FISCAL
ANNUAL REPORT
FORGED IN COMMITMENT: THE LEGACY OF MIKE DELASHMIT AND THE NEW SCHOLARSHIP EMPOWERING FUTURE WELDERS
2023 PHILANTHROPY AWARD RECIPIENTS
FINANCIALS UPDATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024
JOINT LETTER FROM THE LAKE LAND COLLEGE
Foundation President & Executive Director
DEAR FRIENDS OF THE FOUNDATION,
The Lake Land College Foundation had an incredible Fiscal Year 2024, thanks to the overwhelming support of our donors and community. With 396 first-time donors joining our mission, we raised more than $1.1M in total donations across 2,296 individual gifts. These contributions have transformed lives and provided critical support to our students.
This year, 544 students received scholarships—an increase of 24% from the previous year—totaling $719,460 in awards. With 10 new scholarships introduced, award recipients received an average of $1,400, helping them focus on their education rather than financial hurdles. In addition, the Kramer Borgic Farm, owned by the Foundation, awarded its fourth farm distribution of $65,000, providing crucial funding for scholarships and emergency needs.
Beyond scholarships, we provided $40,913 in emergency funds to 67 students, ensuring they could navigate unforeseen challenges. Meanwhile, the Laker Caring Fund supported 15 employees with $14,000 in assistance.
This past year has also been dynamic and fulfilling for the Foundation & Alumni Office. We proudly congratulated our 2024 graduates with Alumni tote bags, honored our outstanding 2023 award recipients, launched an enhanced e-newsletter and led another record-breaking "Love a Laker" campaign. Our 2023 Golf Classic raised more than $50,000—the highest ever—thanks to your generosity!
We are so appreciative of all of the Foundation staff, board members, volunteers and donors for helping us carry out our mission! We want to offer a special thanks to the following board members who completed their service this past year: Denise Bence, Micah Dickens, Renee Huckstead and Deacon Patient. We also extend a warm welcome to our newest board members: Layna Bond and Terry McConnell.
Looking ahead to 2025, we’ve shifted focus from our annual golf outing and are excited to introduce the new Community Partners Program. This initiative is designed to offer our supporters a variety of ways to get involved and connect with our students through exclusive events and opportunities for campus visibility. To learn more, please contact us.
Thank you for being part of this remarkable journey and for your continued support in making a difference in the lives of our students and the entire Lake Land College community.
We look forward to connecting with you soon!
WITH GREAT LAKER PRIDE AND MUCH GRATITUDE,
Lake Land College Foundation
Christi Donsbach, Executive Director for College Advancement/Foundation CEO
Lake Land College President
DEAR FRIENDS,
What a great year it has been! I am thrilled to share some exciting news and updates from Lake Land College. We are grateful for the continued support and generosity of the Foundation, which has played a crucial role in our success.
During this past year, Lake Land College was once again selected as an Aspen Prize top 150 community college based on our student outcomes! This marks the sixth time the college has received this prestigious national award.
We are in the process of implementing a 10-year facility master plan to beautify grounds and update Lake Land College facilities to ensure the College is positioned to meet the future educational needs of the district and remains a point of pride for the community for decades to come.
We continue to make progress on the Effingham Technology Center, formerly the Patterson Building. Renovations began on the first floor that will house the Effingham Regional Career Academy, with construction to begin soon for the second floor which will house current Kluthe Center operations. We look forward to inviting you to celebrate our Fall 2025 Grand Opening.
Just as the Effingham Technology Center will provide training to fuel a pipeline of a highly skilled workforce, we are proud to announce a strengthening of partnerships with area business leaders. Based on feedback from service partners, we have reimagined the Paramedic program to allow students to complete the program in one continuous 12-month cycle. In addition, we launched the new Recruitment and Advancement of the Next Generation of Engineers (RANGE) program that provides wrap-around support services to select freshmen STEM students to ensure their success both during their time at Lake Land College and when they transfer. Meanwhile, our Tech 2 Day program has thrived since it was introduced last year, and we’re thrilled to see it provide flexible pathways to high-demand career fields such as construction, civil engineering, industrial maintenance, residential wiring and welding.
