Sister Marlene Neises

Sister Marlene Neises grew up on a small dairy farm near Howard, South Dakota, attending St. Agatha Grade School and High School, both staffed by the School Sisters of St. Francis.

After her high school graduation in 1965, Sister Marlene moved to Milwaukee to join the School Sisters, drawn by the way the sisters cared for and worked with their students. She was part of the first Postulant class to wear a grey skirt and cape.

That was only the beginning of congregation-wide formation changes. One result was that Sister Marlene and another sister from the Western Province moved to the Omaha Provincial House to continue their education. Sister Marlene graduated from Creighton University in 1970.

By that time, sisters were finding their own ministries. Sister Marlene served as an elementary school teacher at Sacred Heart Parish School in Omaha, where the Sinsinawa Dominicans were ministering. Then she moved to Fremont, Nebraska, to teach at St. Patrick Grade School alongside other School Sisters. As a beginning educator, Sister Marlene was fortunate to have excellent sister principals at both schools who guided, challenged, and supported her in those early years.

Always feeling called to further the School Sisters’ mission and ministries as much as possible, Sister Marlene responded to a 1977 invitation to serve as an administrator at Alverno College and she continues to minister there today. During this time, she earned her master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of Toledo in 1981.

At Alverno, Sister Marlene was instrumental in developing and implementing the Instructional Services Center, a department that assisted incoming college students strengthen and build the communication and mathematics skills necessary to be successful. Sister Marlene has a knack for getting things done, so over these 40-plus years at the college she was asked to oversee many different projects, departments, and initiatives. In recognition of her adaptability and saying “Yes” to so many different and challenging assignments, the college honored her with the Franciscan Spirit Award at the Celebration of Giving in 2016.

This April, because she has always been a loyal supporter of Alverno’s sports teams, attending as many games as possible, Sister was inducted into the Alverno Athletic Hall of Fame. The teams call her their “Super Fan!” She is “all-in” for them.

Her volunteer work is no less impressive. She has been a board member of the Milwaukee Achiever Literacy Services and served on the St. Joan Antida High School board since 2005. She has also served as the administrative coordinator for Girls in Charge, a Milwaukee-based coalition of girl-serving agencies.

Generous with her time and talent, Sister Marlene has volunteered or been elected to multiple U.S. Province committees. She is currently serving as an Area Coordinator, and she has been a delegate to several Provincial and General Assemblies.

Congratulations on 60 years in community, Sister Marlene, and thank you for sharing your expertise in many educational endeavors in your teaching, at Alverno, and in our congregation.