By TENA L. COOK, CSC MARKETING COORDINATOR
CHADRON – Rick Kolkman is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award given to friends of Chadron State College who have demonstrated exceptional service to the college through their volunteer or leadership efforts.
“I’m honored, thrilled, and proud to have been able to be part of CSC and its presence in western Nebraska. The skills and knowledge students receive in Chadron help prepare them for their futures,” Kolkman said.
Kolkman served on the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges from 1993 to 1999. At the time, he was the head of the First National Bank of North Platte, where he lived. During his tenure with the bank, a branch was opened in Chadron. His involvement and leadership at the bank resulted in financial support for Chadron State College and its projects.
“My time helping at the college was a great, fun part of my career. I was pleased to associate with so many people in the community and bring the bank into active participation with the college,” Kolkman said.
In 2000, Kolkman’s bank pledged $50,000 to commission George Lundeen of Loveland, Colorado, to sculpt a life-sized statue of author Mari Sandoz that was placed in front of the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center in 2002.
“We were excited to participate in helping with the Center. Mari Sandoz was a very important part of Nebraska history,” Kolkman said.
Kolkman was on the Chadron State Foundation Board for two terms and chaired it leading up to the college’s centennial. He was a catalyst instrumental in developing the Foundation’s first comprehensive campaign called Vision 2011.
“My theory was that people were out there waiting to give to CSC and it turns out that was correct. I put the idea out there and they took it and ran with it. I don’t take any credit for the success of the campaign. They raised more than the goal. It was well-timed coinciding with the centennial of the college,” Kolkman said.
The campaign received a $100,000 gift from the First National Bank of North Platte. Campaign funds contributed to the construction of the Rangeland Complex, the Coffee Agricultural Pavilion, and the Chicoine Center.
“Chadron State College is a diamond in western Nebraska,” Kolkman said. “It has a solid administration, faculty, and staff. I can’t imagine western Nebraska without this institution to educate our leaders, motivate us to expand our horizons, and move us forward economically. It makes such an improvement to quality of life with cultural events, the students that attend, and the economic impact.”
Kolkman also participated in the CSC Golf Classics for nearly 20 years until he retired in 2014.
He and his wife, DiAnn, live in Omaha. Their daughter, Lisa, is a bank manager in Beatrice where she lives with her husband, Jeff. Their son, Aaron, is a certified financial planner in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and has three children. Their son, Dr. Paul Kolkman, is chief of surgery at Methodist Hospital in Omaha. He and his wife, Marcy, have four children.