2016 Owatonna Teacher of the Year

The Owatonna Educator Awards and Recognition Banquet was held at the Monterey Ballroom on Wednesday, May 11. Information is from the banquet program.

Congratulations to 2016 Owatonna Teacher of the Year, Scott Noet.

Noet graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Southwest State and has been teaching since 1997 at Owatonna Junior High School.

Owatonna Teacher of the Year nominees were:

• Dan Leer graduated from Concordia Moorhead and St. Mary's. He teaches at the high school, also taught in Enderlin, N.D., and in Medford.
• Kristi Rohman graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato and the University of South Dakota, Vermillion. She teaches at the high school, also has taught at Fairmont Junior/Senior High School and Granada-Huntley-East Chain High School.
• Doug Wanous graduated form Concordia Moorhead and Mankato State University. He has been teaching since 1992 at OHS. Wanous also taught in Custer, S.D., and Moorhead, Minn.
• Jessica Wagner graduated from MSU, Mankato and Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall, and has been teaching at OHS since 2002.

Owatonna School District also thanked the retiring teachers.

• Al Arnold graduated from Mankato State University and began teaching in 1984 at Owatonna High School. He also taught in Morristown.
• Liz Langer graduated from Winona State College and the University of Minnesota. She taught at Wilson along with Royal Oaks Elementary, Escuela Especial, Chone Equador and Lincoln. She was Teacher of the Year in 2003.
• Julie Olson graduated from Concordia College-Moorhead and the University of Minnesota. She taught at St. James Elementary, Medford, Washington, Wilson and Willow Creek.
• Catherine Quam graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato and Concordia University. She has taught at Roosevelt, Bethlehem Academy, Faribault and Owatonna High School.

Congratulations and thank you to educators serving the Owatonna area for 25 years.

• Bill McClintock graduated from NIACC, MSU and SMSU and began teaching in 1991. He has taught at all the elementary schools in Owatonna.
• Delles Solie graduated from Moorhead State and Bemidji State. He began teaching in 1980 and in Owatonna in 1991. Solie also taught in Grand Meadow, Minn., and Walden, Colo.
• Kevin Stelter graduated from St. Olaf and St. Thomas and began teaching in Owatonna in 1991. He also taught in Buffalo/Hector.
• Mike Stormo graduated from SDSU and began teaching at Owatonna in 1991. Stormo also taught at Vermillion High School, S.D. He was Teacher of the Year in 2006.

Congratulations and thank you to educators serving the Owatonna area for 30 years.

• Shelly Chicos graduated from MSU, Mankato. She began teaching at St. Mary's School in Owatonna and is at Owatonna High School.
• Sue Erickson graduated from MSU and the College of St. Catherine and began teaching Developmental Adapted Physical Education K-12.
• Sue Leithold-Bowcock graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the University of St. Thomas and Kodaly and began teaching in 1986 at Wilson and is now at Lincoln.