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From left: UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., and his wife, Beverly, with Phyl and Duane Acklie. Duane Acklie was the keynote speaker at the UNMC Delegates dinner. |
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State Sen. Vickie McDonald of St. Paul with the Maurers. |
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Sam Sanderson, Ph.D., forefront, talks about his research in designing vaccines for a variety of addictive substances, while four UNMC delegates pay close attention. The delegates) are, from left, John and Beth Klosterman of David City, Sylvia France of Omaha, and Rick Boldt, UNMC business continuity. The delegates had the opportunity to tour laboratories in the Durham Research Center and the Munroe-Meyer Institute. |
Attendees at the event, which included State Sen. Vickie McDonald from St. Paul and Nebraska State Board of Education Member Carole Woods Harris, heard remarks from UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., as well as Duane Acklie, chairman of the board of Crete Carrier Corp. Acklie and his wife, Phyl, are longtime supporters of UNMC. In addition, they were given tours of several different research areas on campus.
Dr. Maurer provided the audience with a rundown of UNMC highlights over the past year, touching on a variety of topics ranging from creation of the College of Public Health to UNMC’s numerous construction projects to the medical center’s efforts in moving research from the laboratory bench to the patient bedside.
Acklie provided his insights on how people can deal most effectively with political leaders in Washington. Acklie, who has close personal ties to President George W. Bush and the entire Bush family, has spent considerable time in the Beltway over the years.
A native of Madison County in northeast Nebraska, Acklie built Crete Carrier Corp. into one of the largest privately held trucking companies in the United States.
He cited two of his mentors – D.B. “Woody” Varner, former president of the University of Nebraska, and Eugene Mahoney, former member of the Nebraska State Legislature and director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission – for their skills in leveraging financial support.
“They could pick your pocket and make you smile,” Acklie said.
He stressed the importance of treating political leaders with respect and never taking “pot shots” at them. He said little things, such as sending congratulatory notes when a candidate wins an election, can go a long way in building support with the officeholder. He also said it is important for people not “to waffle” on issues. Elected officials want to know where you stand.
Acklie also noted that just as important as establishing relationships with elected officials is establishing relationships with their staff members.
“A lot of the decisions made in the Beltway are made by staff,” he said.
The UNMC Delegates Program is a free grassroots advocacy program composed of people willing to advocate on behalf of UNMC to federal and state representatives. The program was started in August 2006 and is now composed of nearly 300 alumni, students and friends of UNMC, as well as faculty and staff.
This free program, which is administered through the UNMC Department of Government Relations, uses e-mail to communicate issues of importance to UNMC. More specifically, delegates receive informational e-mails regarding congressional and state legislative developments and are called to action when crucial issues arise.
“It’s been an eventful first year,” said Sara Cizek, government relations specialist. “The number of delegates has steadily increased and we look for the number to continue to climb. It really is a great way to become informed about issues that affect UNMC and provide support.”
Cizek said the turnout at last week’s annual meeting of delegates was by far the largest attendance for a delegates event.
“I think the word is getting out. Renee Fry (director of government relations and soon-to-be director of public affairs) and I have contacted or spoken to more than 25 groups in the past year,” Cizek said. “These have included graduates of the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP), the boards of the Area Health Education Centers (AHECs), Friends of the Eppley Cancer Center, the Munroe-Meyer Institute boards, as well as various alumni groups.”
Anyone willing to advocate on behalf of UNMC can join the program, Cizek said.
The delegates hold a quarterly speaker series at UNMC. Among the speakers during the past year were Joann Schaefer, M.D., director of the Nebraska Health and Human Services System Department of Regulation and Licensure and the state’s chief medical officer; Nebraska State Sen. Joel Johnson; and Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research at UNMC.
Randy Boldt of Omaha was recognized as the Delegate of the Year at the dinner, while Kathy Campbell of Lincoln, former chairperson of the UNMC Board of Counselors, was cited for her efforts in getting the delegates program off the ground.
For more information on how to become a delegate, visit the program’s Web site at www.unmc.edu/dept/unmcdelegates or call Cizek at 559-6671.