Bellevue University Awards President’s Medals to Longtime Supporters During 60th Anniversary Year
Bellevue University recently announced that it is awarding the President’s Medal, its highest honor, to three longtime supporters whose leadership, philanthropy, and commitment to education have expanded opportunities for students. Berniece and Bill Grewcock, Marsha and Milton Kleinberg, and the Kountze Family are being recognized for their enduring impact on Bellevue University during the University’s 60th anniversary year.
Key Facts
- The President’s Medal is Bellevue University’s highest honor, recognizing outstanding generosity, leadership, and service.
- 2026 recipients include Berniece and Bill Grewcock, Marsha and Milton Kleinberg and Neely Kountze on behalf of his father Mallory Kountze and the Gilbert M. and Martha H. Hitchcock Foundation.
- The honor reflects Bellevue University’s focus on high-performance, open-access education that prepares students to achieve both their education and career goals.
- Recipients are recognized for advancing educational access, student success, and community impact.aragraph
Bellevue Names Three President’s Medal Recipients
Bellevue University is awarding its highest honor, the President’s Medal, to the following supporters and their families, whose generosity, leadership, and service have helped sustain the University’s mission during its first 60 years.
Berniece and Bill Grewcock
Berniece and Bill Grewcock are recognized for their longstanding commitment to education, American heritage, and values-based leadership. Their longtime support of Bellevue University reflects a belief in expanding access to learning opportunities while reinforcing the importance of civic responsibility and America’s founding principles, and sustaining values. Their contributions include the Bill and Berniece Grewcock Chair of American Vision and Values and the University’s Vision and Values program supporting high school- and college-level civics education. These efforts have helped Bellevue University continue to serve students seeking education that connects purpose with career outcomes.
Bill Grewcock spent his 57-year career at Kiewit, retiring as Vice-Chairman of Kiewit in 2007. He and his wife founded the Bill and Berniece Grewcock Foundation in 1990. In addition to education, the Grewcocks have supported native and international wildlife conservation, including initiatives at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo. Bill Grewcock passed away in 2018; Berniece recently celebrated her 100th birthday.
Each of these recipients has made a significant contribution to support our institution’s growth and extend the reach of our high-performance, high-access education model. Because of their support, the spirit of achievement continues to burn brightly at Bellevue University.
Marsha and Milton Kleinberg
Marsha and Milton Kleinberg are honored for their deep commitment to education, patriotism, and student success. Milton Kleinberg was born in Poland in 1937 and is a Holocaust survivor who endured years of displacement, labor camps and hardship before immigrating to the United States as a teenager. After serving in the U.S. Army, he built a career in the insurance industry, ultimately becoming chairman and CEO of Senior Market Sales, Inc. Under his leadership, the company grew into one of the country’s leading insurance marketing organizations. He later shared his life story in a memoir, Bread of Death: Memories of My Childhood During and After the Holocaust. He gifted the book to Bellevue University students at the University’s America Dream Scholarship ceremony in 2021, where he and Marsha served as the keynote speakers. Marsha Kleinberg has been an educator, a business partner and a community leader in her own right. She served as office manager at SMS and played an integral role in the company’s growth alongside Milton after their move from Milwaukee to Omaha in 1990.
Together, the Kleinbergs are known for their philanthropy and civic engagement, supporting a wide range of organizations across Omaha, including educational institutions, Jewish community organizations, and human service nonprofits. Their generosity includes establishing the Marsha and Milton Mendel Kleinberg Endowed Student Support Fund at Bellevue University, reflecting their belief in education as a pathway to opportunity and achieving the American Dream.
The Kountze Family
Mallory Kountze (1924–1984), a prominent Omaha business leader and philanthropist, was one of Bellevue College’s earliest and most influential champions. In 1969, he became the first non‑founding member of the institution’s Board of Directors and helped bring broader Omaha business and philanthropic support to the young college. Through his leadership and as a trustee of the Hitchcock Foundation, Kountze helped stabilize and grow the University, advancing early capital projects such as the Hitchcock Humanities Center and ensuring continued momentum during Bellevue’s early years.
That legacy continues through his son, Neely Kountze, and Neely’s wife, Mary Kountze, who have sustained and expanded the family’s philanthropic leadership. Neely serves as President of the Hitchcock Foundation and is one of its longest‑tenured trustees, while Mary serves in a senior leadership role and has decades of involvement in charitable and educational causes. The Kountze family, along with current trustees of the Hitchcock Foundation, steward foundation investments that support education, arts, health, and community institutions across the Omaha region, including ongoing support for Bellevue University. The Hitchcock Foundation is a lead sponsor for Bellevue University’s annual Signature Event, which is part of its Vision and Values education and community outreach portfolio.
Founded in 1966, Bellevue University is a non-profit university with more than 70,000 graduates worldwide. The University is a recognized national leader in preparing students for lifelong success with career-relevant knowledge and skills, while making college affordable. Routinely ranked among the nation’s top military and accessible institutions, the University serves residential students at its main campus in Bellevue, Nebraska, and everywhere online with more than 85 degree programs uniquely designed for working adults. The University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org).