Alumni honored with Distinguished Service Awards

Luther College President Brad Chamberlain presented Distinguished Service Awards, one of the highest honors awarded by the college, to eight Luther alumni during a ceremony at the Center for Faith and Life Main Hall as part of Luther’s annual Homecoming weekend.

The 2026 Luther Distinguished Service Award recipients are Lance Bergstrom ’86, Thomas Coon ’76, Bill Friskics-Warren ’81, Ronald J. Larson ’76, Lonnie Norwood Jr. ’06, Myrna Kay (Olson) Peterson ’71, Heather Schacht Reisinger ’96 and Jason Zabokrtsky ’96.

Lance Bergstrom

Lance Bergstrom graduated from Luther in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota in 1991. He then pursued specialty training in ophthalmology at the University of Missouri.

In 1995, Bergstrom returned to his hometown of Fargo, North Dakota, to establish Bergstrom Eye and Laser Clinic. In addition to his clinical practice, Bergstrom serves as an associate clinical professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences and as an adjunct clinical professor at both the Illinois College of Optometry and Pacific University College of Optometry. In 2025, he received the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award.

In 2017, Bergstrom established the nonprofit Haiti Eye Mission in Haiti’s Central Plateau region. Haiti Eye Mission treats more than 1,500 patients annually and performs more than 300 cataract surgeries during each mission. In 2020, Bergstrom received the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Thomas Coon

A 1976 Luther graduate, Thomas Coon earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. He then earned a Master of Science and Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California-Davis. In 1989, Coon began his 25-year career at Michigan State University (MSU), first as a professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and later as the director of Michigan State University Extension.

In 2014, Coon retired from MSU. He then became vice president and dean of the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. In this role, Coon oversaw 3,500 students in the Ferguson College of Agriculture, as well as the university’s two state agencies: OSU Cooperative Extension and OSU Agricultural Research.

Following his retirement from OSU in 2023, Coon returned to Michigan, where he and his wife Rhonda Coon continued their service on the Michigan 4-H Foundation Board. In 2025, Thomas and Rhonda Coon were jointly named Champions for OSU Agriculture. Most recently, Coon received a Meritorious Service Award from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities in recognition of his work with agricultural extension programs and research.

Bill Friskics-Warren

Bill Friskics-Warren majored in English and graduated from Luther in 1981. Friskics-Warren pursued a Master of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt University and received the Founders Medal for First Honors upon graduation, an award given to the graduate with the highest GPA in each of Vanderbilt’s colleges.

Friskics-Warren is an affordable housing advocate in Nashville, and his efforts have resulted in more than 1,000 units of affordable housing. He was pivotal in securing the funds to establish 200 housing vouchers to support larger families in Nashville. On the national stage, Friskics-Warren has testified before the U.S. Congress on the impact of homelessness.

In addition to his advocacy and activism, Friskics-Warren is an author of music and pop culture articles, books, and obituaries, and a frequent contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock and Roll, and many more. Following the passing of Dolly Parton in 2026, Friskics-Warren had the honor of authoring the musician’s obituary in The New York Times, which became the news outlet’s most read obituary in newspaper history.

Ronald J. Larson

After graduating from Luther in 1976 with a degree in history, Ronald J. Larson earned a master’s degree in library and information sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From there, a lifelong career in library science began. Larson spent 30 years at the Wisconsin State Journal serving as their library director, where he managed an archive of nearly 500,000 images and two million articles and collaborated with journalists to provide research for investigative articles.

From 2009 to 2014, Larson served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Library and Information Studies. From 2010 to 2017, he served as the newspaper and periodicals librarian for the Wisconsin Historical Society and was responsible for the management of one of the largest newspaper collections in the country.

For 40 years, Larson has been a champion of historic preservation in his hometown of McFarland, Wisconsin. In 2006, he helped mark a sesquicentennial milestone by spearheading the Village of McFarland’s 150th anniversary celebration, efforts for which he was named McFarland’s Citizen of the Year.