I congratulate you on being a part of a successful fundraising year! We are grateful for your contributions, which provide opportunities and support for our students to earn a valuable college education. Thank you to the Foundation for its ongoing support and investment in the future of Lake Land College. I look forward to sharing more updates and achievements with you in the future.
WITH GRATITUDE,
Sincerely, President
Forged in Commitment: The Legacy of Mike DeLashmit and the New Scholarship
Empowering Future Welders
Even after nearly 40 years, Bruce DeLashmit still remembers the words as clear as the day he read them. It was 1986, and Bruce, stationed on a U.S. Destroyer in the Persian Gulf, opened a letter from his brother Mike. Bruce’s last real memory of Mike was seeing him on the back of a motorcycle, taking off from their hometown of Paris, Illinois with a leather apron and passion for welding. Several years and thousands of miles now separated the brothers, but there on that Destroyer, Bruce caught a glimpse of the man Mike had become. "Knowing what is right is easy," Mike wrote in the letter. "Committing to doing what is right is what matters."
welding knowledge. Eventually he started traveling across the country on his motorcycle, settling down temporarily wherever he found an interesting welding opportunity.
"A scholarship in Mike's name needs to embody what he stood for, and in his case, that means going above and beyond to support the entire next generation of welders.”
-Scarangello
While Bruce did not know it at the time, Mike had spent several years developing a powerful reputation in the welding field. After a troubled childhood with little clear direction, it was welding that gave Mike a foundation to reshape his life. He attended Lake Land College from 1975 to 1976, and even after graduating, he studied incessantly to expand his
In the 1990s, Mike was working as a project inspector for a new $150 million arena in Nashville when he met Tom Scarangello from Thornton Tomasetti, one the world's leading engineering firms. Impressed by Mike's knowledge and professionalism, Tom stayed in touch and eventually hired Mike to join the Thornton Tomasetti team. In this role, Mike traveled across the country to oversee numerous projects valued at billions of dollars, including PNC Park in Pittsburg and Ford Field in Detroit. No matter the project or location, Mike befriended everyone on the project team and earned the respect of all, from the on-site welders to the team owners themselves.
"In life, you pick the people you want to know, and you pursue them," said Steve Hofmeister, retired
Pictured from left to right: Welding Instructor James Crowder; Bruce DeLashmit; Steve Hofmeister; and Executive Director for College Advancement, Christi Donsbach
Thornton Tomasetti Managing Principal. "Mike was the kind of person you were just drawn toward, and I truly enjoyed working with him the last dozen years of our careers and seeing his support for all of our staff.”
After several years, Mike became a Vice President of Thornton Tomasetti and the go-to expert in welding and field engineering for a team of more than 1,500. He answered hundreds of emails and phone calls monthly, spending as much time as needed to help every employee and never expecting anything in return. Eventually, he helped develop an A.I. chat box called "Ask Mike," which studied his thousands of email responses to accurately replicate the advice Mike would provide in any welding situation. The chat box has quickly become an invaluable resource to efficiently share Mike's vast wisdom across an entire company.
Though an outstanding welder and leader, Mike was an even better husband. He married the love of his life, Kitty, in the early 1990s, and the two took on life like one great adventure. They traveled together to every one of Mike's job sites in their R.V., never buying a house but always feeling right at home. Eventually, Kitty became ill and passed away in February 2024. Mike followed her just 28 days later.
Following Mike's death, Tom Scarangello, former CEO and now the Senior Advisor for Thornton Tomasetti, and his colleagues began to consider ways to honor Mike's legacy. After meeting with Bruce DeLashmit and learning about Lake Land's role in Mike's education, the two decided to start a scholarship with the College's Foundation: The Mike DeLashmit Legacy in Field Engineering (LiFE) Endowed Scholarship.
With fundraising support from generous donors, the LiFE Scholarship is well on its way to reaching its $160,000 endowment goal. Once fully established, the scholarship will support two Lake Land College welding students every year, providing full tuition coverage throughout the entire two-year program. This partnership extends far beyond financial support, however, and Thornton Tomasetti hopes to serve as a resource to help all Lake Land welding students begin rewarding careers.
