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Westerntc.edu  >  Alumni  >  Distinguished Alumni Awards

Distinguished Alumni Awards

Western's greatest source of pride is the personal and professional achievements of its alumni, those who have gone on to distinguish themselves in their personal and professional lives, representing the best that Western has to offer. Recipients are selected based on demonstration of the following:

Nominations

Nomination forms are due January 30.

2011 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient

Joel A. Guberud
Harold Coppernoll 1976 Welding, 1986 Supervisory Management

Joel Guberud began his career as a welder and was promoted to production supervisor at Chart Energy & Chemicals. He worked his way up the ladder over the next 23 years, first as the manager of manufacturing and then as the vice president of manufacturing. He also completed a bachelor's degree at Viterbo University. Today, he oversees all aspects of the La Crosse operation and manufacturing responsibilities for plants in Louisiana and China.

Despite his busy schedule, Guberud has stayed involved at Western, serving on the college's Supervisory Management Advisory Committee for several years. He also established a $50,000 scholarship, sponsored by Chart, for welding program students.

Previous recipients