Bishop Deborah Lieder Kiesey received an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree and offered the commencement address at the May 9th commencement exercises at Morningside College in Sioux City, IA.

Morningside College presented three honorary degrees in addition to more than 300 graduate and undergraduate degrees at its 117th spring commencement exercises on Saturday, May 9 on the campus lawn in Sioux City.

Among those honored was Bishop Deborah Lieder Kiesey, bishop of the Michigan Area. Bishop Kiesey was the featured speaker at the commencement ceremony.

A 1973 Morningside graduate and former member of the college’s board of directors, Kiesey received the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in recognition of her and her family’s long association with and service to Morningside.

Noting that her four siblings, son and nephew are Morningside grads, college officials went on to say, “Lieder family ties to Morningside go back even further to your father, the Rev. Lyle Lieder.” Also a graduate of Morningside, Rev. Lieder served as vice president from 1953 to 1955 and himself received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1968. The Lieder Family Fountain gracing the campus mall was mentioned as “the most visible symbol of this long family association with Morningside College.”

Service on the boards of Iowa Wesleyan College, Dakota Wesleyan University and Albion College were cited as significant contributions to education and the church. Kiesey was also praised for her positive impact on the work of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and the United Methodist Board of Church and Society.

Also receiving honorary degrees were George Dehne, president and CEO of GDA Integrated Services in Old Saybrook, Conn., and Mark Nylen, president and CEO of Hepar BioScience LLC in Jefferson, SD.

Last Updated on February 2, 2024