Prudence Pick Hway has been selected as the recipient for the 2015 Doug Ziegler Advocate for Education Award for her long-standing commitment to education in the West Bend community. Started in 2014, the Doug Ziegler Advocate for Education Award recognizes and honors individuals who have made a significant contribution to education and its profession in West Bend.

Pick Hway’s philanthropic efforts showcase her accomplishments as a visionary leader in West Bend. Her leadership and guidance for education allows students in the West Bend School District to realize their dreams, achieve success and instill a passion to give back to their community. For decades, Pick Hway’s family has played an integral role in shaping the West Bend community through their numerous contributions to local charities, events and scholarships, The Pick Awards for graduating seniors at East and West High Schools recognizes student athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community involvement.

Pick Hway currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Museum of Wisconsin Art, the Kettle Moraine YMCA, Cedar Community Foundation, The Threshold Foundation, Westbury Bank Charitable Foundation, West Bend Mutual Charitable Trust, West Bend Community and Alumni Scholarship Foundation, Inc., (WB COLUMNS), West Bend Economic Development Corporation, and the Economic Development Washington County. Pick Hway has also served on the boards of the Threshold Inc., the United Way of Washington County, the Volunteer Center of Washington County, and the West Bend Country Club.

In 2013, Pick Hway was awarded the United Way - Clifford A. & Elizabeth M. Nelson Volunteer Leadership Award. In 2001, she was awarded the Threshold - Norman A. Schowalter Service Award, and in 2009, she was recognized by The American Red Cross Real Heroes as the Commitment to Community Hero.

Pick Hway is president and CEO of Pick Heaters, Inc. in West Bend, Wisconsin. She is the third generation to lead the manufacturer of liquid heating equipment for process industries. Formerly part of Pick Manufacturing, Pick Heaters was incorporated in 1968 and sells products worldwide. Key industries include food, pharmaceuticals, and the chemical industry broadly defined.

Pick Hway’s business experience includes general management and executive search consulting; six years with Robert H. Hayes & Associates, a general management consulting firm in Chicago, Illinois; and eight years with Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA), an executive search consulting firm worldwide. Pick Hway served as a Managing Director of RRA for four years and played an integral role in opening a new office in Menlo Park, California to work with venture capital and startup companies. She returned to West Bend in 1991 to lead Pick Heaters.

Pick Hway holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Pick Hway also spent two years in the United States Peace Corps in Uganda, East Africa, following graduation.

The Doug Ziegler Advocate for Education Award was named in honor of Doug Ziegler for his 60-year commitment to building a legacy of community involvement in the West Bend School District. Ziegler was the first recipient of the award in 2014. Ziegler served the education community through service as a Board of Education member for the West Bend School District. He also served his state and nation through service as a board member on many non-profit boards. Doug Ziegler supports the community through his continuous commitments to local causes, business contributions to support the growth of thousands of regional citizens, and his legacy of service.