President’s Medallion for Distinguished Service to Education
Dr. Margie Massey
Dr. Massey is a 2002 University of Southern Colorado, now CSU Pueblo, Alumna, and began her career at CSU Pueblo as an adjunct professor and curriculum resource coordinator in 2000 and progressed to associate professor in 2008. Most recently she was promoted to professor of education in August 2020.
Her curriculum vitae contains an impressive list of publications, conference presentations, and successful grant awards resulting in several hundred thousand dollars benefiting CSU Pueblo programs and students. For the past eight years she has served as the Faculty Senate president enabling her to represent the needs and interests of faculty. “We do good things at CSU Pueblo and our students are the best, that’s why I’m so heavily involved,” said Dr. Massey.
Dr. Massey is always ready to help, whether it be a search and screen committee, task force, or advisory committee. Additionally, she gives generously of her time to student services activities and community boards supporting education at CSU Pueblo and in Pueblo County. Elevating education to benefit youth is of upmost importance to Dr. Massey. She currently serves on committees for District 60 and District 70, is a board member for Villa Bella Expeditionary School, and on the finance committee at Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.
Her first love was tax accounting, and while pursuing her degree at USC she found that technology really spoke to her. A professor directed her away from tax accounting to technology, though she still enjoys tax season and providing tax accounting services.
Dr. Massey lives in Pueblo West with her husband Keith and the occasional rattlesnake. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and travelling with Keith. New Mexico is one of their favorite destinations and they are looking forward to visiting British Columbia on an upcoming vacation. Both are very active in their church – Cathedral of the Sacred Heart – where Dr. Massey serves as a Eucharistic Minister and chairs their successful Mardi Gras fundraiser each year.
President’s Medallion for Distinguished Service to the University
Eric & Renee Carson
Eric was born and raised in the San Luis Valley. As the youngest of eight children, Eric Carson grew up recognizing the value of higher education. Both of his parents were only able to complete school through the eighth grade, but the value of education was their priority. In addition to Eric, six of his siblings went on to earn their degree in higher education and the seventh served in the United States Navy.
Blessed to have traveled to the Hawaiian Islands early in his life, Eric fell in love with the beauty of the people and the landscape. After earning his degree in Marketing and Finance at the University of Colorado, Eric started his career in the construction business. Within one year, he owned the company and currently has five locations in Hawaii.
Renee recognizes the importance of higher education and sees the opportunities it can provide each day. She along with Eric and her son Derrick, owns and manages Express Employment Professionals in Pueblo and Pueblo County, where she has assisted more than 50,000 people in finding work.
Eric and Renee are active volunteers in the communities in which they reside. Eric has served in leadership capacities is at the Hawaii Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Entrepreneurs Organization of Hawaii, Small Business Hawaii, and former board member for CSU Pueblo Foundation and currently sits on the Finance Committee for the Foundation. Renee has served on boards for the Greater Pueblo Chamber, Pueblo Community College Foundation, United Way of Pueblo County, and the Pueblo Latino Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on the CSU Pueblo Career Center Advisory Board.
Using their success to empower others, Eric and Renee established the Carson Family Endowed Scholarship with the CSU Pueblo Foundation in 2016 to provide financial support to CSU Pueblo students who are from the San Luis Valley.
Eric and Renee currently reside in Pueblo, Colorado; Oahu, Hawaii; and Las Vegas, Nevada where they own and manage eight companies between the two of them. Together they have five amazing children and six beautiful grandchildren and believe you should never take family for granted.
President’s Medallion for Distinguished Service to the Community
Johnson Controls, Incorporated (JCI) is a world leader in smart buildings, creating safe, healthy, and sustainable spaces.
For nearly 140 years, JCI has made buildings better and has transformed them again with award-winning digital technologies and services. Johnson Controls offers the world’s largest portfolio of building technology, software and services. Supported by a team of more than 100,000 dedicated employees working across 150 countries, JCI is committed to helping customers achieve their sustainability goals and power their mission.
For more than 20 years, JCI has been CSU Pueblo’s primary energy performance partner. Since 1998, JCI has worked with CSU Pueblo to invest in numerous building upgrades, design energy efficiency projects, and work closely to make CSU Pueblo’s facilities infrastructure more stable, more efficient, and more focused on the work of higher education. Further expanding our partnership, JCI worked hand-in-hand with the Colorado Energy Office, the Colorado Office of the State Architect, the CSU System, Pueblo city and county officials, CSU Pueblo leadership, and our partners at Black Hills Energy in order to take CSU Pueblo’s award-winning solar project live in 2022. Because of JCI’s investment in CSU Pueblo, CSU Pueblo has been able to minimize deferred maintenance and has been recognized as a leader in net-zero energy performance, unveiling our 23-acre solar farm as the first net-zero institution in higher education in the continental United States.
“We are proud of our 20-year partnership with CSU Pueblo to create a more sustainable, energy efficient and healthy campus and community. Pioneers, like CSU Pueblo, have set the bar for other institutions across the U.S. by demonstrating ways invest in campus infrastructure and reduce energy consumption – all without diverting financial resources from other university needs. We look forward to another 20 years of innovation.”
– Charles McGinnis, Vice President-Sustainable Infrastructure
President’s Medallion for Distinguished Alumni Achievement
Timothy “Tim” Simmons, Alumnus 1969
Alumnus Timothy Heath “Tim” Simmons graduated from Southern Colorado State College (SCSC), now CSU Pueblo, in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and a minor in business.
Simmons went on to have a career in sports public relations for collegiate, Olympic, and professional teams, including the Denver Nuggets. After managing the sports marketing department at Coors Brewing Company, Simmons “retired” and established himself as an independent consultant in media information for sporting events, traveling across Colorado, the United States, and the world.
As the son of Pueblo Junior College (PJC)/SCSC/University of Southern Colorado basketball head coach, Harry “The Chief” Simmons, Tim grew up on the PJC and SCSC Orman Campus and identifies as a Pueblo boy, no matter where he lives.
Simmon’s consulting and travel schedule is hectic at best, but he manages to give time to CSU Pueblo. He serves as the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee chair and Athletics historian. Simmons, who served as SCSC’s first full-time Sports Information Director (1971-1974), .introduced and now manages a regular email communique to friends and followers of the Pack – The Howler Herald. He also regularly hosts CSU Pueblo Basketball Alumni events at Massari Arena and in the Denver Metro area and serves as a Sustaining Trustee for the CSU Pueblo Foundation.
In addition to giving his time to his alma mater, Simmons has given financially to establish the Richard Pavlik Scholarship in the 80s, The Harry H. and Mary Elizabeth “Bodie” Simmons Memorial Scholarship, and the Sam Batey Scholarship to give back to the players at CSU Pueblo. “Donations are an emotional thing for most people – I look at how fortunate I’ve been and want to give back to help young people in their pursuit of an education,” says Simmons.
Simmons lives in Longmont, Colorado with his wife of 48 years, Lynn.
