The 2013 Legacy Banquet

Alumnus of the Year Valerie (Dell) Huber ’80 While a student studying history at Cedarville University, Valerie (Dell) Huber ’80 served on the advisory council to the Trustees, in campus evangelism, a nursing home ministry, and assisted retired sociology professor, Dr. Allen Monroe. Valerie also met her husband of 32 years, Fritz ’81, at Cedarville. She writes, “Cedarville was significant for many reasons, foremost due to the fact that I met my husband there, and I wasn’t even pursuing my ‘MRS’ degree! My time at Cedarville also prepared me for life outside of the Christian fishbowl. At Cedarville, my spiritual life grew more than at any other time in my life. Faculty and students who loved Christ also surrounded me and we struggled together to become more accurate image-bearers.” Since her time at Cedarville, Valerie has served as an Education Committee member and Co-Chair for Darke County Character Council. She also serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Alliance for the Family, a Board member for the Pregnancy Decision Health Center in Columbus, an Advisory Board member for the Michigan Association for Sexual Health, a partner for the Sexual Health and Relationship Education (SHARE) Council of the U.S., and an Advisory Board member for the Medical Institute for Sexual Health. She has served as a local leader for Moms in Touch, and in their church as Awana children’s ministry director and vacation Bible school director. Valerie has co-founded Helping Ohio Marriages Excel (HOME), the Ohio Abstinence Coalition, and individually founded REACH, a character and risk avoidance educational organization. Valerie is the co-founder and President/CEO of the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA), and National Abstinence Education Foundation (NAEF), two nonprofit organizations headquartered in Washington, D.C. NAEA and NAEF work in concert with one another to support optimal outcomes for America’s youth by encouraging them to abstinence until marriage. As a part of her role, Valerie has represented these organizations in various major print sources and governmental agencies, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Associated Press, NPR, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, national and state conferences, and Congress. She writes, “Truly, God’s strength continues to be evident in my weakness over and over again. He continues to move me into areas that stretch me. You see, I am an introvert who does not like confrontation or controversy, but He puts me before ever-increasing individuals of influence — to talk about a very sensitive and even controversial topic.” Valerie received her Master of Education from Cedarville in 2010 and hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in the near future. She and Fritz have four children: Aaron (recently married to Jayme), Matthew, Emily, and William.