NSU alumnus LTC Ron Quiett honored for commitment to education, country

The people of the United States take pride in their military men and women for numerous reasons, one being that no military caste or aristocracy exists. Americans note their services are comprised of "citizen soldiers."

LTC Ron Quiett embodies that idea: Army officer, two-tour Iraq veteran, Bronze Star recipient, special education teacher, physical education teacher, coach.

"My dad was a professor of education and psychology at NSU," said Quiett. "I really loved his passion for the classroom. Growing up I really couldn't imagine doing anything else but being a teacher."

However he did find a second interest when his father, Lee, introduced him to the ROTC program.

"It was in ROTC I realized that I wanted to go into the Army before I started teaching," said Quiett.

Today he does both. He is the personnel officer for the Fort Bliss Mobilization and Deployment Brigade, which mobilizes and demobilizes Reserve and National Guard units to and from Iraq and Afghanistan.

He also teaches special education at Montwood High School in El Paso, Texas, and has 14 years experience. During his career, he has also coached varsity football and varsity boys and girls soccer.

Quiett was awarded the Bronze Star for service with Ninewa Operations Command during his first Iraq tour in 2008-09.

"I worked with an Iraqi three-star command in Mosul that was in charge of over 70,000 Iraqi security forces," he said. "I was the senior operations adviser."

One excerpt of his award narrative reads, "Using his skills as a professional educator, (Quiett) developed a training plan based on the United States Army's Military Decision Making Process and combined it with the Iraqi planning process. His teaching and mentoring ... enabled planers to publish and deliver an operations order ... to subordinate units in a timely manner. This alone gave subordinate units maximum time to plan and execute operations."

Quiett graduated from NSU in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in special education. That he would go to NSU was practically foregone. His entire family attended the institution.

"Both my grandparents attended," he said, "as did both my parents, my brother and sister, and now my son, Johnlee, is a freshman there. I also had many cousins go to NSU. My cousin John Geasland and I both played soccer and ran track."

As an athlete, Quiett earned six varsity letters, three each with the soccer and track teams. In 1984, he was named all-district and NSU's most valuable defensive player. He was also a member of the Council for Exceptional Children.

Growing up on campus, Quiett accumulated what he called "a lifetime of memories" at NSU, but a recollection does stand out taking the field at Skelly Stadium in Tulsa for his first soccer game and fulfilling his childhood dream of playing for NSU.

"When I finally got into the game, I was really nervous," he said. "My cousin John was there and he came over and shook my hand and just said, 'Have fun.' I didn't do real well that game, but I did have fun."

Quiett said there were numerous people to credit who encouraged him to pursue excellence in military and civilian life.

"My coaches were always a big influence," he said. "Charlie Cooper, Gary Brown and Gary McClure at Tahlequah High School were the reasons I wanted to be a high school teacher and a football coach. At NSU, Dr. Bill Ward, the director of special education, taught me the world of the 'exceptional child.' John Finch always made me try my best. Dr. Dan DeLoache was not only a teacher, but was our soccer coach. All of these men and many more helped me become who I am. They all had a passion that was contagious. They really enjoyed teaching and you could tell it every time you walked into their classrooms."

When NSU President Don Betz informed him of the Distinguished Alumnus honor, Quiett said he was speechless.

"NSU was home," said Quiett. "There are so many past awardees who I have known my whole life. All I could really think of is that there are people on the list who have buildings and roads named after them and then there is me. My father passed away in November 2008. He was a two-time Teacher of the Year at NSU, a Citation of Merit awardee and an NSU Centurion. He would be so very proud of this award."

Quiett is one of four alumni who will be commended as part of NSU's homecoming celebration, "Welcome Back to Fabulous Northeastern State," during halftime of the Oct. 9 football game with Texas A&M-Commerce at Doc Wadley Stadium.

He will be recognized as a Distinguished Alumnus. This year's other award winners are Dr. Lowell Lehman of Tulsa, Distinguished Alumnus. Dr. Dawn Holsted of Oklahoma City, Outstanding Young Alumna; and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sandy Garrett of Oklahoma City, President's Award for Community Service.