Distinguished Alumni Award
William R. Fennewald, Industrial Electricity/Electronics 1965
Bill Fennewald is currently the Vice President of N. Fennewald Pump Service, Inc. in Martinsburg, Mo. Bill graduated from Ranken in 1965 and served in the Missouri Army National Guard until 1971. Bill taking over the helm from his father, Norbert in 1992, began as an employee at Fennewald Pump under his dad, served as Vice President, then President until February 2011. His son-in-law Brad Hoyt now runs the four-person company with $350,000 in gross sales.
In 2003 Fennewald graduated from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo. with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Bill is active politically as well serving as a member of the Missouri Democratic party and past president of the Audrain County Democratic Club. Both he and his wife are on the Audrain County Democratic Central Committee.
Bill is a volunteer with the Martinsburg Community Betterment organization. He is active with the Knights of Columbus and has achieved both 3rd and 4th degree status. He is also a past Grand Knight of the Council 1270 of the Knights of Columbus having served on the Tootsie Roll drive since its inception and serves as a 4th degree member of the Honor Guard. Bill is a member and has served on the board of the Missouri Water Well Association and a member of the National Ground Water Association. Bill continues to serve on the board of the Audrain Medical Center as he has for the past 10 years, including serving as Chairman and a member of the Audrain Medical Center Foundation Board. He is a member of St. Joseph Church and the Audrain County Historical Society serving on that organization?s Board of Directors and the Miss Missouri Pageant. In addition, Bill is a charter member of the Montgomery County Historical Society.
Bill remembers Robert Garrett speaking at a college fair on Senior Day in Vandalia, Mo., and that presentation made up his mind to go to Ranken. His goal was one year at Ranken and then he made it to two. He believes there are opportunities out there for everyone but they are disguised differently for each of us. "If you are willing to work you can do anything," stated Fennewald.
Bill has been married to Sue, a GED instructor, for 42 years and they have one daughter, Becky Hoyt and three grandchildren. Bill likes to play golf when he has time. He is an annual donor to Ranken and has been a member of Ranken's Legacy Society since 2002. Bill's list of other charities include Children's Therapy and Early Education School, J.B. & Groota B. Arthur Cancer Center and the Audrain County Red Cross.
Distinguished Young Alumni Award
Missy A. Borchardt, Architectural Technology 1995
Missy began teaching at Ranken in July of 1997 as a part-time teaching assistant while working in industry full time in small firms including Suntide Homes Development and ArcTectonics. Missy's skills grew in residential architecture and transitioned to Ranken as faculty in the architecture department. In 2008 to complete her formal training, she became an architectural historian with a Bachelor of Art History with a focus on architecture expanding her skill set to include architectural history, residential architecture, and AutoCAD. She currently teaches full time in the Architectural Technology program and was recently promoted to the assistant department chairperson. During her summer downtime from Ranken, she enjoys working part-time at Schei Homebuilding.
In addition to teaching at Ranken, Missy is also the Project Investigator on a National Science Foundation S-STEM scholarship program. This program not only helps students financially meet their needs but builds professional character towards contribution to the industry through leadership and teamwork. A part of this is matching students with industry professionals inside and outside of the classroom.
In her words, "I enjoy teaching at Ranken because I wake up every day wanting to make the world a better place. Teaching at Ranken allows me to pursue that dream every single day. One of the most wonderful experiences is when you see a young adult become curious about learning for the first time. Once that happens a student?s life has changed for the better for the rest of their life. Also, Ranken as a company allows me to grow professionally and personally. When I need a challenge they give me one, when I need flexibility they work with me. I have been working at Ranken for 15 years and plan on working here for another 15."
In her mission to make the world a better place and pay it forward whenever she can, she has worked with Bolivar Downs; a fundraising company helping many people raises thousands of dollars towards their cause. She helped the not-for-profit, STL Renaissance Faire in Wentzville, Mo. become a reality; volunteered at the Irish Fest in St. Charles; a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity STL; has been active on her children's PTO committee and is a parent representative on her children's gym board. She also coaches gymnastics at GT Performance in St. Charles, Mo.
Missy has been married to Marc Borchardt, a Ranken Industrial Technology alumnus, for 13 years and they have three daughters; Brooke (10), Riley (8) and Natalie (6). They are residents of St. Charles and are active in their girls' schools and sports. Missy shares, "I owe much of my drive and motivation to my mother who raised my sister and me as a single mother for 14 years. My mother, Debbie Pedroli, never attended college but instilled in us at a young age that education is one of the best gifts we could give ourselves." Missy is an annual donor to Ranken through the Every Employee Counts campaign and to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
