Celebrating Harold Heppner’s time at ANC

The Aaniiih Nakoda College community is celebrating the retirement of someone who has been here through just about everything: Harold Heppner. His last day is December 31, and while everyone is thrilled for him, campus won’t feel quite the same without his humor, stories, and ability to fix any technical issue we encounter.

Long before computers, servers, and networks were part of daily life, Harold worked on drill rigs until he was 27. This physically demanding work eventually took him to locations across Montana and into the Dakotas. After years of hard-rock drilling, a big life shift came in 1986 when he enrolled at Fort Belknap College. The plan was simply to start school, little did he know it would spark a decades-long career and he would play an integral role in shaping the college’s entire technological landscape.

 Photo by Bob Parsely

When computers first arrived on campus, they caused plenty of excitement and confusion. Harold, then the bookstore manager, became the person everyone called when a printer jammed, a program crashed, or when they just couldn't get the Macintosh to connect to the internet.

He wired Nakoda Hall back in 1992, transferred student records to early servers, helped bring in AIHEC satellite courses, and co-directed countless programs. All from the basement of White Clay People Hall.

Harold eventually moved from the basement to the Technology center in 2008  Photo by Bob Parsely

From 1996-2005, Harold coordinated with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Tribes to mentor students in mapping noxious weeds, identifying water systems, and documenting historical and cultural sites.

Impressively, on the side, Harold served on the Montana Telecommunications Advisory Council (MTAC) and was an integral part of bringing fiber-optics to the state of Montana: An early adopter of the new technology. 

From GIS mapping projects to fiber-optic planning across Montana, Harold always had a knack for taking on big, complicated tasks and making them work. And usually with a good story to go along with it.

Look at these two! Photo by Bob Parsely

Retirement for Harold will be anything but quiet, he has quite a few plans. Including woodworking, managing his store, traveling with his wife to medicine wheel sites in Wyoming and the Dakotas, camping, fishing, and spending more time around his ranch (even though he says, after 15 years of running cows he eventually discovered that he’s “no cowboy”). 

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Harold has dedicated over 35 years to Fort Belknap College/Aaniiih Nakoda College. Words can’t express the appreciation our community has for him but in an effort to try, here are a few thoughts and memories from members of his ANC family:

“No matter what happens to my computer, when I would call him and ask him for help, the first thing he would ask me, "Did you turn it on?" or if it was a printer, he would ask, "Did you put paper in it?" He knows me too well. Ha!” — Michele Brockie

When I think of Harold, the first words that come to mind are constant, loyal, reliable. He has been a solid rock and steady foundation for the college as it’s grown up from its humble beginnings as “Food Farm University.” — Scott Friskics

Scott's thoughts continued:

For decades, Harold has been constantly and steadfastly working behind the scenes, never getting enough credit when things run smoothly, and always taking the blame when something goes wrong! If I was him, I’d stop answering my phone after a while! Yet without him, none of us at the college would be able to do our jobs.

What always amazes me about Harold is the intellectual curiosity he brings to his work – always researching how to make things better, more efficient, and safer for all of us at the college. Even when there’s never enough money, he’s able to piece things together and make the best of what’s available. He brings the spirit of an old-time rancher to his job as a high-tech computer guru! It’s what Aristotle called “practical wisdom.” No wonder Liz McClain calls Harold the resident “sage” at the college; he’s a wise soul. 

Despite all his knowledge, I’ve always appreciated his willingness to sit down and explain things to me – to translate all that he knows so that I can finally understand what he’s talking about. “Ok, Harold, so what is a network switch?” or “How does a cluster network work?” After Harold patiently explains things to me, some of this finally starts to sink in. — Scott Friskics

It is hard to 'say see you later' to our longtime ANC Manager of Information Systems, Harold Heppner.  First, the image that I always have of Harold is standing outside of any building in any kind of weather—hot or cold, smoking a cigarette. — Dr. Sean Chandler

Sean's thoughts continued:

Harold has been a valuable piece of ANC for the past 40 years, specifically as a member of the President’s Executive Team, first under my mom’s leadership and now mine. When President Falcon-Chandler assembled her executive team in 2000, Harold became a vital part of that team, helping guide the college out of a stressful time. 

I thank Harold for his devotion and care that he has given to Aaniiih Nakoda College. The time, hard work and knowledge that he has poured into our institution, have all made ANC a great, successful place to work. I have been proud to be part of the same team as Harold. It will be hard to replace a dedicated individual like Harold, hopefully he will still be available to share his knowledge and guidance as we continue into the fast-paced age of technology. — Dr. Sean Chandler

 Gallery images by Bob Parsley

We will miss you, Harold!