Kreitzer is Kiwanis Layperson of the Year

CRESCO -   Wayne Kreitzer of Cresco is the Kiwanis 2016-2017 Layperson of the Year.

Kreitzer was given the Nebraska-Iowa District Kiwanis International 2016-2017 Layperson of the Year Award at the Cresco Kiwanis regular October meeting.

He currently serves as a board member on the Cresco Kiwanis Club. He serves as co-chairman of the Kiwanis Student Recognition Committee, which coordinates with school district staff to award  the 7th and 8th grade Student of the Month and Senior Student Academic Recognition Award, as chosen by faculty. He also extends the invitation to students and parents/guardians to attend a local Kiwanis monthly meeting for an evening meal and  award presentation with a brief summary of each student’s accomplishments. 

Kreitzer works at and supports Kiwanis-sponsored fund-raisers, such as the football tailgate at high school football games, the community Mother’s Day brunch, the Howard County Moo-Mobile and the circus.

He served as Secondary Guidance Counselor at Crestwood High School in Cresco. He also served on the Iowa High School Counselor Advisory Board of the University of Iowa.

Kreitzer was instrumental in the establishment of the Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) Cresco campus and the high school curriculum alignment that offers students college credits while attending high school.

In 1992, he helped establish the local Dollars for Scholars program and the beginning of the Dollars for Scholars Foundation fund raising. Since that time, more than $2,000,000 has been awarded to approximately 1,600 students. This year, more than 100 organizations or individuals contributed to the foundation program. Currently, a member of the Board of Directors awarded over $225,00 to the senior class of 2017.

In his nomination letter on Kreitzer’s behalf, Dennis Brosdahl, Crestwood High School Principal from 1969-1992, wrote, ‘Wayne was the consummate team player. Whenever we as a staff determined a certain direction to take, you could always count on Wayne’s leadership to point the way toward the goal we were trying to achieve. 

‘Secondly, Wayne was tireless in carrying out his responsibilities. He never worked by the hour but always devoted all of the time necessary to get the job done. An example of this is the development of the Dollars for Scholars program. This started out with a modest six scholarships being offered to deserving students. The program has grown so that today almost every student who wants to attend school beyond the high school level, a scholarship is available to them. What a legacy to leave!’ 

A graduate of Ridgeway High School, Kreitzer received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Upper Iowa University in 1961 and his Master of Arts degree from  Winona State University in 1973.

He served as a teacher/coach for the Dumont Community School District, Allamakee Community School District, Lansing St. George High School (baseball, boys’ basketball, and cross country, and boys’ basketball Coach of the Year for the Upper Mississippi Conference.

As a professional educator, Kreitzer was a former member of national, state and local education groups as well as oranizations that focus on helping students, such as the National Education Association, Iowa State Education Association, Howard-Winneshiek Education Association and Iowa High School Counselor Association.