"A scholarship in Mike's name needs to embody what he stood for, and in his case, that means going above and beyond to support the entire next generation of welders," Tom explained. "Even if there are only a couple Lake Land students at a time receiving the financial benefits of the scholarship, that doesn't mean we can't be helping all those other students make connections and find great jobs to launch their careers.”
Mike DeLashmit was a key figure to countless people in his rich life. He was a husband, a brother, a beloved friend and an invaluable colleague. No matter the relation, all who knew Mike would agree that he was a living example of the words he wrote to his brother Bruce back in 1986.
Bruce retired from the Navy in 1998 and soon after reconnected with Mike. After years spent thousands of miles apart, Bruce spent Mike’s final hours at his bedside, telling stories with Steve Hofmeister and reading hundreds of well wishes from Mike’s colleagues at Thornton Tomasetti. Now, Bruce hopes to keep Mike's legacy alive, and it all starts with the LiFE Scholarship. Bruce considers the scholarship a testament to Mike's character, his commitment to doing what's right and his devotion to helping others.
"Mike would've loved the idea of supporting these students with this scholarship," Bruce said. "He never had any kids. But in an odd way, now he does."
JOIN THE CAMPAIGN OR CREATE A NEW ONE
Help the Mike DeLashmit LiFE Scholarship reach its endowment goal by donating today at https://www.JustGiving.com/campaign/mikedelashmit or scanning the QR code.
You can create a memorial scholarship, a personalized giving site and a lasting legacy for your own loved one. Contact Christina Donsbach, Executive Director for College Advancement at 217-234-5354 or cdonsbach@LakeLandCollege.edu to get started.
LAKE LAND COLLEGE FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2023-2024
OFFICERS
Rich Hartke — President
Larry Blackerby — Vice President
Tom White — Secretary
Deacon Patient — Immediate Past President
BOARD MEMBERS
Kathleen Anderson
Denise Bence
Layna Bond
Micah Dickens
Angela Dyer
Kellie Eastham
Rudy Huber
Renee Huckstead
Austin Frank
Amanda Martin
Terry McConnell
Tyler Micenheimer
Bob Payton
Blake Pierce
Debra Sandercock
Meg Yargus Steward
Linda Von Behren
Tom Wright
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Dr. Jonathan “Josh” Bullock, College President
Kaye Dent, Legal Counsel
Christi Donsbach, Foundation CEO
Madge Shoot, Foundation Treasurer/ College Comptroller
Tom Wright, Lake Land College Board of Trustees Liaison
COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT STAFF
Christi Donsbach, Executive Director for College Advancement
Bailey Cole, Foundation Awards & Corporate Relations Coordinator
Donna McCoy, Foundation Office Coordinator
Amanda Allen, Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations
Penny Walk, Donor Information & Database Coordinator
PHILANTHROPY
Awards
PATTERSON COMPANIES, INC.
2023 OUTSTANDING
PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION
Patterson Companies (Nasdaq: PDCO) is committed to the success of Lake Land College and its community. On April 6, 2023, Lake Land College and Patterson Companies officials announced that the college was to purchase the nearly 100,000-square-foot building and lease back a portion of the space to Patterson. As part of the agreement, Patterson generously donated the contents of the building to the Lake Land College Foundation, excluding equipment necessary for Patterson’s ongoing operations. Contents included a variety of office furniture, technology and equipment.
LESLIE HILL
2023 OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIST
Leslie currently resides in Mattoon with her two angels, her cats named Gracie and Kitty. She grew up in Mattoon and went to Mattoon High School. Shortly after high school, she moved to Oklahoma. She followed in her mother’s footsteps, taking up a career in nursing. She feels fortunate to have retired early to help care for her mother during her final stages of life.
After retirement, she really enjoyed traveling and visiting other countries. She also enjoyed being outside and doing yard work in her favorite season of fall. Leslie also holds her family and cousins near and dear to her heart.
Leslie is a huge believer in Lake Land College. She considers giving back and supporting Lake Land College students through scholarships to be a privilege.
