Skip Navigation

Dougal Nelson, Junior Achievement of the Heartland President & CEO Awarded 2022 Karl Flemke Pioneer Achievement Award

 

image of dougal nelson and jack kosakowski

Image caption: Dougal Nelson being awarded the 2022 Karl Flemke Pioneer Achievement Award

Jack Kosakowski, President & CEO of Junior Achievement USA announced Thursday, July 14 at the Junior Achievement National Leadership Conference that Dougal Nelson, President & CEO, is the recipient of the 2022 Karl Flemke Pioneer Achievement Award. The conference was held in Fort Worth, Texas. Junior Achievement of the Heartland, a member of the global JA network, has been serving young people in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas for 66 years, equipping them with the skillset and mindset to create sustainable businesses, find meaningful employment, and build thriving communities.

The Karl Flemke Pioneer Achievement Award is named in honor of Karl Flemke, JA’s National President and CEO from 1982-1994. Karl took great pride in the accomplishments of Junior Achievement’s young professionals. His vision was instrumental in expanding Junior Achievement’s programs into the elementary schools.

This award recognizes significant achievements and contributions of a first-time Junior Achievement USA Area President with not less than two and not more than six years of service in their current position. The Karl Flemke Pioneer Achievement Award was developed and is presented by the JA Pioneers (JASAN).

“Dougal was chosen as the recipient thanks to his leadership in heightening JA’s presence in our communities, boosting revenue by diversifying our donor base and creating a model workplace culture where teamwork is the focus”, said Tawnya Hambly, Vice President of Education for Junior Achievement of the Heartland.

Nelson was one of five finalists in the nation. The nominees included:

  • Lori McCleese – Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio, Inc. (Akron/Canton)
  • Ryan Osborn – Junior Achievement of Central Iowa, Inc. (Des Moines)
  • Dougal Nelson – Junior Achievement of the Heartland, Inc. (Heartland/Moline, IL)
  • Leigh Mansberg – Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South, Inc. (Memphis, TN)
  • Janie Cook – Junior Achievement of South Texas, Inc. (San Antonio, TX)

 

Image caption: JA of the Heartland Receives 5 Star Award

Junior Achievement of the Heartland has been awarded one of Junior Achievement USA®’s highest honors: The Five Star Award. The purpose of the Star Award is to recognize staff and boards of JA Areas that meet Junior Achievement’s national standards in operational efficiency and through the strong representation of the JA brand. Recipients must demonstrate growth in student impact and superior fiscal performance.

In the 2021-2022 school year JA of the Heartland:

  • recruited more than 300 first-time volunteers
  • had a 75% volunteer retention rate
  • saw an increase of 15% for individual giving
  • remained constant for corporate giving
  • saw an increase of 5% for foundation giving
  • students numbers were almost doubled from the previous school year
  • had a 95% employee retention rate

Select a button below to see how you or your organization can get involved with Junior Achievement of the Heartland.

Donate Volunteer Request A Program

Any questions? Contact us!

We use cookies to provide you a personalized experience. How we do this is by analyzing user behavior on our site and sharing data with our advertising and analytics partners. You consent to our cookie policy if you continue to use this website.

I understand