Morrisville-Eaton Inducts Four Alumni to Wall of Fame
The Morrisville-Eaton Central School District inducted four distinguished alumni into its 2017 class of the Wall of Fame. This year’s inductees – Carl Hagmann, Don Brown, Jeff Golley and Shirley Sherburne Zimmer – were honored during a Sept. 30 ceremony held at the Middle/High School.
The MECS Wall of Fame was established to recognize outstanding alumni who have achieved distinction in their lives and chosen fields through significant contributions to their careers, community or personal
achievements. This honor is meant to stand as a model and incentive to current and future students, and to recognize the foundation that a quality public education at Morrisville-Eaton played in each recipient’s success.
Honorees were nominated and evaluated by a committee of community and school district stakeholders.
Nominees were eligible if they have an MECS diploma or attended the district for a significant portion of their education, graduated at least 10 years ago, have an appreciation for their MECS education, and have demonstrated leadership, character and service in their profession and community involvement.
This year’s induction ceremony was led by Superintendent Gregory Molloy, with MECS students Delaney
Koehl, Erika Doroshenko and Heather Doroshenko delivering the inductees’ biographies. This year’s Wall of Fame Committee members were: Morgan Phillips, Jamie Kent, Carol Sidoran, Karen Jacobs, Penny Koehl, Kathy Roher, Jeff Golley and Jessica Burch.
The Wall of Fame Class of 2017
Don Brown, Class of 1960
Don spent most of his career at the Oneida Madison Electric Cooperative, where he worked for 21 years as a lineman and 10 years as CEO/Manager until his retirement. Prior to that, he worked for the Highway Departments of Madison County and the Town of Eaton, and he volunteered for the draft in 1961, serving for two years with the U.S. Army 1 st Infantry Division. After retiring, Don served as a consultant to the Rural Electric Cooperative Board and worked as a short-order cook at the Beaver Den Diner in Brookfield.
He also served on the Brookfield Board of Education, Brookfield Town Board and as a Brookfield Town Justice. Outside of work, Don is an enthusiastic outdoorsman. He was nominated to the New York State Outdoorsman Hall of Fame in 1997, having served several terms as president of the Beaver Valley Rod and Gun Club and the Conservation Club of Madison County, and serving on the regional Fish and Wildlife Management Board. Don also had an active career on the local music scene, appearing on Channel 2 TV and WMCR radio. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1998. He is a Trustee and religious education teacher at the First Baptist Church of Brookfield, where he helped spearhead renovations and improvements to the fellowship hall.
Jeff Golley, Class of 1981
Jeff spent several years working at Morrisville State College and is now a foreman in the carpentry shop of Colgate University’s facilities department, where he has worked since 1996. Jeff is best known for his
extensive community service. He is an active member of the Lions Club, including terms as Club President, and he volunteers for the Friendship Inn, the Christmas Project, and Madison County Children’s Camp, where he serves on the Board of Directors. He and his wife Kelly have hosted exchange students and have their own designated section of Route 20 where they routinely pick up litter. The Golleys have started two charitable organizations – Esther’s Way, which loans out medical equipment to those in need, and Going the Distance, which purchases and distributes gas cards to those undergoing medical treatment. Jeff received the Melvin Jones Award from Lions International, the highest award a Lion can receive in recognition of their spirit of service.
Carl Hagmann, Class of 1961 (deceased)
Upon graduation, Carl attended Colgate University on a football scholarship. After college, he joined the Army and eventually moved into the Army Reserves. He worked as a NYS Trooper for 23 years and was honored for his police work by the Nelson Inn with an Outstanding Trooper award. Following his career in law enforcement, Carl worked for Eastern Milk Producers as an inspector and regional supervisor. An avid hunter, he taught Hunter Safety courses, was a member of the Pompey Rod and Gun Club, and became an AA trap shooter, for which he received several trophies. He was also an active member of Rotary, served on the Lebanon Federated Church Board and set up the Christian Giving Fund.
Shirley Sherburne Zimmer, Class of 1964
Shirley earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and French at SUNY Albany, followed by a master’s degree in Foreign Language Education from Ohio State University and an educational administration certificate from SUNY Oswego. Shirley taught Spanish in the North Syracuse district for 20 years, including several years as the foreign language department chairperson, and then became a district-level administrator.
She also held a leadership position with the NYS Association of Foreign Language Teachers. In 1987, Shirley married Art Zimmer and spent 20 years as the financial officer at the Syracuse New Times newspaper and Family Times magazine, where her husband was the publisher. After that, she spent two years as the administrative assistant and webmaster at Zimmer Motor Car Company. During these years, she served as a board member of the Syracuse Symphony Association, the Earlville Opera House and Friends of the Hamilton Public Library. She also supported the Old Town of Eaton Museum and Wanderers’ Rest Humane Association.
On behalf of the entire Morrisville-Eaton school district and community, congratulations to our four newest members of the Wall of Fame.