Posted 05/09/2000
Contact: Andrew Svec, 218-281-8380
UMC's Feiro Receives U of M President’s Outstanding Service Award
Thomas Feiro, a staff member at the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC), has been awarded the President’s Award for Outstanding Service to the University of Minnesota. University President Mark Yudof presented the award to Feiro at a ceremony held May 8 at Eastcliff, Yudof’s St. Paul residence.
The award recognizes U of M faculty and staff who have provided exceptional service to the University. It honors active or retired faculty and staff members who have gone well beyond their regular duties and have demonstrated an unusual commitment to the University community. Feiro is one of only 46 people to have ever received the award.
Feiro serves as the senior laboratory technician for UMC’s Natural Resources Department and as the campus environmental health and safety officer. He began his employment at UMC in November 1977. At that time he had completed an Associate’s Degree in Natural Resources from UMC and had worked four years for the U.S. Forest Service. In 1996 Feiro earned his Bachelor of Science Degree, Magna Cum Laude, in Natural Resources—again from UMC. He continues his professional contributions at many levels.
Fay Thompson, Director of the U of M’s Environmental, Health and Safety Department, notes, “Tom is a person who takes on far more responsibility than should be expected of a single person, and he carries out all of his duties at an extremely high level of proficiency.”
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One of Feiro’s responsibilities is to coordinate maintenance at the Red River Valley Natural History Area. He has expanded that responsibility to become the naturalist and program director for the area, devoting his own time to that project.
Feiro also works in staging the annual Northwest Urban Forestry Workshop and the annual UMC tree planting expedition to the Chippewa National Forest. He is also the volunteer organizer of the annual Christmas Bird Count, coordinated by the National Audubon Society.
For more than 15 years he has served on the Northwest Regional Environmental Education Board and, more recently, as the state chair of the Minnesota Environmental Education Board. He has been very effective in this statewide role and has represented the UMC campus and the University of Minnesota in responding to the environmental education needs of present and future Minnesota youth.
This year Feiro completes a ten-year run as a member of the Crookston School District #593 School Board, where he currently serves as chairperson. A further significant community contribution includes a 16-year history as a volunteer fire fighter with a current status of Minnesota State Certified Fire Fighter, Level II.
According to Dr. W. Dan Svedarsky, Professor of Natural Resources at UMC, “I really cannot conceive of how a University employee could do more in the service category than Tom Feiro. True, many of his activities are extensions of his position, but he goes far beyond the call of duty. Many of his service contributions to the community are simply because he’s a good guy, wishing to make the world a better place.”