Vicki Skaer

is honored with a Brick from Dr. William Skaer.

Sometimes, to find a true heroine one doesn't need to look far. Vicki L. Skaer is such a heroine in her family's eyes. She has been a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, best friend, confidant, and business partner for 30 years. Vicki has always put her family and community first. She has been active in the environmental movement in Kansas. Vicki is a strong proponent of women's rights and equality.

Vicki received her Bachelor's degree from Wichita State University and her Master's degree in Environmental Studies from Friends University. As part of her community and environmental work, she has served on numerous boards and committees. Vicki has been a leader in the local Sierra Club group. She is a member of the Sedgwick County Solid Waste Management Committee. Vicki is a member of the Wichita Chamber of Commerce Environment Committee, and on the Lower Arkansas River Basin Advisory Committee of the state water office. The community has been good to her, and she has given much of her time back to the community.

Vicki has a deep concern for the future of her family. She has steadfastly worked and fought for a cleaner, healthier environment. Her approach has been to think long-term about human effects on the environment. Native Americans were said to have based their tribal decisions on how they affected seven generations. Vicki's granddaughter, Alex Tatro, is the seventh generation to grow up in the local area. That, more than anything else, has probably affected Vicki's environmental ethics.

Vicki's belief that all things are connected and have intrinsic value is sometimes referred to as deep ecology. We, her family, appreciate her concern for all living things, and for us. Albert Schweitzer once said, "it is only when persons become concerned about all living things, that they truly become human beings." Vicki L. Skaer is a human being and a true heroine.

July 28, 1998