NORFOLK, NE – Northeast Community College has honored two individuals for career success and achievement following graduation from the institution.
David Currie, Alpharetta, GA, and Nick Kasik, Denver, were inducted into Northeast's Alumni Hall of Success during a reception and ceremony recently in the Lifelong Learning Center on the Norfolk campus. The Alumni Hall of Success is awarded to individuals for achieving significant professional success, exhibiting exemplary citizenship qualities or making significant contributions to their communities and/or community affairs.
Awards were presented by Mary Honke, co-interim president of Northeast, and Dr. Tracy Kruse, associate vice president of development and external affairs.
Currie graduated from Northeastern Nebraska College, a predecessor institution to Northeast Community College) in 1973 with a liberal arts degree. He retired from Unisys Corporation after 40 years with the same company. He began his career in St. Paul, Minnesota, programming software. From there he moved to Omaha where he assisted clients with their software implementations.
Currie was in the software business all his life in a variety of functions: software implementation and development, customer service, services marketing and management. The last 20 years, he was Project Manager of Systems Integration Projects, which meant bringing new applications to life for businesses and government agencies through the integration of technology, people and processes.
Currie and his wife, Mary, are parents to three sons, Shane, Devon and Mason. Unfortunately, Devon succumbed to bone cancer at the age of 20. Due to the impact of losing their son, the Curries have spent quite a bit of their time promoting the awareness of childhood cancer and the organizations that support cancer research, stem cell transplants and financial support for families in the challenging journey to survive this horrendous disease.
Through activities and classroom work in college, Currie proved to himself that he could achieve his goals through hard work and patience - and do things he never thought he would do.
In citing his fondest memories at “Northeastern,” he remembered the “great instructors and the incredible students” that he encountered. He said, “They encouraged me in many ways I did not think possible. Whether it was classes, extracurricular college activities or personal time, I met some great people and developed some great friendships.”
Kasik graduated from Northeast Community College in 1990 with a degree in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. He has over 25 years of construction industry experience and is presently employed as a Senior Operations Manager at RK Mechanical in Denver.
In the early 1990s, he went to work for Makita Power Tools, as one of a team of six individuals who traveled the country introducing new cordless drill technology to the construction industry. He was part of the initial team that kicked off the cordless tool technology boom that we see today.
In the mid-90s, Kasik went to work for the nation’s fifth largest mechanical contracting firm to manage the construction of the maintenance facility to house the Air Force’s new 509th Bomber Squad B-2 Stealth Bombers. He was on the team that took delivery, and ensured the security of the world’s newest warfare technology.
In the 2000’s, Kasik has served in capacities ranging from project management to company president for many large national and international companies, leading notable Department of Defense projects including aerospace research and development support at Edwards Air Force Base, B-2 and F-35 Stealth support services nationally; Space-X support service at Vandenberg Air Force Base; University of Colorado Aerospace / NASA Facility, and Air Force support facilities in Alaska, Hawaii, and Italy.
In addition, he worked extensively on well-known landmarks such as Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, The Mirage, City Center, Bellagio, the historic Tropicana resort, and many other hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. He is also the founder and national executive director of the National Association of Construction Professionals, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to construction workforce development.
Kasik said the greatest memory of Northeast Community College for him is the feeling of community that he had as a student. He said there was a feeling of belonging, as the school was small enough to have a personal touch with every student.
He said, “Northeast Community College opened a world of opportunities that I otherwise would have never been exposed to. … It’s not even the achievement or the challenge of new things that drives me most. It is the adventure that challenges inherently bring to your life that really drives me.”
“These two gentlemen make up a truly outstanding class to be inducted into the Northeast Alumni Hall of Success - and we are proud to recognize these outstanding members of the Northeast family,” Honke said.
Currie and Kasik join over 240 other Northeast alumni who have been inducted into the Alumni Hall of Success over the years.
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David Currie, of Alpharetta, GA, addresses the audience as he is inducted into the Northeast Community College Alumni Hall of Success recently. Nick Kasik, Denver, was also inducted into the Alumni Hall of Success during a reception and ceremony held in the Lifelong Learning Center on the Northeast campus in Norfolk.