Employee of the Month
Sterling Silver Award
May 2009
Sara Fladeland
Coordinator of Alumni Relations, Alumni Association
“During the last year and a half when the NIC History Committee worked to finalize the book, it became apparent that a HUGE part of the project had yet to be addressed: finding and preparing photos to accompany the text. It was suggested that Sara be invited to join the committee because her role as Alumni Relations Coordinator gave her access to former students and employees who might be able to help in this process.
Sara jumped in with both feet, agreeing to select the photographs to be sent to the publisher. This required that she spend countless hours at the Museum of North Idaho wading through masses of images as well as photos stored in the NIC Library, Public Relations Office, and the Sentinel archives. Additionally, she worked with other NIC staff as well as her alumni contacts to acquire and in some cases photograph other memorabilia such as letter sweaters, old documents, and so on.
Once photos were selected, Sara presented the potential choices to the History Committee and then proceeded to arrange permissions from the photo's owners, scan the photos in the required digital format, and catalogue them as required by the publisher.
Did I mention that she did this with no expectation of payment? Did I mention that she spent many a weekend day in her office working on this? Did I mention that she ALWAYS was gracious, willing, and happy as she worked. When committee members thanked her periodically for her hard work, her response was invariably, "I don't mind. This is fun!"
Sheila Wood and I have talked of how we underestimated the job of photo selection and preparation for the history project. Had Sara not stepped in as our savior, the project could have languished for a year or two more. Because of WHO SHE IS--smart, willing, energetic, enterprising and committed--Sara Fladeland would make a perfect recipient of the Sterling Silver Award.”
Fran Bahr
English Instructor and author of The Gathering Place: A History of North Idaho College
“Sara Fladeland is an absolute joy to work with. Her can-do attitude inspires all who know her to pitch in and lend a hand. No project is too big or small for Sara to handle. She easily moves from planning a large scale event to looking through yearbooks with former NIC students. She generously offers her time and her help to any and all, and when the chips are down Sara’s quick wit will quickly have you roaring with laughter.
Sara is a real asset to not only our office but North Idaho College. The Wild Game Feast is now a sell-out event, and there are more members in the Alumni Association than ever before thanks to Sara’s efforts. Sara is truly a bright spot in the story of NIC.”
Jamie Anderson, Development and Foundation Administrative Assistant
“Sara goes the extra mile and takes the time to ensure the job is done right. Sara coordinates the Alumni Association Wild Game Feast and the event only gets better each year. In addition, Sara was instrumental in compiling information for the NIC History Book and she spent many hours scanning old photos. On a personal note, Sara is just an all around awesome person. Not only is she a dedicated professional, she is also a dedicated mother to her adopted child, Miya. I watched Sara go through the adoption and she never wavered, even when there were obstacles in the process. I'm so proud of Sara's ability to embrace motherhood. She is a wonderful mother to Miya.”
Pam Noah, Development Coordinator
“Sara served as a member of the NIC History Committee from 2005 until the publication of The Gathering Place, A History of North Idaho College in August of 2008. By the year 2005 a small committee of NIC retirees along with writer Fran Bahr had been working on the history since 1999. It was in 2005 that Sara agreed to join our efforts, and without her, I assure you, we would still be struggling to finish the book.
Sara diligently and cheerfully took on the enormous task of photo selection. When I say “enormous,” I mean just that: She was faced with finding and sorting and evaluating 75 years of photos, most of them undated, the people in them unidentified, and all of them scattered throughout campus in offices, boxes, mounted on walls, and shelved in special collections in Molstead Library, featured in archived newspapers, and on file at the Museum of North Idaho. Sara was faced not only with locating them, but also with selecting the best photos, photos that featured students and that supported the book’s theme of “the gathering place.”
Locating and identifying and choosing the photos constituted one part of the enormous task. Next Sara had to learn a computer program called “Photoshop” in order to incorporate the photos in a format required by our publisher, Eastern Washington Press. What followed was the tedious drafting process, matching photos to text, assigning them to their relevant pages, and finally writing captions with names and dates.
The beauty of the finished product, our history book, speaks volumes for Sara in a way I cannot express in words. I can only say in all humility that I believe Sara richly deserves the Sterling Silver Award for her contribution to North Idaho College by taking on the central and most challenging task in successfully completing the history book, second only to the writing itself. She threw her whole heart into the project and was a joy to work with, all the while carrying out her daily duties at NIC with routine excellence.
Were it possible to do so, I’d nominate her for the Solid Gold Award. That’s what Sara Fladeland is—a 24 carat jewel, a credit to North Idaho College and the communities it serves.”
Sheila Wood, NIC History Committee Chair
“Sara’s work is invaluable to the past, present, and future of the college. Her knowledge of the college’s history made her a valuable resource to the History Committee, which was responsible for chronicling the history of the college in the NIC History Book written by Fran Bahr. She maintains consistent communication with alumni of the college and pulls them all together for various events and needs of the college. She worked tirelessly on the reunion event, trying so hard to make it a success, even in difficult economic times. She is wonderful with people as proven by her work answering to an all-volunteer board of directors. And she listens to people and tells their stories as if they, those who attended NIC, are what North Idaho College is all about.”
Stacy Hudson, Public Information Coordinator
“I didn't want to miss the opportunity to recognize and thank a colleague of mine for some extraordinary work committed to the NIC History Project, Committee, and book that was a result. A book that honors NIC's rich history as part of the region, and one that will preserve those "memories" forever on behalf of NIC.
Sara Fladeland, Alumni Relations Coordinator, rolled up her sleeves and provided the committee and author with the support needed for securing the history photos and supporting information. Sara's dedication to the project helped to ensure a successful, quality outcome. As we celebrate NIC's 75th Anniversary year, I want to formally extend heartfelt appreciation to Sara for her work with this special project.”
Rayelle Anderson, Development Department Director and NIC Foundation Executive Director
“Sara’s work with the alums of North Idaho College is very valuable. She is in constant contact with them and invites them to the college for different events. She worked so hard on the reunion as well as the NIC History Book, working tirelessly to put together photos for the book. Whenever someone has a question about the history of the college, they go to Sara who knows so much about the college’s important past. She should be recognized for her time and effort for all she does for those who leave and wish to stay connected to NIC.”
Mindy Patterson, Community Relations and Marketing Sr. Administrative Assistant