MENOMONIE (September 6, 2010) - Judy Kahl, who served as an administrative assistant in the UW-Stout Athletic Department for 28 years and was with UW-Stout for nearly 45 years, is the 2010 recipient of the UW-Stout Athletic Distinguished Service Award.
Kahl will be honored at the annual UW-Stout Hall of Fame ceremony, Saturday, Sept. 18 at the Memorial Student Center along with Hall of Fame inductees, Jesse Diaz, Matt Bunyan, Katie (Jacobson) Busch, Katy (Olsen) Gilles, Rachel (Traynor) Fuller and Mike Kraimer. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Great Hall with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for dinner are $15 for adults, $10 for children 12-and-under.
Beginning with the athletic department in 1980, Kahl managed the athletic and physical education department office. Over the years, she has worked with compliance, student payroll, the athletic Hall of Fame, WIAC and NCAA championships, along with a wealth of other activities. In 2005, Kahl was the university's first recipient of the Classified Employee of the Month award.
Kahl was more than just an employee in the athletic/physical education department. She was also one of the Blue Devils' biggest boosters, in particular when her daughter, Sara, was rolling up 1000 career points for the women's basketball team. She was well known by many of the student-athletes who would stop by simply for a chat.
Kahl began her tenure with UW-Stout in 1964, working in the Social Science Department when Dwight Agnew, an earlier recipient of the distinguished service award, was the department chair. After Agnew retired, she worked for Ted Baker and Gerene Dougherty before transferring to athletics.
“I transferred to athletics because it was the perfect opportunity for me to get involved with sports and work in the department that I wanted to call my "second home" until I retired,” Kahl said. Kahl retired in February, 2008.
Even before taking up permanent residence in the athletic department, Kahl served a few temporary stints in athletics and has worked for athletic directors Ray Johnson, Max Sparger, Bill Burns, Warren Bowlus, Annette Caruso-Howett, Rita Slinden,
Steve Terry and Joe Harlan.
Kahl resides in Menomonie along with her husband, Roger, a retired Menomonie police officer, where the couple enjoy their children and grandchildren.
