Highland Community College employees joined fellow colleagues on January 11, 2018, to honor individuals receiving 2017 Excellence Awards, Opel Award, and years of Service Awards. The awards recognize employees for quality work, and others for their years of service.
2017 Excellence Award and Opel Award recipients
The awards recognize employees for quality work, creativity, honesty, integrity, self-development, and excellence in their professional relationships. A committee made up of Excellence Awards recipients from the previous two years and the College’s Executive Vice President selected the winners in the following categories: full-time faculty, full-time administrative/professional staff, full-time classified staff, and part-time employee of any category.
Full-time Faculty: Donna Tufariello of Freeport, English Instructor
Full-time Administrative/Professional Staff: Jeremy Bradt of Rock City, Director of Enrollment and Records
Full-time Classified Staff: Barb Price of Freeport, Financial Aid Specialist 1
Part-time Employee: Cindi Runte of Forreston, Instructor for Early Childhood Education
Opel Award: The Highland Community College Foundation annually recognizes one employee with the Opel Award, named for one of the Foundation’s founders, Don Opel. The award recognizes employees who serve and promote the College. This year the Foundation presented the award to Biology Instructor, Alan Norwicki of Freeport.
The 2017 Service Award Recipients
Ten Years: Jeremy Bradt, Director of Enrollment and Records; Jim Endress, Trustee; Denise Johnson, Information Technology Instructor; Christie Lewis, Coordinator of Staff Development and HRIS; Jeff Robertson, Automotive Instructor; Misty Thruman, Director, Institutional Research
Fifteen Years: Robert Apolloni, Art Instructor; Susie Dvorak, Student Information Specialist; Brian Lang, Groundsperson Assistant; Brian Leahy, Lead ITS Support Specialist; Tracy Mays, English/German Instructor; Vicki Schulz, Student Advisor
Twenty Years: Terri Grimes, Executive Assistant to the President/Board Secretary
Twenty-Five Years: Rex Blomberg, Lead Custodian 2nd Shift; Teresa Fyock, Communications Operator
Thirty Years: Steve Gellings, Electronics Instructor; Steve Simpson, Earth Science Instructor
Part-Time Service Recipients:
Five Years: Brian Dinderman, Part-time Instructor; Steve Lambert, Part-time Instructor; Stephanie Reidel, Assistant Volleyball Coach
Ten Years: Cheri Heise, Part-time Instructor
Fifteen Years: Jody Brubaker, Part-time Instructor