Marilee Thomas Named 2025 Cowan Award Recipient
Published Tuesday, April 08, 2025
Marshall, Minn.— Each year, SMSU presents the Cathy Cowan Award for University and Community Service to one deserving employee. This year, Marilee Thomas was chosen as the 2025 recipient of the Cathy Cowan Award. Thomas works in the Academic Dean’s office as the Office and Administrative Specialist Senior.
Thomas joined the Mustang Family in 2017 just as her husband was accepting a job opportunity in Marshall. Joining the dean’s office at SMSU was a perfect fit for her.
“We loved it in Iowa, but my husband had a great opportunity here in Marshall,” she said. "I have come to love SMSU. The university is such a gem and the people are so warm. I feel so fortunate to be part of this campus.”
Born and raised in Iowa, she learned to love the outdoors and find solace in nature. She pursued her education with intense purpose, passion, and pace. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Iowa State in just over three years. She worked for a time as a paralegal and earned her master’s degree at Briar Cliff University where she was the executive assistant to the vice president for academic and student affairs. It was at Briar Cliff that she became involved in the American Red Cross. Students were looking to start a campus chapter and needed an advisor trained with the Red Cross. That was in 2013.
Today, Thomas is the regional Local Disaster Action Relief manager. As she explains it, being a manager in the Red Cross system means someone has a lot of experience in a particular area. For Thomas, this ranges from staff relations to casework to disaster relief. She has been deployed for disaster relief situations across the United States.
Thomas worked local disasters in northwest Iowa before her first national deployment to Houston, Texas in 2015. She states that this deployment was when she realized that volunteering with the Red Cross to help people was 'what she was meant to do.'
Since then she has been deployed to national disasters in North Carolina following Hurricane Florence, Florida after Hurricane Ian, Hawaii to support those displaced by the Lahaina wildfire, and Georgia in the wake of Hurricane Helene. She’s worked virtually on many other disasters to connect people with resources and services. She also leads efforts on what the Red Cross calls “blue sky” efforts like installing smoke alarms, Pillowcase Project for emergency preparedness, as well as information tabling at the Farmer’s Market and National Night Out, just to name a few.
She is deeply moved by her experiences and notes that it is life-changing for those affected and for those volunteering to help. People are at their most fragile and dealing with the worst time of their life. The Red Cross volunteers are there to help people pick up the pieces. Thomas learned that the best thing you can say to someone is ‘I’m glad you are safe.’
“The experiences are so profound, but you learn quickly what it means to listen and be present,” Thomas said. “The special thing about the Red Cross is that you can go places with new people, but we are family, we all have the same heart.”
It’s that heart of service that she brings to her role every day. Serving students who may be having a difficult time or a crisis. She is grateful to serve and support students on their journey, in any way she can. Thomas noted that she sees employees across campus making a difference in the lives of students.
At SMSU, the meaning of service is going beyond the definition of your job, not just doing your job well. Service is at the heart of the SMSU culture. The Cathy Cowan Award for University and Community Service celebrates those whose dedication impacts the campus, the community, and the region. Presented to a faculty or staff member each year, it is the most prestigious annual award given by Southwest Minnesota State University.
The award recognizes service, not creative achievement; it is all about “doing good for others," rather than accomplishing things for yourself. These ideals are the basis for the Cowan Award, named for the late Cathy Cowan, a Psychology professor who died in an auto accident in December 2001. The award was created to honor those who follow her example of service to others.
“I never expected this. It means a lot to me even though I never met Cathy Cowan. I am a member of Cornerstone United Methodist Church which has its roots in the church that Cathy belonged to. I shared the news with Connie Smisek (SMSU retiree and member of Cornerstone). Connie’s response was: ‘I knew Cathy well. She would be pleased,’” Thomas shared. “My eyes may have leaked a little. I understand [through this award] many people loved Cathy. If she would have been pleased, I’ll take that as I’m doing a good job in serving others. I am humbled to be honored in her memory.”
The first award was presented in 2003. Many previous recipients were faculty and service faculty. She is only the second recipient to represent SMSU’s AFSCME members. AFSCME is the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees Union whose members serve across campus in a variety of critical support roles. The first was Sandy Nelson in 2007.
In the nomination submission, one colleague said, “Marilee Thomas is, in one word, a helper… In the academic dean’s office on campus, she can frequently be found assisting students, faculty, and staff. Off-campus, she helps people of all ages and from all places, both locally to nationally through her volunteer activities with the Red Cross, Lyon County Historical Society, Boy Scouts, and Cornerstone Church. Thomas supports students and faculty in a way that goes beyond simply doing her job. She is a friend to many and an integral part of SMSU.”
Thomas and her husband have two grown children and one in high school. They enjoy life on their acreage a few miles from Marshall. She describes it as the best of both worlds; she’s close to town and work, with a short commute back home where she can go outside and find solace in nature.
Thomas will be presented with the Cowan Award Medallion at Mustang Ovations on Wednesday, April 30 from 4:00-5:30 pm in the SMSU Conference Center Upper Level.
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