Petersen receives prestigious ACCT Western Trustee Leadership Award in Seattle

NORFOLK, Neb. -- Dirk Petersen of Norfolk was named the 2024 Trustee Leadership Award winner recently. ACCT's Regional Awards recognize the tremendous contributions made by community colleges and their leaders to meet the needs of their communities. 

Northeast Board Member Dirk and spouse Jen Peterson of Norfolk, attended the ACCT Leadership Congress in Seattle held Oct. 23-26, where Petersen received his Leadership Award at a luncheon on Oct. 26. The award was presented by the ACCT Chair Jay Nardini and ACCT President and CEO Jee Hang Lee. 

Petersen, as the Northeast Governance Committee Chair spearheaded and directed the development, authorship, training of the Northeast Board and implementation of the Northeast Board Policy Governance System. He spent hundreds of hours working on this endeavor from 2020 to the present. The Northeast Board appreciated and recognized his excellent leadership and nominated Dirk for both the Nebraska Board of Governors Leadership Award and the ACCT Trustee Leadership Award. 

Petersen was selected as the award recipient for both awards. The new Governance System provides strategic guidance for Northeast's Board, President and administration. Petersen refers to this as a system that will provide guidance and structure for the Board and President for many years and probably decades to come. He considers it as the "crown jewel" of the Board's accomplishments in his nearly 14 years on the Board. Also, it is the driving force for his goal of his re-election to the Board so he continues to provide his strategic leadership.

Petersen served as chair of the Northeast Community College Board of Governors in calendar year 2018. His time on the board began when he was appointed in 2011 to an unexpired term. He was elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016 and 2020. He is seeking another term in 2024. 

Many years ago, Northeast developed a workforce development relationship with the Nucor Detailing Center in Norfolk. Petersen was actively involved in recruiting Nucor to locate its new facility in Norfolk; fully understanding the drafting program at Northeast Community College would provide a pipeline of talent to the new center. 

The partnership was recognized by AACC as a finalist for its 2013 Awards of Excellence in the Outstanding College Corporate Partnership category.