Alum is up for Packer Fan Hall of Fame
Vote for Steve!
Alum is up for Packer Fan Hall of Fame
By Dan Silvia, Communications Manager
Steve Tate needs your vote. Tate, who earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration of Technical Services in 1992, has been nominated for the Green Bay Packers Fan Hall of Fame.
Tate is one of ten nominees for the Hall. Voting takes place on the Packers website through January 31st. Two winners will be announced in the spring. This is the 17th year the Packers have held the contest. Tate has been nominated five other times, but this is the first time he has been among the final 10.
“I have a good chance, but there are nine other good nominees,” Tate said.
As a native Wisconsin, Tate comes by his Packer fandom naturally.
“Growing up in Wisconsin my dad worked 6 days a week. On Sundays, our family would go to church, come home, watch the Packers and then go out hunting,” Tate explained. “If the Packers won the farmers would be happy and let you hunt on their land. If the Packers lost they would say no to hunting on their land most of the time. The good news is that this was the 60s and the Packers won a lot.”
Tate had moved to Omaha in 1990 having already earned an associate’s degree.
“I had a lot of credits towards a four-year degree, but no plan on how to complete this,” he said. “I contacted the University and got an appointment to look at options. I quickly got a game plan on how to obtain my business administration degree in a year. It was a long year, but enjoyable one.”
Tate said his time at Bellevue University helped him refine his research abilities and improve his communication skills.
“The class was filled with working people that understood the value of an education and a strong desire to improve themselves and implement what they learned,” he added.
His degree also helped him advance his career with American Family Mutual. He was selected for a training program for computer programmers at the company shortly after earning his degree.
“I believe my degree from Bellevue University not only helped me with getting the job, but helped me apply what I learned on different levels beyond computer programming,” he said. “I have since taken different positions within American Family Insurance from trainee, to programmer, to specialist and now into management in a few different capacities over the years.”
Tate, who now lives in De Forest, Wisconsin, is heavily involved in his community and charity work including the River Food Pantry and the Wisconsin Voice for Recovery. He’ll be taking the Polar Plunge for the Special Olympics on February 29 in Green Bay.
“I am a person in long term recovery and I enjoy giving back and trying to help others,” Tate said.