Hall of Fame - Class of 2018
Mike Conway
For nearly 25 years, Mike Conway was the larger-than-life face of Wyoming Elementary School. His tenure as principal was that of an instructional leader, a friend, a father-figure, an entertainer, and a truly-authentic and genuinely-beloved public servant of his community. Mike started his career teaching 6th grade at Scandia Elementary in 1973. After 16 years of classroom teaching, he was hired in 1989 as principal of Wyoming Elementary School, just as the finishing touches were being completed on the construction of a new, larger building. In his light-hearted and theatric way, Mike always made sure that students and staff were having fun during their school day, while at the same time always maintaining high standards of academic rigor. No educator was more dedicated to teaching “the whole child” as Mike Conway, and the legacy he left at Wyoming Elementary School will never be forgotten.
Linda Madsen
Always a pioneer, Linda was among Forest Lake’s first female varsity athletes – a track and field competitor - before graduating in 1977. After earning her teaching degree, her first teaching assignment landed her right back in her home district. She was considered among Forest Lake’s finest teachers, and in 1990 she was named Minnesota Home Economics Teacher of the Year and was in the top three in the nation. After 16 years as a teacher, she moved into curriculum and then administration before being hired as the district’s first female superintendent in 2009. Linda was known as a strong communicator, a steadfast and hard-working leader and among the most popular superintendents in recent memory. Linda led the effort in the creation of STEM at Lino Lakes Elementary, IB at Scandia and the Language Immersion program offered at several schools. She was instrumental in the passage of the 2015 4 District Bond – at the time the fourth largest bond in state history – which upgraded and expanded the district’s deteriorating facilities.
Alexander Norquist
A 1992 Forest Lake graduate, Alex excelled academically throughout his life and has achieved national distinction among his colleagues in his field. In high school, Alex was the epitome of an “involved” student, balancing strong academics with an assortment of sports and activities. He lettered in football, academics and band, in which he was named All-Conference. He graduated with honors and went on to attend Gustavus Adolphus College where he earned his B.A. in Chemistry in 1996. He went on to earn both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Chemistry at Northwestern University, and then he spent two years as a post-doctoral research assistant at Oxford University before landing a position as an assistant professor at Haverford in 2003. His work on various topics in chemistry has earned him numerous grants, including several from the National Science Foundation. He recently co-authored an article in the scientific journal “Nature” which has been widely peer-reviewed and referenced in both the Wall Street Journal and Scientific American.
Scott Norquist
Scott excelled in athletics, music and academics in high school and later attained tremendous personal and professional success through his hard work and dedication. A 1991 graduate, Scott holds the distinction of being the only Forest Lake student ever to be named the winner of the Minnesota State High School League Class AA Academics, Arts and Athletics Award, a result of Scott’s 4.0 grade-point-average and achievement in MSHSL-sponsored activities. During his high school career, Scott earned a combined 15 varsity letters in the following activities: basketball, football, band, track, academics and speech, and as a senior he was a captain on both the basketball and track teams. He was three times named all-conference in band, and was all-conference honorable mention in both basketball and football. He graduated with highest honors and in the top 10 in his class. After high school, Scott earned his B.A. in chemical engineering at Northwestern and an M.B.A at the University of Minnesota. He has spent more than 25 years working for the 3M Company.
John Skoglund
John Skoglund wore many hats during his lifetime in the Forest Lake Community: active and talented student, successful businessman, dedicated father, popular public official and, in fact, life-saving hero. A 1957 graduate of Forest Lake High School, John lettered in basketball, baseball, track and football, where he was named co-captain and All-Conference as a senior. He was voted as homecoming king, and graduated in the Top 10 of his class. He attended the University of Minnesota, where he majored in both Electrical and Industrial Engineering. He began his career at Honeywell, but ended up working for IMI Cornelius as plant manager and senior vice president of engineering. In his mid-30s, John served as Forest Lake Mayor for 14 years, leading the effort to create economic growth in the community by supporting the creation of the Northland Mall. As a hockey parent, John was also instrumental in creating the first Forest Lake Ice Arena. John also became a local hero when he rescuted a driver whose car had broken through the ice on the lake.
Norton Taylor
Norton (Norty) Taylor was a descendant of the locally-famous Taylor Family, who were early settlers and landowners in the Forest Lake Area. Norton and his wife, Marian, and their four children lived and farmed in northern edge of Forest Lake Village during the 1950s and 60s, raising different types of livestock. Norton was first elected to the Forest Lake School Board in the years following World War II, and he served as a board member, and later president, during a time of significant challenges. School consolidation, as the district grew in the 1950s and 1960s, was a major issue. Forest Lake was evolving from a collection of small schools into a more suburban district, and Norton’s leadership during this period helped create and mold Independent School District 831 into more of the shape and form that it currently exists. As a successful farmer, Norton also was an advocate of agriculture education, and he helped establish the district’s excellent agriculture program and FFA organization.
