acres Christian Youth Homes in Michigan.
1993	Valerie McWilliams 1979 - History Valerie McWilliams currently serves as the managing attorney for the Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation in Champaign, Illinois, an agency dedicated to providing legal services for persons who cannot afford a private attorney.
1992	Harvey Blankespoor 1960 - General Studies Dr. Harvey Blankespoor was named the 1991CASE (Council for the Advancement and Support of Education) Professor of the Year during his long and successful teaching career at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. His teaching (biology) and research in parisitology have helped hundreds of students as well as persons around the world who suffer the effects of parasite-caused diseases or reactions.