Posted 7:01 p.m. Friday, May 4, 2012
Two prominent La Crosse area businessmen will receive honorary degrees from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Dave Skogen, chairman of the board for Festival Foods, and Donald J. Weber, founder and chief executive officer of Logistics Health, will receive the degrees during commencement Sunday, May 13, at the La Crosse Center. Weber will receive his honorary bachelor of science degree at the 10 a.m. ceremony. Skogen will receive his honorary bachelor of science degree during the 2 p.m. ceremony.
UW-L’s honorary degree is give to highly deserving individuals who merit special recognition for exceptional achievement and distinction in a field or activity supporting the mission of the university.
[caption id="attachment_11876" align="alignleft" width="151" caption="Dave Skogen"]
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Skogen
An Onalaska native, Skogen grew up excelling in sports and dreaming of coaching. While he didn’t end up coaching athletes, he has become a team leader among supermarket staff for more than 50 years.
Skogen worked in the meat department of his family’s Skogen’s IGA in Onalaska. In 1974 when the store began to expand, he stepped into store operations. He’s been a leader in the family business since, which has expanded into 16 Festival Foods stores statewide.
Skogen has achieved success in his business. He was named IGA International’s “Retailer of the Year” in 1989, and in 2005 received the honor of “Wisconsin Grocer of the Year.”
He has been successful in the community as well. Skogen has served with many non-profit and service organizations throughout the area.
Skogen and his wife Barb, a ’67 UW-L graduate, have been leading philanthropists. Among the projects they have supported: YMCA, United Way, Boys and Girls Club, Onalaska First Lutheran Church, and the UW-L Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex and Centennial Hall projects. The Association of Fundraising Professional – Upper Mississippi Valley Chapter named them “Outstanding Philanthropists” in 2007.
[caption id="attachment_11877" align="alignleft" width="192" caption="Don Weber"]
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Weber
Weber’s Marine battalion in Vietnam had the motto “Whatever it takes.” Weber placed that motto on a plaque in UW-L’s Veterans Hall of Honor. Under that line, he added, “Exemplify our Motto.” Weber has.
Weber has led numerous, creative health service programs for more than a quarter century. His latest is Logistics Health Inc., which has become a world-class leader in military medical and dental readiness.
Under Weber’s direction LHI has grown from a handful employees to more than 900. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense gave LHI the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Freedom Award, the department’s highest honor given to an employer.
Weber’s connection to the military — he served in Vietnam from April 1967 through May 1968 and earned a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars — remains strong. Today, not only does his company assist veterans, but also it honors them. He generously supported the UW-L Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex and its Hall of Honor. He also supports an on-going program that provides scholarships for UW System veterans.
Weber and his wife, Roxanne, have established the Weber Family Foundation and are involved in various community service projects. Weber received the La Crosse Tribune’s Person of the Year honor in 2006 and the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce’s Community Service Award in 2012.
[/caption]
Skogen
An Onalaska native, Skogen grew up excelling in sports and dreaming of coaching. While he didn’t end up coaching athletes, he has become a team leader among supermarket staff for more than 50 years.
Skogen worked in the meat department of his family’s Skogen’s IGA in Onalaska. In 1974 when the store began to expand, he stepped into store operations. He’s been a leader in the family business since, which has expanded into 16 Festival Foods stores statewide.
Skogen has achieved success in his business. He was named IGA International’s “Retailer of the Year” in 1989, and in 2005 received the honor of “Wisconsin Grocer of the Year.”
He has been successful in the community as well. Skogen has served with many non-profit and service organizations throughout the area.
Skogen and his wife Barb, a ’67 UW-L graduate, have been leading philanthropists. Among the projects they have supported: YMCA, United Way, Boys and Girls Club, Onalaska First Lutheran Church, and the UW-L Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex and Centennial Hall projects. The Association of Fundraising Professional – Upper Mississippi Valley Chapter named them “Outstanding Philanthropists” in 2007.
[caption id="attachment_11877" align="alignleft" width="192" caption="Don Weber"][/caption]
Weber
Weber’s Marine battalion in Vietnam had the motto “Whatever it takes.” Weber placed that motto on a plaque in UW-L’s Veterans Hall of Honor. Under that line, he added, “Exemplify our Motto.” Weber has.
Weber has led numerous, creative health service programs for more than a quarter century. His latest is Logistics Health Inc., which has become a world-class leader in military medical and dental readiness.
Under Weber’s direction LHI has grown from a handful employees to more than 900. In 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense gave LHI the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Freedom Award, the department’s highest honor given to an employer.
Weber’s connection to the military — he served in Vietnam from April 1967 through May 1968 and earned a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars — remains strong. Today, not only does his company assist veterans, but also it honors them. He generously supported the UW-L Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex and its Hall of Honor. He also supports an on-going program that provides scholarships for UW System veterans.
Weber and his wife, Roxanne, have established the Weber Family Foundation and are involved in various community service projects. Weber received the La Crosse Tribune’s Person of the Year honor in 2006 and the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce’s Community Service Award in 2012.