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WLLA President = Jeannie Fulmer=20 and BOCES Director Mike Clark

Clark Honored for Distinguished Service in Adult=20 Ed.

Oyster Ridge BOCES = Director=20 Mike Clark was the recipient of the Wyoming Lifelong Learning = Association=92s=20 Distinguished Service Award at its recent State Convention in Cheyenne. The = award was=20 presented to Clark by WLLA President = Jeannie=20 Fullmer. Dr. Clark was also recently the recipient of the Mountain = Plains Adult=20 Education Association=92s Award of Excellence. MPAEA is an eight State=20 Professional Organization for Adult Educators. =93When it rains it = pours=94 said=20 Clark when asked how he felt to = receive the two=20 most prestigious honors given to Adult Educators in the Rocky Mountain = West. The=20 Distinguished Service Award is = presented to=20 a person who has exemplified, promoted, and supported the WLLA concept = and=20 philosophy in the community and the State. =20 This award is presented to a member of WLLA for outstanding = service=20 furthering the work of WLLA and positively impacting lifelong learning = in=20 Wyoming.

=93Seriously,=94 Clark=20 said, =93it is very rewarding when approaching the end of your career to = be=20 recognized by your peers for the contributions you made to the field. = It=92s like,=20 wow, somebody noticed, I guess I have made a difference. I=92m humbled = and=20 grateful that out of all the hardworking and diligent practitioners in = Adult=20 Education that I was selected for these honors=94.

When presenting the award President Fullmer read the following = citation:

Michael Clark has spent the last 30 years in = the field=20 of education. He received his Associates degree in 1973, his Bachelors = degree in=20 1977, Masters in 1985 and his Doctorate in 2001.

He has been the Western Wyoming College = Outreach=20 Coordinator since 1991 and was selected to become the first Director of = the=20 Oyster Ridge BOCES when it was created in 1997. Clark has served on the Boards of the Wyoming = Lifelong=20 Learning Association, the Mountain Plains Adult Education Association, = the Wyoming Government Investment Fund and is the = Founder and=20 current President of the Association of Cooperative Educational = Services.=20 Clark is also a presenter at numerous = Adult=20 Education Conferences including the MPAEA, WLLA = , the=20 Communal Studies Association and the Symposium for Graduate Study in = Adult=20 Education.

He has continued to publish his research in = various=20 forms including articles in the Journal of Adult Education, Utopian = Studies, and=20 recently in the Encyclopedia of American Social Movements where he = authored a=20 chapter on Robert Owen and the New Harmony = Movement.

Clark was included in the Marquis Publication of = Whos Who for the 1997 through 2000 = editions.=20 He continues to teach for Western=20 Wyoming College and also teaches Graduate Courses = online for=20 the University of=20 Wyoming in Adult=20 Education.

He is most proud of his involvement with the = Oyster=20 Ridge Music Festival which received the 24^th Annual = Governor=92s Art=20 Award. This was only the second time a music festival has been so = honored in the=20 Awards 25 year history.