Born in O’Neill, Nebraska, in 1974, Lisa graduated from Pratt High School in Pratt, Kansas, in 1993. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology–Criminology from Kansas State University in 1996 before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1998. She completed basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes and attended “A” School at the Naval Technical Training Center in Meridian, Mississippi, serving initially as a Yeoman.
Her early naval assignments included three years with Fighter Squadron 101 in Virginia Beach. Following the events of September 11, she transitioned to the legal field, attending the Naval Justice School in Newport, Rhode Island. She subsequently served with Naval Legal Service Command in San Diego for four years, followed by a three-year assignment with Region Legal Service in Honolulu, Hawaii. During this period, she deployed to Guantanamo Bay from 2006 to 2007.
Senior Chief Vrtiska later returned to the Naval Justice School as an instructor for three years before serving aboard the USS John C. Stennis for an eight-month deployment to the Persian Gulf from late 2012 through early 2013. She remained stationed in Bremerton, Washington, until 2015, followed by an assignment to Region Legal Service Office–Detachment Lemoore, California, where she served until 2018.
Her final operational assignments included serving at Offutt Air Force Base with U.S. Strategic Command as the law office manager and senior enlisted leader for the U.S. Navy element, and later as the Senior Enlisted Leader at the Defense Service Office–Southeast in Norfolk, Virginia. She retired from the Navy in September 2022 at the rank of Senior Chief.
Following retirement, Lisa returned to Nebraska and joined the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Fall 2022, working in the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office. She is the proud mother of two daughters, Kianna, a UNO alumna, and Addison, a senior at Gretna High School.
UNO Athletics and Hy-Vee proudly recognize Senior Chief (Ret.) Lisa Vrtiska as a Military Member of the Game for her exceptional service to the nation and continued contributions to the UNO community.
UNO v UMass - October 24, 2025: Mrs. Lacey Dudash
Lacey Dudash’s service reflects a strong commitment to both national defense and student success at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Born in Anchorage, Alaska, in 1988, she graduated from Palmer High School in Palmer, Alaska, in 2006. She enlisted in the United States Navy on her 18th birthday and completed basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes. She then attended “A” School in Pensacola, Florida, where she trained as an air traffic controller.
Following her technical training, Ms. Dudash was assigned to the USS George Washington aircraft carrier in Norfolk, Virginia, where she served for six months. She was subsequently deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, supporting operations during the transition following the decommissioning of the USS Kitty Hawk. This overseas assignment lasted approximately two years. She later served at Naval Air Station Meridian in Mississippi, providing ground control support for one year.
Ms. Dudash was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in November 2011. After her military service, she pursued higher education, initially attending Nicholls State University before relocating to Nebraska to be closer to family. She continued her studies at Bellevue University and completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2014.
Following graduation, Ms. Dudash joined the UNO undergraduate admissions team, where she continues to serve today as the Associate Director of Undergraduate Admissions. Her work reflects the same dedication and leadership demonstrated during her military service.
Ms. Dudash has been married to her husband, Robert, for nine years, and together they have two children.
UNO Athletics and Hy-Vee proudly recognize Ms. Lacey Dudash as a Military Member of the Game in honor of her service to the nation and her continued contributions to the UNO community.
UNO v North Dakota - November 8, 2025: Mr. Coleton Dean
Service, leadership, and purpose have guided Mr. Coleton Dean from his early decision to enlist in the U.S. Navy through his continued involvement at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1996 and raised in Eugene, Oregon, Mr. Dean graduated from Sheldon High School in 2015. Committed to military service at a young age, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy while still in high school and reported to basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes immediately after graduation. His naval training included Navy Dive School in Panama City Beach, Florida, followed by Master-at-Arms training at “A” School in San Antonio, Texas.
Coleton’s operational assignments took him overseas to Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily, Italy, where he served for three years. He later transferred to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, working with the VQ-3 Navy Squadron detachment to support airborne command-and-control communications for the nation’s nuclear deterrent mission. He completed four years at Offutt before separating honorably from the Navy in May 2023.
