Duluth, Minn. [December 13, 2021] -- Employees throughout the Minnesota State system were recognized for outstanding work last week during the 2021 Minnesota State Virtual Finance Conference.

The conference's highest honor, the Chancellor’s Award, went to Lake Superior College’s Vice President of Administration and Finance, Al Finlayson. Lake Superior College’s Director of Business Services, Nickoel Anderson, was also recognized with an Outstanding Service Award.

THE CHANCELLOR’S AWARD

This award recognizes individuals or teams whose efforts support the Strategic Framework and result in systemwide improvements in financial management, services or processes. Award criteria focuses on innovation, collaboration and new work that is above and beyond regular duties.

This year, the Chancellor’s Award was presented to Al Finlayson, Vice President of Administration and Finance at Lake Superior College in Duluth. Bill Maki, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Facilities of Minnesota State, said, “Al is a respected leader in Minnesota’s higher education community, especially among his Minnesota State finance colleagues. As he continues to provide exemplary leadership at Lake Superior College, he has taken on one of the lead roles in the implementation of the system’s new ERP application. His expertise with campus financial operations and the relationship it has with students, the system, the state of Minnesota and other stakeholders has been invaluable. He is very deserving of this award.”

THE OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD

This award recognizes individuals and/or teams that provide outstanding campus service. Maki said, “It is a pleasure to read through the nominations and feel the passion and commitment these individuals and finance teams have for their work and most importantly for the students they serve. Being able to effectively adapt to external challenges while also ensuring their colleagues received the information and assistance they need to perform their duties were common themes.”

Individuals who were recognized include:

• Nickoel Anderson, Director of Business Services, Lake Superior College
• Diana Fliss, Director of Finance, Minnesota West Community & Technical College
• Lisa Pozanc, Director of Business Services, Minnesota State College Southeast

Maki said, “These individuals, along with the teams they work with, are outstanding examples of the hard work and commitment that goes into serving students during these extraordinary times while also maintaining the financial sustainability and integrity in our financial information at our colleges and universities. Though often behind the scenes, the work done by these individuals and their colleagues has a dramatic impact on the operations of our colleges and universities and the success of our students.”

Dr. Patricia Rogers, President of Lake Superior College, added her praise, congratulations and gratitude for both Al Finlayson and Nickoel Anderson. Rogers, who nominated Finlayson for the award, said: “Al and Nickoel embody the spirit of resiliency, collaboration, fiscal responsibility and steadfast support for our students, employees and community that are core values at Lake Superior College and throughout the Minnesota State system. Particularly during these past couple of unique and challenging years with the pandemic and economic uncertainty, Al and Nickoel continued to provide steady leadership and helped LSC maintain our tradition of responsible fiscal management. We not only found a way to step up and provide students with much needed additional financial support, we also maintained a healthy budget and continue to be in good financial standing, positioning LSC for continued success for years to come. I am so grateful for the work of Al, Nickoel and all of our talented and dedicated employees here at Lake Superior College.”