LARRY BLACKERBY
2023 CRYSTAL SWAN RECIPIENT
The Crystal Swan Award is awarded to a Lake Land College Foundation Board Member who has gone above and beyond. This year’s recipient is Larry Blackerby. Larry has been a true example of an ideal board member since he joined in 2019. He is the current Vice President, Donor Relations committee chair and emcee of the Foundation & Alumni Awards event. Larry attends three of our four board meetings in person annually while residing in California. Larry is a 1975 graduate of Lake Land College, a 1977 graduate of Indiana State University, and a retired Television Executive with over 40 years of experience. He met his wife Brenda on campus and they are both proud to be LLC grads. In 2011, they established the Blackerby Endowment for LLC broadcasting students.
LISA KALLIS 2023 OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER FUNDRAISER
The Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser award is bestowed upon an individual who has given time and talent on behalf of Lake Land College students in securing private funding. This year’s recipient is Lisa Kallis.
Lisa began her journey in Dentistry as a Dental Hygienist in 1987. She furthered her career by getting her BS in Health Studies from EIU and became a Dental Hygiene Instructor and did this for several years at Lake Land College. She started working for Heartland Dental in 1995 and has continued her career there in many leadership roles. Her passion is education and helping make a difference for team members in their dental careers.
Three of her children graduated from Lake Land College and two played volleyball, so they are very supportive of Lake Land College and its future.
Legacy Laker Society
The Legacy Laker Society honors individuals who made the commitment to support the college through planned gifts such as trusts, bequests, life insurance policies, etc. These gifts will ensure that the Lake Land College tradition of excellence will be continued well into the future. Membership in the Legacy Laker Society is nonbinding. A special thanks to our Legacy Laker Society members including:
Dr. William & Mrs. Anna M. Ayres
Mr. Randall & Mrs. Virginia Beasley
Mr. Wayne & Mrs. Clara Borgic
Ms. Lynn Cain in memory of Mr. Robert L. Cain
Ms. Waneta Catey
Ms. Mary Cole
Mrs. Hazel Moore Crosby
Mr. Floyd & Mrs. Chlotilde Curl
Mr. George Danks
Mr. C. Paul &
Mrs. Marjorie W. Davis
Ms. Joyce Denks
Mr. Walter & Mrs. Jeannette Dickerson
Ms. Leah J. Dvorak
Ms. Sharon A. Fabert
Mr. Gerry &
Mrs. Marge Fedrigon
Mrs. Karen Fuqua
Mr. Martin Garbe
Mr. Warren Goble
Mr. Mark Henderson
Mr. Obed Henderson
Mr. Joseph Hendrix
Ms. Mary Higgs
Ms. Leslie Hill
Ms. Mary Hill Dobbs
Ms. Sophie O. Kreke
Ms. Consuello Luttrell
Dr. Lowell E. Massie
TO
Mr. Burnham & Mrs. Nancy Neal
Mr. Donald & Mrs. Jane Perry
Mr. Joe & Mrs. Alleen Stephen
Mr. Charles & Mrs. Mary Striker
Mr. Thomas Woodyard
For a complete list of all our donors please, visit us online at LakeLandCollege.edu/foundation.
Dr. George T. Mitchell
If you have questions about giving, how to create a scholarship or if you’re interested in leaving a planned gift, please contact Christi Donsbach at 217-234-5354 or cdonsbach@LakeLandCollege.edu.
TOTAL NET ASSETS THROUGH JUNE 2024
$2,077,266 UNRESTRICTED GIFTS
DONATIONS FOUNDATION IN FY24
AWARDED IN SCHOLARSHIPS
AWARDED TO STUDENTS
EMPLOYEES RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM THE LAKER CARING FUND TOTALING MORE THAN
FIRST-TIME DONORS
MORE STUDENTS AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS THAN PREVIOUS YEAR
STUDENTS RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS IN FY24
THIRD FARM CONTRIBUTION FOR ALL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
SCHOLARSHIP
OF STUDENTS ARE EMPLOYED WHILE ENROLLED AT LAKE LAND