Transitioning directly into higher education, Mr. Dean enrolled at UNO as a Kinesiology major. He remains actively engaged on campus, serving as a VA Work-Study employee in the Office of Military and Veteran Services and as President of UNO’s Student Veterans of America chapter, where he works to strengthen community, advocacy, and support for military-connected students.
Mr. Dean and his wife, Katie, have been together for six years and are the proud parents of their daughter, Amelia.
UNO Athletics and Hy-Vee recognize Mr. Coleton Dean as a Military Member of the Game in appreciation of his service to the nation and his continued leadership at UNO.
UNO v Western Michigan - November 21, 2025: Mr. Robert Holbert
Mr. Robert Holbert’s career reflects a rare blend of military service, education, and cultural expertise—each reinforcing the other in service to students, soldiers, and the broader mission of understanding.
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1967, Mr. Holbert graduated from Lincoln Southeast High School in 1986. He went on to attend Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he pursued a degree in History while simultaneously enlisting in the Minnesota Army National Guard. He completed Infantry Basic Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Benning, Georgia, before earning his bachelor’s degree in 1990.
Following graduation, Mr. Holbert was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Minnesota Army National Guard. From 1990 to 1992, he participated in ongoing military training before returning to Nebraska to further his education. While serving in the U.S. Army Reserve’s 95th Division in Lincoln, he attended the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to earn a teaching certification.
Beginning in 1995, Mr. Holbert taught social studies at Lincoln High School while continuing his Reserve service for the next decade. In 2006, he was activated for active duty and completed pre-deployment training at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Center for Afghanistan Studies, focusing on cultural understanding and regional dynamics.
Later that year, he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the U.S. Army’s Human Terrain System. In this role, he served as a cultural advisor to combat units, helping commanders better understand the local environment and population. After returning in 2008, Mr. Holbert continued his work under U.S. Army Training Command, collaborating with UNO’s Center for Afghanistan Studies to develop a comprehensive military training program that remained in place through 2014.
He was honorably discharged in May 2014 with the rank of Major. Immediately following his military service, Mr. Holbert joined the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Center for Afghanistan & Regional Studies, where he continues to contribute his expertise today.
Mr. Holbert has been with his wife, Dr. Ariadne Schemm, for 29 years. Together, they have two children, Livia and Shane.
UNO v St. Cloud State - January 9, 2026: Mr. Ron Baker
Ron Baker’s story is one of steady service—rooted in community, shaped by duty, and sustained over a lifetime of commitment to others.
Born in San Francisco, California, in 1942, Mr. Baker moved to Omaha, where he graduated from Holy Name High School in 1960. In the years following high school, he worked framing houses before beginning a long career with the United States Postal Service. Alongside his civilian work, he answered the call to serve by enlisting in the Nebraska Army National Guard in 1963.
Mr. Baker completed Basic Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, followed by Advanced Individual Training as a medic at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. He returned to Nebraska assigned to Medical Company B at what is now the South Omaha Readiness Center, continuing his service as a Guardsman while working full time as a mail carrier.
During the mid to late 1960s, Mr. Baker was preparing for deployment to Vietnam when civil rights unrest erupted in Omaha. He was twice activated by the Governor of Nebraska to respond to domestic emergencies, providing stability and support during a period of significant local upheaval. His service during this time reflected the dual mission of the National Guard, serving both state and nation.
Mr. Baker honorably separated from the Nebraska Army National Guard in 1970 at the rank of Staff Sergeant. He later retired from the United States Postal Service in the late 1990s after 35 years of dedicated federal service.
His first wife, Barbara, passed away in 2012, and he later remarried his wife, Karen. Mr. Baker is the proud father of three children, including one UNO graduate, as well as eight grandchildren—two of whom currently attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and six great-grandchildren.
UNO Athletics and Hy-Vee recognize Staff Sergeant (Ret.) Ron Baker as a Military Member of the Game in appreciation of his service to the Nebraska Army National Guard, his community, and generations of family connected to UNO.
