Jim Walker, a 1970 graduate of Morningside College, serves as chair of Leadership Gifts. He has served 14 years on Morningside’s Board of Directors and is chair of the board’s Institutional Advancement Committee. He is president and chief executive officer of Heim & Walker in Minneapolis, Minn. In 2001, Morningside awarded the honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws to him and his wife, Sharon Walker, for their selfless service to church, community, and college. The couple established the annual Sharon Walker Faculty Excellence Awards, first given in 2003.

Lucy Buhler, a 1956 graduate of Morningside College, is chair of the Annual Fund Campaign. A retired music educator, she holds a master’s degree in music from
South Dakota State University. She has served on Morningside’s Board of Directors since 2000.  She is a member of the board’s Institutional Advancement Committee and a former member of the Governance Committee.

Nancy Metz, a graduate of Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, is chair of Siouxland Business Gifts. A former English teacher, she is very active in the community, serving on the boards of the Orpheum Theatre and KWIT-KOJI FM 90 Public Radio. She is a former chair of the Siouxland United Way. She has served on Morningside’s Board of Directors for 14 years and is a member of the Institutional Advancement Committee.

Russ Olson, a 1976 graduate of Morningside College, is chair of the Alumni Gifts Campaign. He is president and chief executive officer of Liberty Banshares, Inc., in West Des Moines, Iowa. He serves on the boards of the Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, Des Moines Sport Authority, Polk-Des Moines Taxpayers Association, Krause Gentle Corporation, and Liberty Bank. He has served on Morningside’s Board of Directors since 1999 and currently serves as Vice Chair of the board and as a member of the Institutional Advancement Committee