Board of Trustees Awards

Event information for award recipients

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Scott Olson, and Minnesota State, we send our congratulations!

Overview:

  • Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2026
  • Time: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (doors open at 10:30 a.m.)
  • Location: DoubleTree by Hilton St. Paul Downtown
  • Parking: World Trade Center Parking Ramp

Time

  • The awards program is at 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. on April 22, 2026.
  • Doors open at 10:30 a.m.
  • The awards program will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m. with music and official welcomes.
  • The award presentations will begin after lunch is served.
  • Plan to stay after the awards program for professional photography.

Parking

  • Plan to park in the World Trade Center Parking Ramp near the system office at 477 Cedar Street (entrances on Cedar Street or Wabasha Street).
  • We will be able to provide free parking vouchers only for this ramp.
  • We will not be able to reimburse hotel valet parking or other parking ramps.

Location

  • The awards program will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton St. Paul Downtown (411 Minnesota St, St Paul, MN 55101).
  • From the World Trade Center Parking Ramp, you can navigate through the skyway to get to the DoubleTree by Hilton:
    1. From the ramp, go to the third floor.
    2. Take the skyway across 7th street and enter Wells Fargo place.
    3. Go down to the second floor.
    4. Take the skyway towards Town Square to find the DoubleTree entrance.
  • The distance from the parking ramp to the hotel is 0.3 miles away, approximately a 6-minute walk. Contact us for additional options if you have limited mobility.

Check-In Table

  • Doors open at 10:30 a.m.
  • Award recipients will have a separate check-in table outside the DoubleTree ballroom. Look for "Awardees Check-In" signage.
  • Pick up your nametag that includes your seat assignment and meal choice.
  • Take a parking voucher if you parked in the World Trade Center Parking Ramp.
  • Let us know if you would like additional assistance with navigating up or down the stage stairs during the awards program.
  • At 10:45 a.m. Catherine Ford will be available at the front of the stage to connect with you to review the program and answer any questions.

Seating

  • There is assigned seating at designated campus tables. Your table number will be on your name tag; your reserved table is near the stage.
  • Your president and senior academic or senior student affairs officers have been invited and will be seated at your table along with your invited guests.
  • Please begin making your way to your seat at 10:55 a.m.

Food

  • At the back of your name tag pocket, you'll find a small slip of paper. This paper color corresponds to your food selection. Please remove it and place it on the table in front of your plate so hotel staff can see it and bring the correct meal.
  • For individuals with dietary restrictions,
  • Those who are fasting can retrieve a boxed lunch at the check-in table following the program.

 Stage Directions

The awards program begins after lunch. It begins with recognizing service faculty and then transitions to educators.

Order of Recognition:

  1. Outstanding Service Faculty (5)
  2. Service Faculty of the Year (1)
  3. Educator of the Year (1)
  4. Outstanding Educators (27)
  5. Educator of the Year (2)

Handshake Preference

The Trustee, Chancellor, and Senior Vice Chancellor will anticipate greeting and congratulating you with a handshake on stage.

If you do not prefer this greeting, please place your hand over your heart or arm across your chest. This will indicate to them your preference.

Service Awards

  1. The emcee, Cathy Wurzer, will first call Outstanding Service Faculty recipients to come forward toward the right side of the stage (stage left).
  2. Plan to queue in alphabetical order by last name (someone will be there to help). Names in the program are in alphabetical order if you’d like to identify who comes before and after you. Please note that hotel staff may need to use the doors along that wall while you are in line.
  3. Once lined up, Cathy Wurzer will call each name. Upon hearing your name, proceed up the stairs where Trustee Tefer will first greet you before you receive your medallion and plaque from Chancellor Scott Olson. Then Senior Vice Chancellor Satasha Green-Stephen will greet you before you descend the stairs on the opposite side of the stage.

Notice "of the Year" award recipients – before walking on stage

The award presentation for "of the Year" award recipients will follow this pattern:

  1. Remain seated while the Outstanding Service Faculty receive recognition.
  2. Cathy Wurzer will introduce your video, which we will all watch before you head toward the stage.
  3. Following the video, Cathy will call you to the stage. For example, she may say, “Please join me in welcoming…”
  4. Facing the stage, you will use the stairs on the right side of the stage (stage left) and eventually exit on the left side of the stage. Cathy will be talking about you as you come forward and receive your award.
  5. Once you proceed up the stairs, Trustee Tefer will first greet you before you receive your medallion and plaque from Chancellor Scott Olson. 
  6. Be sure to stop center stage with the Chancellor and Trustee Tefer for a photo before returning to your table. 
  7. Before you descend the stairs on the opposite side of the stage, Senior Vice Chancellor Satasha Green-Stephen will greet you.  
  8. If Cathy is still talking about you after you have received your medallion and plaque and have taken a photograph, please wait until she has finished before exiting the stage. For example, she may say, “Congratulations again to…” to conclude as your cue.

Educator Awards

Notice "of the Year" award recipients – before walking on stage

The award presentation for "of the Year" award recipients will follow this pattern:

  1. Remain seated while the Service Faculty of the Year receives recognition.
  2. Cathy Wurzer will introduce your video, which we will all watch before you head toward the stage.
  3. Following the video, Cathy will call you to the stage. For example, she may say, “Please join me in welcoming…”
  4. Facing the stage, you will use the stairs on the right side of the stage (stage left) and eventually exit on the left side of the stage. Cathy will be talking about you as you come forward and receive your award.
  5. Once you proceed up the stairs, Trustee Tefer will first greet you before you receive your medallion and plaque from Chancellor Scott Olson. 
  6. Be sure to stop center stage with the Chancellor and Trustee Tefer for a photo before returning to your table. 
  7. Before you descend the stairs on the opposite side of the stage, Senior Vice Chancellor Satasha Green-Stephen will greet you.  
  8. If Cathy is still talking about you after you have received your medallion and plaque and have taken a photograph, please wait until she has finished before exiting the stage. For example, she may say, “Congratulations again to…” to conclude as your cue.