Lonnie Norwood Jr.

Lonnie Norwood Jr. graduated from Luther in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in music. He earned his Master of Music degree from Florida State University. From there, Norwood stepped into the classroom as a music educator teaching in Florida before moving back to his home state of Illinois and teaching in Chicago Public Schools.

Since 2012, Norwood has been a conductor with Uniting Voices Chicago, a network of in-school and after-school music and movement programs that serve thousands of students across the city. Norwood was pivotal in establishing the Uniting Voices Englewood Neighborhood Choir. Today, Norwood serves as Uniting Voices Director of Africana Studies and conducts the Lincoln Park/DePaul and Englewood programs.

In addition to his leadership at Uniting Voices, Norwood is a teacher and chairs the board of Village Harmony, an educational organization that values the sharing of diverse music traditions. In 2023, Norwood was recognized by Chicago Reader as the Best Music Teacher of the Year in Chicago.

Myrna Kay (Olson) Peterson

After graduating with a degree in elementary education from Luther in 1971, Myrna Kay (Olson) Peterson worked as a teacher and coach in four Minnesota school districts across a 15-year span. Later, she earned a master’s degree in educational technology from Bemidji State University.

In 1995, Peterson suffered a severe car accident resulting in a quadriplegic injury. Throughout this adversity, she remained persistent and committed herself to becoming an advocate for the rights of differently abled people.

She helped to establish Mobility Mania, a nonprofit that seeks to address barriers to access in northern Minnesota and advocates for accessibility for all. She served two terms on the Minnesota Governor’s Advisory Council on Connected and Automated Vehicles, helping secure over $12 million in funding for accessible rural transit. Peterson also served on the Minnesota Council on Disability, where she represented seven counties at the state level. Currently, she serves as vice chair of the board for First Call for Help, a 211 resource helpline.

Heather Schacht Reisinger

Heather Schacht Reisinger graduated from Luther in 1996 as a double major in anthropology and art. She earned a master’s degree in applied anthropology from the University of Maryland, a Ph.D. in anthropology from American University, and a post-doctoral fellowship in public health from Johns Hopkins University.

Since 2006, Reisinger has served as a medical anthropologist and researcher in the Veterans Affairs Iowa City Healthcare system and University of Iowa. She is a professor of internal medicine at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and a core investigator at the Center for Comprehensive Access and Delivery Research and Evaluation. Reisinger is also the inaugural director of the University of Iowa’s Implementation Science Center.

Reisinger serves as a member of the editorial board and as an associate editor for the journal Implementation Science. She also served on the board of the Society for Applied Anthropology.

Jason Zabokrtsky

Jason Zabokrtsky graduated with degrees in communications and political science from Luther in 1996. Following graduation, he earned a law degree from the University of Iowa.

Zabokrtsky is the founder and owner of Ely Outfitting Company, one of the largest outfitters in the region located at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). He advocates at all levels for the preservation of the wilderness area and protection against mining operations that threaten its ecosystem and regional economy.

Zabokrtsky has served on the board of the Save the Boundary Waters nonprofit organization, testified before the U.S. Congress, organized letter-writing campaigns, and protested as an engaged citizen and small business owner. He also serves on the Forest Service’s BWCAW Collaborative, where he lends his expertise to conversations with stakeholders across the region about responsible stewardship of the Boundary Waters.

About the Luther College Distinguished Service Award

Luther College President Brad Chamberlain announced the 2026 recipients of the Distinguished Service Award during a celebration ceremony on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, in the Center for Faith and Life.

The Distinguished Service Award is presented to alumni or individuals with strong connections to Luther College who have exhibited admirable service to society in areas such as education, government, the arts, business, church, labor, industry, agriculture, research, medicine and community affairs. The recipients are announced each year during Luther’s Homecoming weekend.

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