Norris High School Alumni Association 2007 Hall of Fame Inductees

Rick McNeese	Gary Lesoing

Rick McNeese was a 1967 graduate of Norris High School. He received his BS in 1971 from Wesleyan University, Lincoln.   In 1976 he graduated from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas with his PhD in Psychology.  He began his career as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Sam Houston State University.  At Sam Houston State University he also served as the Co-Director of the Science Enrichment Program, Director of Student Orientation and Associate Professor of Psychology.

Rick returned to Lincoln in 1986 to become a member of the Task Force on Youth Behavioral Medicine Unit at Lincoln General Hospital.  He presently serves in numerous capacities including Consultant to the University of Nebraska Athletic Department-Sports Medicine, Clinical Instructor for Family Practice at the UNL College of Medicine, Adjunct Faculty member with the Department of Educational Psychology at UNL, Adjunct Faculty member at Nebraska Wesleyan University in the Department of Psychology, and Adjunct Faculty member at Doane College in the Masters in Counseling Program.  He also serves as President and Clinical Director of the First Step Recovery and Wellness Center, a non-profit corporation.  He is a Member of the Nebraska State Action Team for Integration of Primary Care, Substance Abuse and Mental Health; a member of the Nebraska State Judicial Substance Abuse Task Force and Assistant Administrator of Behavioral Health, Substance Abuse at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.  He is currently a member of the American Psychological Association and the Nebraska Psychological Association.

Honors and awards include the Nebraska State Government Chapter of the National Management Association Manager of Year 2007 Nominee, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Health Services Supervisor of the Year-July 2007, Nebraska Rural Health Association’s First Annual Integrated Rural Healthcare Award in 2002 and the Tabitha Professional Leadership Award in 1988.

Gary Lesoing

Gary Lesoing graduated from Norris High School in 1971.  He graduated with High Distinction in 1975 from Peru State College with a BS in Biology.  Gary received his Ph.D. in Agronomy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1992.  He served as a Research Assistant Professor at UNL’s Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems and in 1998 he became the Regional Agronomy Specialist for the University of Nebraska’s West Central Region Outreach and Extension Program.  Since 2004 he has served as an Extension Educator for the Southeast District of the UNL-Lincoln Extension Program.

Gary provides consultation to farmers, landowners, homeowners and variety of clientele.  He coordinates and presents numerous workshops and training sessions annually specializing in crop production systems, integrated pest management, fertilizer and nutrient management, forage and pasture management, water quality and the environment, soil and water conservation, pesticide applicator training, sustainable agriculture, small acreage educational programs, Master Gardener program and horticultural production systems.

In September of 2007, Gary was appointed State Coordinator of the USDA SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) Program for the University of Nebraska.