Cronk Named Northern Founders Excellence Award Winner

 

March 17, 2021

Paulette Cronk

Paulette Cronk of Chinook has been selected as one of the MSU-Northern Foundation's Founders Excellence Award recipients for 2021.

Paulette Cronk, a Northern graduate of the class of '63, has been active with Northern for over 30 years which included time served on the Alumni Board and the Foundation Board as well as various committees. She currently is active with the F.A.N (Friends and Alumni of Northern) Committee that puts on area events and fundraisers. The committee and the board positions are volunteer roles that Cronk has put in countless hours.

Born in North Dakota, Paulette came to Havre in the early 60's. She loved what she saw, stayed in Havre, and enrolled in the education program to obtain her degree in Education. After graduating, Paulette taught elementary school in Harlem for four years. During this time she met her husband, Richard Cronk, a graduate of MSU Bozeman and an ROTC lieutenant who returned from serving in Germany to join the family business, Cronk Ranch, Inc. .

It was while living at the Cronk ranch in the 1980's that Judy Bricker, alumni director at the college, asked Paulette to join the alumni board. Always a cheerleader for her beloved college, she enthusiastically joined and embarked on a volunteer career of over three decades of service. Paulette values the countless hours she has spent volunteering at MSUN. "The University has an exciting future. Not only does it provide an excellent education program, but it has incorporated a focus for future growth in the nursing program, graduate degrees, as well as the diesel program with its fantastic new building."

Paulette continues her community service with active involvement in a variety of organizations, including P.E.O. (past president), six years as Delta Kappa Gamma President (a teacher's society), Garden Club (past president), and her church.

Paulette and her husband are now retired and live in Chinook. They are parents to Jason (Jenn), a CEO at Immanuel Lutheran retirement community in Kalispell, Trevor (Julie), an entrepreneur in Stillwater, MN, and Shantel, the MSU-Northern Foundation Executive Director. They are grandparents to Sophie, Maxwell, Colby, Camille, and Ella.

The other award recipient is Patsy Divish from Havre, a Northern graduate of the class of '88, is the other individual receiving recognition this year.

The Foundation is hosting a Summer Celebration, May 22, at the venue Montana Style Events in Havre where Cronk and Divish will be the guests of honor. Tickets are limited and include dinner and live music and you can contact the Foundation for more information. Also, to celebrate their achievement, donations can be made to the MSUN Foundation in honor of Patsy or Paulette. Call 406.265.3711 or donate on at http://www.msunfoundation.org. Each recipient will receive a message of your generosity to the Foundation they have supported for so many years.

 
 

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