For nearly 25 years, Mike Conway was the larger-than-life face of Wyoming Elementary School. His tenure as principal was that of an instructional leader, a friend, a father-figure, an entertainer, and a truly-authentic and genuinely-beloved public servant of his community. Mike started his career teaching 6th grade at Scandia Elementary in 1973. After 16 years of classroom teaching, he was hired in 1989 as principal of Wyoming Elementary School, just as the finishing touches were being completed on the construction of a new, larger building. In his light-hearted and theatric way, Mike always made sure that students and staff were having fun during their school day, while at the same time always maintaining high standards of academic rigor. No educator was more dedicated to teaching “the whole child” as Mike Conway, and the legacy he left at Wyoming Elementary School will never be forgotten.
Linda Madsen
Always a pioneer, Linda was among Forest Lake’s first female varsity athletes – a track and field competitor - before graduating in 1977. After earning her teaching degree, her first teaching assignment landed her right back in her home district. She was considered among Forest Lake’s finest teachers, and in 1990 she was named Minnesota Home Economics Teacher of the Year and was in the top three in the nation. After 16 years as a teacher, she moved into curriculum and then administration before being hired as the district’s first female superintendent in 2009. Linda was known as a strong communicator, a steadfast and hard-working leader and among the most popular superintendents in recent memory. Linda led the effort in the creation of STEM at Lino Lakes Elementary, IB at Scandia and the Language Immersion program offered at several schools. She was instrumental in the passage of the 2015 4 District Bond – at the time the fourth largest bond in state history – which upgraded and expanded the district’s deteriorating facilities.
Alexander Norquist
A 1992 Forest Lake graduate, Alex excelled academically throughout his life and has achieved national distinction among his colleagues in his field. In high school, Alex was the epitome of an “involved” student, balancing strong academics with an assortment of sports and activities. He lettered in football, academics and band, in which he was named All-Conference. He graduated with honors and went on to attend Gustavus Adolphus College where he earned his B.A. in Chemistry in 1996. He went on to earn both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Chemistry at Northwestern University, and then he spent two years as a post-doctoral research assistant at Oxford University before landing a position as an assistant professor at Haverford in 2003. His work on various topics in chemistry has earned him numerous grants, including several from the National Science Foundation. He recently co-authored an article in the scientific journal “Nature” which has been widely peer-reviewed and referenced in both the Wall Street Journal and Scientific American.
Scott Norquist
Scott excelled in athletics, music and academics in high school and later attained tremendous personal and professional success through his hard work and dedication. A 1991 graduate, Scott holds the distinction of being the only Forest Lake student ever to be named the winner of the Minnesota State High School League Class AA Academics, Arts and Athletics Award, a result of Scott’s 4.0 grade-point-average and achievement in MSHSL-sponsored activities. During his high school career, Scott earned a combined 15 varsity letters in the following activities: basketball, football, band, track, academics and speech, and as a senior he was a captain on both the basketball and track teams. He was three times named all-conference in band, and was all-conference honorable mention in both basketball and football. He graduated with highest honors and in the top 10 in his class. After high school, Scott earned his B.A. in chemical engineering at Northwestern and an M.B.A at the University of Minnesota. He has spent more than 25 years working for the 3M Company.
John Skoglund
John Skoglund wore many hats during his lifetime in the Forest Lake Community: active and talented student, successful businessman, dedicated father, popular public official and, in fact, life-saving hero. A 1957 graduate of Forest Lake High School, John lettered in basketball, baseball, track and football, where he was named co-captain and All-Conference as a senior. He was voted as homecoming king, and graduated in the Top 10 of his class. He attended the University of Minnesota, where he majored in both Electrical and Industrial Engineering. He began his career at Honeywell, but ended up working for IMI Cornelius as plant manager and senior vice president of engineering. In his mid-30s, John served as Forest Lake Mayor for 14 years, leading the effort to create economic growth in the community by supporting the creation of the Northland Mall. As a hockey parent, John was also instrumental in creating the first Forest Lake Ice Arena. John also became a local hero when he rescuted a driver whose car had broken through the ice on the lake.
Norton Taylor
Norton (Norty) Taylor was a descendant of the locally-famous Taylor Family, who were early settlers and landowners in the Forest Lake Area. Norton and his wife, Marian, and their four children lived and farmed in northern edge of Forest Lake Village during the 1950s and 60s, raising different types of livestock. Norton was first elected to the Forest Lake School Board in the years following World War II, and he served as a board member, and later president, during a time of significant challenges. School consolidation, as the district grew in the 1950s and 1960s, was a major issue. Forest Lake was evolving from a collection of small schools into a more suburban district, and Norton’s leadership during this period helped create and mold Independent School District 831 into more of the shape and form that it currently exists. As a successful farmer, Norton also was an advocate of agriculture education, and he helped establish the district’s excellent agriculture program and FFA organization.