In recognition of her remarkable career accomplishments, Dorothy “Dede” Trefts was honored as the recipient of the Unbridled Spirit Award, given by Frontier Nursing University (FNU). The award was presented at the FNU Alumni Hall of Fame and Service Awards Dinner on Thursday, September 25, at the Kentucky Castle in Versailles, Kentucky.
The Unbridled Spirit Award is given annually to a former Courier who has perpetuated the mission and spirit of Frontier in their own lives. The award recognizes dedication to serving others, ongoing stewardship of FNU, and a zest for adventure.
Trefts grew up in East Aurora, New York, and in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She spent the spring of her senior year of high school as a member of the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) Courier program. There, she assisted the FNS nurses, tended to the horses the nurses used to traverse the mountainous terrain in order to reach their patients, and helped in the office.
“As a seventeen-year-old high school student, I had never heard of an organization that was female-driven from top to bottom,” Trefts said. “What an eye-opening, motivating experience for a teenager to be able to witness the incredible power of women so dedicated to improving the healthcare of the population and the lives of its children in a remote county in Kentucky. It inspired me over the course of my career to have seen the huge impact that women in leadership positions could make in the lives of others.”
Trefts went on to attend Wellesley College in Boston, where she majored in economics and English. She was then accepted at the Harvard Business School. Inspired by her father’s career experiences in engineering and technology, she became interested in how computers could change and improve people’s lives. Later, her career came full circle as she got involved in the acquisition of new technology and services startups into IBM Global Services and was able to utilize her background in starting new ventures to help them succeed in a large company setting.
Trefts retired three years ago but continues to enjoy serving on non-profit boards and volunteering. She has served on the boards of the Chautauqua Institution, Laurel School, her church, Arts for Healing, and Gulfstream Goodwill. She has also donated her time to mentor women and guide them as they advance their careers. Equally impactful is her commitment to mentoring women, guiding and encouraging them as they advance in their own careers.
“What matters the most to me is whether I’m making a difference,” Trefts said. “I am so honored to be remembered by an organization that was so inspirational to me as a young woman about to embark on an important step in my life.
Dr. Flinders obtained her Associate Degree of Science in Nursing (1994) and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (2003) degrees from Miami University in Ohio. She has significant clinical and academic experience, including community-based nursing care, labor and delivery nursing, full-scope practice as a Certified Nurse-Midwife, and 19 years of experience as a college educator and administrator.
“I know firsthand what it feels like to not see yourself represented in healthcare, to have traditions misunderstood, or to feel overlooked,” she said. “That awareness makes me intentional about creating space for students and patients who may feel the same way.”
As a Doctor of Nursing Science, Family Nurse Practitioner, and Certified Nurse-Midwife, Dr. Pat Caudle was educated and prepared for most anything during her career as a nurse practitioner, full scope nurse-midwife, and instructor. But she wasn’t prepared for the call she received informing her that she was selected to be inducted into the Frontier Nursing University Alumni Hall of Fame.