Distinguished Alumni award 2009
2009 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient
Lisa Thill
1994 Food Service Management
Owner, The Train Station BBQ
This year's recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award is Lisa Thill, owner of The Train Station BBQ, located in the historic Amtrak Depot on La Crosse's North Side. A 1994 graduate of Western Technical College's Food Service Management program, Lisa has spent most of her career in the food service industry, bringing her management skills and training to places like St. Mary's University Winona, Big Apple Bagels, and the Black Rose Brewhouse. After a stint as a personal banker and loan officer, she returned to her first love and opened The Train Station BBQ restaurant. She not only developed her restaurant from the ground up, but is helping to revitalize a historic landmark and neighborhood.
Despite her busy schedule, Lisa remains committed to Western and its students. She has hired several students, is active in the Foods Students Mentoring Program, and is a member of the Foods Programs Advisory Committee. She is also involved in her community. She is a member of the Northside Area Business Group, the National BBQ Association, and was a volunteer for the 2008 Freedom Honor Flight, which flew several WWII survivors to Washington D.C. to visit their memorials.
Lisa's talents as an entrepreneur and businesswoman exemplify the successful Western graduate. To honor her professional achievements and the role she plays as an advocate for Western and its students, Lisa was recognized with Western Technical College's 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award.