  1. The emcee, Cathy Wurzer, will call Outstanding Educator recipients to come forward toward the right side of the stage (stage left).
  2. Plan to queue in alphabetical order by last name (someone will be there to help). Names in the program are in alphabetical order if you’d like to identify who comes before and after you. Please note that hotel staff may need to use the doors along that wall while you are in line.
  3. Once lined up, Cathy Wurzer will call each name. Upon hearing your name, proceed up the stairs where Trustee Tefer will first greet you before you receive your medallion and plaque from Chancellor Scott Olson. Then Senior Vice Chancellor Satasha Green-Stephen will greet you before you descend the stairs on the opposite side of the stage.

Notice "of the Year" award recipients – before walking on stage

The award presentation for "of the Year" award recipients will follow this pattern:

  1. Remain seated while the Outstanding Educators receive recognition.
  2. Cathy Wurzer will introduce your video, which we will all watch before you walk on stage.
  3. Following the video, Cathy will call you to the stage. For example, she may say, “Please join me in welcoming…”
  4. Facing the stage, you will use the stairs on the right side of the stage (stage left) and eventually exit on the left side of the stage. Cathy will be talking about you as you come forward and receive your award.
  5. Once you proceed up the stairs, Trustee Tefer will first greet you before you receive your medallion and plaque from Chancellor Scott Olson. 
  6. Be sure to stop center stage with the Chancellor and Trustee Tefer for a photo before returning to your table. 
  7. Before you descend the stairs on the opposite side of the stage, Senior Vice Chancellor Satasha Green-Stephen will greet you.  
  8. If Cathy is still talking about you after you have received your medallion and plaque and have taken a photograph, please wait until she has finished before exiting the stage. For example, she may say, “Congratulations again to…” to conclude as your cue.

Photography

A professional photographer will take photos before, during, and after the event. We plan on sharing a folder with the final photos with you via email when they are available. Please consider sharing your photos with us by emailing them to botawards@minnstate.edu or sharing you experience on social media using #MinnStateBOTawards.

Individual Photos
  • Before and after the lunch and program, a photo station is available for you to take photos with your campus leadership, colleagues, family, or friends.
  • Your campus leadership will be encouraged upon check-in to take a photograph with you at the photo station.

Group Photos

  • Immediately after the conclusion of the program, please assemble near the stage for a large and small group photos of award recipients with the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Olson, and Senior Vice Chancellor Green-Stephen. 
  • Please review the detailed photo directions below.

Photography order:

  1. Service Faculty of the Year, Oustanding Service Faculty, Trustees, Chancellor
  2. Educators of the Year, Outstanding Educators, Trustees, and Chancellor
  3. All Of the Year, Trustees, Chancellor 
  4. All of the Year 

Directions

At the conclusion of the awards program, staff will remove the podium, adjust stage award tables, and set-up chairs for photographs.  

The stage will be set with 9 chairs. The Chancellor will sit in the center chair with two (2) trustees seated on either side. This will leave 2 open chairs on either end of the row. The remaining 4 trustees will stand behind the seated Chancellor and Trustees.   

The Chancellor and Trustees will be the first invited to the stage to be situated. They will remain in these locations for the duration of their photos.  

[image]

Photo 1 - Service Faculty of the Year, Outstanding Service Faculty, Trustees, Chancellor  

Once the Chancellor and Trustees are positioned on the stage, the Service Faculty of the Year and Outstanding Service Faculty will be invited to join them on either side (3 and 4 per side).   

[image]

After the photo,  the   Outstanding Service Faculty will be dismissed to take photographs with campus leadership at the photo station if they have not already done so.  The Service Faculty of the Year will need to stay for a later photograph.  

Photo 2 - Educators of the Year, Outstanding Educators, Trustees, and Chancellor  

Once the Service Faculty have left the stage, the 31 Educators of the Year and Outstanding Educators will be invited to join the Chancellor and Trustees on either side and in a third back row.  

[image]

After the photo, the Outstanding Educators will be dismissed to take photographs with campus leadership at the photo station if they have not already done so. The Educators of the Year will need to stay for a later photograph.  

Photo 3 - All Of the Year, Trustees, Chancellor  

Once the Chancellor and Trustees are positioned on the stage, the Service Faculty of the Year and Outstanding Service Faculty will be invited to join them on either side in both rows – 2 on each side, one in a chair and one standing behind. Each end chair will be removed, so only 7 chairs remain.  

[image]

After the photo, the Chancellor, Trustees, and Outstanding Educators are excused from the stage.   

Photo 4 - All of the Year  

All chairs will be removed from the stage, and the 4 “Of the Year” award recipients will be invited to return to the stage and stand center for photographs. After the photo, the Educators of the Year will be dismissed to take photographs with campus leadership or family at the photo station if they have not already done so.   

After the Event

Following the program and professional photography, be sure to take home with you:

  • Your medallion
  • Your plaque
  • Your 11x17 poster on display in the back of the ballroom

If you haven't already, visit the check-in table to get a parking voucher if you’ve parked at the World Trade Center Parking Ramp. 

Contact

Catherine Ford
651-583-5901
BOTawards@MinnState.edu