IW celebrates Alumni

MT. PLEASANT — Iowa Wesleyan University will present the 2022 Distinguished Alumni and Alumni Service Awards Saturday, Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. during homecoming weekend.

Additionally, the university will induct one member into the Iowa Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame at the same time.

The ceremony will take place at the Social Hall of the Howe Student Activity Center.

Class of 1991 alumna Jackie Reszetar will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award.

According to IW, Reszetar enlisted in the United States Army in 1992 and spent 21 years serving in public health roles within the military, including Environmental Health Technician and Environmental Science Officer Engineer, before retiring from the military as a Major in 2013.

She continued to serve in public health roles, including becoming the Director of Environmental for the Southern Nevada Health District and serving on the Public Health Accreditation Board.

Reszetar has since retired and now serves as an Epilepsy Center for Excellence, Anita Kaufmann Advocate for Epilepsy.

Class of 1971 alumni Dave and Cathy (Garretson) Helman will receive the Alumni Service Award.

According to IW, Dave Helman worked with the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons for 27 years, served as Associate Warden at federal prisons in West Virginia and Minnesota, and served as Warden in Minnesota and Illinois before retiring to Salem, Iowa, in 2001.

Dave Helman has since served as the Chairman of the Salem, Iowa Library Building Trust Fund; Chairman for four county Early Childhood Iowa Board of Directors; Chairman for Henry County Adjustment Board; and a member of Healthy Henry County Communities.

He has also served as a chairman of the Henry County Democratic Party for nine years, led voter registration efforts on the IW campus, served annually as a Constitution Day speaker and organized the first satellite polling places at IW.

Cathy (Garretson) Helman served in public education for 28 years as an elementary classroom teacher for first through fourth grades and Title I Reading for first through third in West Virginia, Minnesota, and Illinois before retiring in 2008.

She has since served as President of the Friend of the Salem Crew Public Library and a member of the Salem Library Building Trust Fund.

Cathy Helman currently serves on the Lewelling Quaker Museum Board as Treasurer and docent, and she also continues to support DAR Community service projects in the James Harlan Chapter.

IW will induct class of 2012 alumna Anna (Jones) Zander into the IW Athletic Hall of Fame.

According to IW, Anna Zander was a two-time All-American at Iowa Wesleyan during a four-year career.

This makes her one of the greatest players in the school's history of playing women's basketball.

She was the second player in school history to receive NAIA First Team All-American honors and was a three-time First Team All-Midwest Collegiate Conference selection.

Zander finished her career as the school's all-time leader in assists and steals and also ranks fourth in school history in scoring and fifth in rebounding.

Additionally, she was a member of three Tiger teams to advance to the NAIA National Tournament and, as a sophomore, was a starter on IW's record-setting team that finished 27-8 and advanced to the Elite 8 at nationals.

Tickets to the reception and banquet are $50 and can be purchased at www.iw.edu/homecoming

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com