Alvernia Distinguished Alumni Award recipient: 2024
Ë®¹ûÅÉ's Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes people who demonstrate the valuable contributions to their professions, community and their nation. All biographical information current at the time of the award.
Joanne Haag
Joanne Haag exemplifies the power of adaptability and seizing unexpected opportunities. A 1969 graduate of Ë®¹ûÅÉ, Joanne began her career as an elementary school teacher in Washington, D.C., where she creatively wove her passion for stamp collecting into her classroom lessons. However, a move to Cincinnati and a chance encounter at a local stamp club luncheon would dramatically alter her career trajectory.
Joanne was unexpectedly offered a position at H.P. Thompson, an engineering firm — an unfamiliar field. Undeterred, she embraced the challenge, learning the industry’s complexities with determination and quickly rising through the ranks. Her tenacity and business savvy led her to become a part-owner in the firm, breaking barriers in a male-dominated sector. Over 42 years, Joanne played a pivotal role in expanding H.P. Thompson’s product line, which includes boilers, burners, combustion control, pollution control, airflow measurement, and other essential boiler house equipment.
Her entrepreneurial spirit didn’t end there. Joanne’s passion for stamp collecting, which began in her teaching days, evolved into a successful side business. This venture allowed her to pursue her hobby and took her around the globe, blending her love for travel with her entrepreneurial pursuits. Whether navigating the complexities of industrial equipment or building a thriving stamp-dealing business, Joanne’s career is a testament to her ability to turn unexpected opportunities into successful enterprises.
Joanne remains actively involved in her professional community through her National Association of Professional Women, T.E.C., and the Clermont Chamber of Commerce memberships. Reflecting on more than five decades since her graduation from Alvernia, Joanne credits the university’s core values and supportive community for instilling in her the resilience, confidence, and boldness that have been the cornerstones of her success in business and life.