Hastings College will celebrate the induction of the John DeBoer Family, Krieger Electric and Ruth (McKevitt) Moore ’69 into the Pro Rege Society on Thursday, April 23, recognizing them for their long-standing dedication to the College.
The ceremony will be at Lochland Country Club in Hastings and feature musical tributes by Hastings College Music. A reception will begin at 5:00 p.m., with the dinner and ceremony beginning at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $130 each, or a table of eight is $1,000.
Details and tickets are available at hastings.edu/prorege.
A tradition since 1997, the Pro Rege Society is the highest non-academic recognition Hastings College bestows. Selected individuals and businesses are known for their extraordinary service to the College, significant philanthropic contributions and/or unusual commitment to the College over an extended period of time.
In addition to attending the induction ceremony, individuals can honor inductees with a gift to an area that is special to them.
The DeBoer Family selected the Hastings College President’s Excellence Recognition Fund. Established by the DeBoer Family, the fund is used at the discretion of the College President and recognizes Hastings College faculty and staff who have demonstrated exceptional performance of their duties/profession.
Krieger Electric selected the Christine Krieger Academic Scholarship, established in memory of the late Christine Krieger, who served 25 years on the secretarial staff at Hastings College, including a number of years as an assistant to long-time Academic Dean Frank Weyer. Christine was the sister of Paul Krieger’s grandfather, the late Henry Krieger.
Moore selected the Collaborative Piano Fund, which supports Hastings College students who present degree recitals and use non-faculty accompanists.
About the Inductees
The John DeBoer Family
John DeBoer married Elaine Ackerson soon after graduation from Hastings College in 1968. Together they have five children: John ‘94, Wendy ‘96, Andrew ‘01, Matthew ‘03 and Johanna ‘06, who all attended Hastings College. Their two oldest grandchildren, Ian DeBoer ‘21 and Owen DeBoer ‘24, are recent graduates of Hastings College. The DeBoers are also the parents of daughter Melissa, who passed away at three months of age; her passing led Elaine and John to establish one of the early chapters of The Compassionate Friends in the United States, an organization providing support to bereaved parents. Later, John was elected to the National TCF Board and served as national president.
DeBoer retired from his position as chief administrative officer and partner of Omaha-based Midwest Laboratories, Inc. Prior to that, he served as an administrator of the Omaha Public Schools Title One program. Today, he serves as vice chair of the Hastings College Board of Trustees.
Krieger Electric
Paul Krieger, a Hastings native, attended Hastings High School, participating on the gymnastics team and graduating in 1967. He graduated from Hastings College in 1971 with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics. Following graduation, Krieger was employed with the Dutton-Lainson Company as a branch manager and inventory control. In 1972, he joined Krieger Electric as an estimator. In 1980, Krieger Electric was incorporated, and he was appointed president and worked for the company for 54 years.
In 1973, Krieger and Lynette (Davidson) were married at the First United Methodist Church in Hastings. Krieger completed an MBA in 1992 from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. He ran for the Central Community Board of Governors–District 1 and served on the board from 1997 to 2020, and as chair of the board in 2002 and 2003. Krieger was a director on the Hastings Chamber of Commerce Board for four years and board chair in 1993, and also was a member of the Hastings Public School Foundation Board.
Krieger is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Hastings and served as a trustee; he is currently a member of Hastings Noon Rotary, Midwest Lodge #317 and Hastings Scottish Rite.
Ruth (McKevitt) Moore
Ruth (McKevitt) Moore graduated from Hastings College in 1969 with a Bachelor of Music degree in music education and piano performance. She earned a Master of Music degree from Southern Methodist University in piano performance where she did extensive work in their prestigious piano pedagogy program. Upon returning to Hastings, she was recruited by Millard Cates to return to the College as a staff collaborative pianist. Her position transitioned to a visiting lecturer and ultimately a tenure-track professor in 1988, a position she held until her retirement in 2016.
During her career, she received numerous recognitions, including the Hastings College Faculty Achievement Award in 1997, the Nebraska Music Teachers Association Service Award in 2002 and the Nebraska Music Education Association Distinguished Service Award in 2014. Upon her retirement, Moore was presented an Honorary Doctorate citation and in 2019 was the first recipient of the Outstanding Alumni in Music during the inaugural Hastings College Fine Arts Hall of Fame ceremony.
Since her retirement, Moore continues to be active as a performer and collaborative pianist, serving as the collaborative pianist at Grand Island Senior High School, organist at First Presbyterian Church in Grand Island and collaborative pianist for numerous recitals and events across the region.
Moore and her husband, Jack Moore ‘69, have two children: Eric (Sarah) Moore of Gretna, Nebraska, and Anne Moore (Damien Nemire-Pepe) of Los Angeles, California, and two grandsons: Byron (Zuzka) Moore and Jaron Moore.
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Founded in 1882, the College is dedicated to student success and service to the community. Discover more at hastings.edu.