Barbara (DePeaux) ’63 and Reynolds ’64 Challoner

2012 Recipients Distinguished Alumni Award for Community Service

Barbara (DePeaux) ’63 and Reynolds ’64 Challoner are active civic members who are known for their dedication, commitment and joy in helping make a difference in our communities.  Both discovered the rewards of volunteerism through their professional, spiritual and personal endeavors.   They attribute Carroll to not only providing them a solid foundation for future careers and lives of enrichment—but as a special place where they met and fell in love. 
 
Barbara graduated from Carroll in 1963 with a B.A. degree in elementary education.   She was a member of the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority, Carroll Players, Student Senate, modern dance group called "Orchesis", cheerleading squad, and the Union Operating Board.   According to Barbara, attending Carroll had a profound influence on her life.  From the students to the professors, housemothers to the chaplain, they each touched her life in many wonderful ways.  Carroll instilled a confidence and curiosity that paved the path for a rewarding career as a teacher and children’s librarian. 
 
While she was a young mother with three active children, most of Barbara’s volunteer activities involved children and education.   She gave of herself to a variety of programs including volunteering in the "Reverence for Life" program with the Audubon Society, brought art into local classrooms through an art appreciation segment called “Art Goes to School,” served as an active participant in a children’s theatre group called the “Lollipop Players,” and provided literacy support and tutoring to adults in Green Bay as a member of the Literacy Council of Brown County.  The scope of her volunteerism prepared Barbara for what she defined as her dream job—a children's librarian with the award- winning Brown County Library.  Barbara is an active member of P.E.O., an international philanthropic educational organization.  She continues to do programs on Children’s Literature…as a volunteer.
 
Renny graduated from Carroll with a B.S. degree in business administration in 1964, and continued his education in strategic business management at Columbia University’s Arden House in New York.  At Carroll, Renny was a member of the men’s track and basketball teams, orientation committee, Union Operating Board and the Beta Pi Epsilon fraternity.  He attended Carroll based on the recruitment efforts of the legendary Shirley Hilger.  It was Carroll’s great reputation academically, smaller class sizes and personal contact with professors that really attracted Renny—along with the ability to compete and participate in sports, extra-curricular and Greek activities.
 
For Renny, Carroll was a place that cultivated his God-given talents.  The campus provided him with the social and leadership skills and values development to compete and prosper in life. Over his 47 years in business, he has held general management, strategic planning, marketing, materials research and purchasing positions for corporations in the specialty chemicals, food ingredients, packaging, paper and dental industries.
 
Professionally, Renny is well-accomplished being past chairman of the American Dental Trade Association receiving its Distinguished Service Award (the 12^th in its 120 year history), in addition to receiving the Dental Manufacturers Association’s Transformational Leader Award.
 
He is currently president of NEW Paradigm Advisors LLC (Sanibel, FL., Green Bay, Wis.), and was the past owner and CEO of Lord’s Dental Studio Inc., a large full service dental laboratory noted for its unique approaches in partnering with dentistry in the research and development of new products and services, developing a high quality management team which he sold the business to in 2000.
 
Renny has served on advisory councils and boards of several dental laboratory supply companies, the National Association of Dental Laboratories, Marquette University’s Dental School, and the Pankey and Pride Institutes. Corporate boards include MECA Technologies Inc., Jo-to-Go America, The Pride Institute, U.S. Paper Mills Corporation, Morley Murphy Company, M&I's Merchant Bank, and Rhinelander Telecommunications, Inc.  Since 1990, he has been a member of TEC30, an international group of CEOs.
 
Beyond his professional career, Renny has also carved time out as a faithful volunteer, dedicating time and efforts to many organizations - Brown County Salvation Army, United Way of Rhinelander, Scholarships, Inc., Brown County’s W-2 program, Rotary Clubs of Rhinelander and Green Bay, UWGB Founders Board, St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation (Rhinelander), Bellin Hospital of Green Bay and St. Norbert College’s Birder Chorale.  Most recently, the majority of his focus has been spent on the executive committee of the Children’s Oral Health Partnership of Brown County. He helped found the organization, which serves and provides dental access for over 4,800 low- income kids.
 
The Challoners have been diligent champions to the Salvation Army in Brown County, helping to recently establish the new Kroc Community Center.  Renny’s perseverance was instrumental in making the 95,000-square-foot facility a reality.  Renny has served on their board of directors since 1993, and Barbara has been a faithful member of their women’s auxiliary.  This $26.5 million building with a $30 million endowment will serve over 5,000 families in the area. 
 
As a family, the Challoners are great examples of living out Carroll’s mission in serving others.   It is through the love of family, and giving back to the community that Barbara and Renny have found the greatest personal returns and satisfaction in life.  Renny and Barbara currently split their time between Florida and Wisconsin.  They are blessed with three wonderful children and their equally wonderful spouses and eight bright, beautiful and talented grandchildren.  They are hopeful that at least one or more of their grandchildren will attend Carroll someday.