A presentation and induction ceremony was held on Saturday evening, May 3, 2014, in the auditorum at Robbinsdale High School for the inaugural group of ten Distinguished Alumni. Their summaries are as follows:
Robbinsdale High School Alumni Association
Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame
Inaugural Class, May 3, 2014
Dr. Barbara J. Johnston, 1947
Having pursued advanced degrees in sociology including her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, Barb has been a teacher, a researcher, and an engager in community service and activism in a variety of local, regional and national venues. Her stellar academic pursuits included early research in the area of child abuse and neglect, family violence and domestic assault. Barb has received many honors, including the 1991 Minnesota Professor of the Year by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (an international education association), the Sociologists of Minnesota’s first annual award for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching (1989), and the Minnesota State Board for Community Colleges’ 1994 Faculty Member of the Year. In 1991, Barb received the Human Rights Award from the City of Crystal.
Ronald N. Handberg, 1955
Graduating from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism in 1960, Ron is a nationally renowned journalist who clearly understood the powerful relationship a television station can have with its community. Under his leadership, WCCO (CBS affiliate) television created our region’s largest investigative journalism unit and launched such award-winning mainstays as the I-Team, Dimension features, and the Moore Report documentaries. Thanks to his strong commitment to journalistic ethics and to innovative, high quality news and public affairs programming, WCCO won five national Emmy awards, five Peabody awards, and numerous other honors and recognitions. In addition, Ron has authored several mystery novels, each drawn from his background in investigative journalism.
Rev. Carmen Germaine Warner-Robbins, 1959
Carmen has distinguished herself as an innovator, leader and humanitarian for her work in the field of nursing and healthcare. She initiated publication of a professional journal for Emergency Department professionals with contributions from a broad base of nurses, physicians, and paramedics. In addition, Carmen has been engaged in the efforts of the Welcome Home Ministry, an organization she founded in 1966, dedicated to helping incarcerated women transition back into society. She continues to serve in a variety of social service organizations and associations, including the American Jail Association where she is the Chaplain. Barb has been recognized for outstanding achievements by the Sigma Theta Tau (National Nurses Honorary Society), the American Nurses Association, and a wide range of organizations supporting the needs of incarcerated women.
James Lukaszewski, 1960
James is President and Chairman of The Lukaszewski Group, founded in 1989 with his wife, Barbara (RHS ’62), and has a distinguished career in global crisis public relations where he has guided hundreds of companies out of tough, extremely sensitive situations. A prolific author and lecturer, he travels the world, teaching and speaking about crisis management, ethics, and management strategy. The author of twelve books and hundreds of articles, James is quoted in such publications as The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Harvard Business Review. His 1992 book, Influencing Public Attitudes: Strategies That Reduce the Media’s Power, has become a classic work in the field of direct communication. Among his many prestigious awards is the 2004 Patrick Jackson Award for Distinguished Service to the Public Relations Society of America.
Michael B. Fiterman, 1966
As Chairman and CEO, Mike is the third generation to lead Liberty Diversified International, one of Minnesota’s largest privately held companies boasting annual revenues in excess of a half-billion dollars. Mike currently serves the business and broader community as a member of the University of Minnesota Foundation Board of Trustees and the Minnesota Vikings Children’s Fund Board of Directors. He is a member of the Minnesota Business Partnership, and is a 25-year member of the Twin Cities Chapter of the World President’s Organizations. Mike has received numerous recognitions, including Hall of Fame honors from Mpls-St. Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Business, and AICC.
Barry Morrow, 1966
Barry is an Academy Award-winning screen writer and producer best known for the highly-acclaimed CBS television movie, Bill, which starred Mickey Rooney as Bill Sackter and Dennis Quaid as Barry, in which he won an Emmy in 1981. In 1989, Barry received an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Rain Man (which starred Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise). Barry has written or produced numerous other productions, original screenplays, and documentaries, and has been the recipient of such noteworthy recognitions as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Social Workers for his work with ARC, Project Turnabout, and the Autism Society of America. He continues to work diligently on a variety of international projects on education, film-making, and autism.
Richard M. Hagstrom, 1969
Having attended the University of Utah College of Law, Richard began a life-time career of pursuing major corporations for anti-trust violations, including serving as co-lead counsel in such cases as Microsoft (including Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin), resulting in multi-million dollar settlements on behalf of all consumers. In the consumer coverage arena, Richard has been national litigation counsel for environmental claims for a major property and casualty insurer. He has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in banking, RICO, unfair trade practices, securities, and intellectual property litigation. In 1974, Richard was named a Minnesota Attorney of the Year. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the S.J. Quinney College of Law, and is the Chair of the Fund for Legal Aid.
Ember Reichgott-Junge, 1970
Ember has pursued a distinguished career as an attorney, business person, Minnesota state legislator, DFL party leader, and fierce advocate for a variety of social service and community initiatives, including early childhood education and family social services. A Democrat, Ember was elected to the Minnesota Senate at age 29 and served for a total of eighteen years. She served as a majority whip from 1991 to 1994, and as an assistant majority leader from 1995 to 2000. She is best known for her authorship of the first charter school law in the United States as well as her advocacy and support for public school open enrollment, restricting youth access to tobacco and alcohol, human rights, consumer protection, and investing in children and crime prevention.
Dennie Gordon, 1971
Throughout high school, Dennie had a passion for performing in RHS plays and musicals, a passion that led her to complete a degree in Drama at Yale. Upon graduation, she took her talents to Hollywood where she has created an extraordinary career in writing and directing. Dennie has over 57 credits in television and motion pictures, and in 2000, she was recognized as the Outstanding Directional Achievement in Musical/Variety by the Directors Guild of America. In 2005, Dennie became the first American woman to direct a Chinese production in China—a Chinese remake of her 2003 romantic comedy What a Girl Wants. This achievement was followed by a film, My Lucky Star, which made Dennie the first American woman to direct a Chinese-language movie for China’s domestic market.
John Jacobson, 1979
John is a local television professional who graduated from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communications, and has spent the past 24 years reporting on, doing play-by-play for, and shooting local high school athletes and their sports here in the Twin Cities area. Due to his extraordinary professionalism, the Channel 12 Sports Department has receives numerous commendations and awards, including local Emmys for Excellence in Television Broadcasting and countless Eric Sevareid Awards. John is dedicated to his local community and has been recognized on many occasions for his acumen and expertise.
