Hansens Honored with Bucklew Service Award

The University of Montana Foundation has awarded Loren and Michele Hansen the Neil S. Bucklew Presidential Service Award. The award recognizes the Hansens’ continuous support of UM since their first gift in 2005.

The Hansens received the award on Thursday, Oct. 10, at the UM Foundation’s annual fall event honoring and celebrating UM’s most loyal supporters. 

The award is named for former UM President Neil Bucklew, who served from 1981 to 1986. It recognizes individuals for their extraordinary efforts to deepen Montana’s understanding of UM’s needs and strengths. It has been presented annually by the UM Foundation since 1988.

Originally from Havre, the Hansens met in second grade and both graduated from UM. Loren is a 1969 College of Business graduate, and Michele earned political science and history degrees from the College of Humanities and Sciences in 1970. While attending UM, Michele joined Kappa Alpha Theta, which she said gave her a strong foundation in philanthropy and community service.

The couple, who reside in Bigfork a portion of the year, said they were inspired to give back to UM to create educational opportunities for future generations.

“A lot of young people, especially in rural areas, may not realize that a college education is within their reach,” Loren said. “We want to help spread the word that UM is approachable and accessible.”

After graduating from UM, the couple relocated to Long Beach, California, where Loren initially worked for Sherwin Williams, and Michele taught high school social studies, served two terms as a water district commissioner and served as a board member and past president of the Apartment Association, California Southern Cities. For most of their careers, the Hansens jointly pursued and managed real estate investments around Long Beach.

With a special passion for providing business training to students in Montana, the Hansens have generously supported their alma mater by giving to enhance and maintain faculty recruitment at the College of Business. They established a charitable remainder trust to create the Michele and Loren Hansen Endowed Faculty Chair in the College of Business, a position that will bolster efforts to attract and retain top talent in entrepreneurship or real estate.

In 2019, the Hansens established a new media lab in the College of Business equipped with tools to create professional-quality videos and podcasts. Known as Studio 49, the audio recording space was a gift from Loren to Michele for their 49th wedding anniversary.

Studio 49 is the home of “A New Angle,” a weekly podcast and radio program broadcasted statewide on Montana Public Radio and Yellowstone Public Radio. “A New Angle” features weekly interviews with innovative guests from Montana, creating educational conversations that benefit citizens across the state and beyond. Also recorded in the facility was “Fireline,” a College of Business and Montana Public Radio podcast about wildfire that won a 2022 Edward R. Murrow Award.

“The Hansens’ support is transformational,” said Suzanne Tilleman, the Sprunk and Burnham Endowed Dean of the College of Business. “Their commitment and generosity advance students’ educational opportunities and allow us to share the UM story with the broader community.”

Avid art collectors, the Hansens have given generously to support the Montana Museum of Art and Culture. Their contributions helped UM construct a new, 17,000-square-foot facility for the museum’s permanent collection. The building, which opened to the public in 2023 and includes the Loren D. and Michele B. Hansen Gallery in honor of their generosity, provides state-of-the-art storage and exhibition space for the MMAC’s 11,000-plus-work collection – the oldest, largest and most comprehensive art holding in the state.

The couple’s charitable remainder trust also will establish the Michele and Loren Hansen MMAC Education and Exhibition Endowment, which will enhance the museum’s educational programming, help the museum acquire new art and support “19 Under 39: The Michele and Loren Hansen Biennial Exhibition.”

The exhibition will allow MMAC to showcase and collect the work of 19 contemporary Montana artists under the age of 39. To be launched next year through an annual gift from the Hansens, the juried art exhibition will award generous prizes for the top three selected artworks, which the MMAC will acquire as part of the permanent Michele and Loren Hansen Collection. Additionally, the exhibition will forge vital links between living artists and the museum and help the MMAC achieve its mission to collect and display significant works by Montana’s vibrant artist community.

“The University is a wonderful part of our state, and it should be treasured,” Michele said. “We hope the MMAC will help attract students and show them how special this place is.”

Cindy Williams, president and CEO of the UM Foundation, said the Hansens’ longstanding commitment to UM serves and inspires Grizzlies across campus and beyond.

“We are deeply grateful to Loren and Michele for their partnership and dedication to the University,” Williams said. “Their generous support not only enhances educational opportunities but also inspires a new generation to pursue their dreams. We celebrate the legacy they have built by giving back to the community that helped shape them.”

Michele reflected that giving back to UM has been both fulfilling and educational.

“Philanthropy is fun, and it has been a learning experience to find ways to help students,” she said. “Bettering your community makes a better place for everybody to live.”