Gratitude and growth are two words that come to mind when reflecting on this last year. Looking back over the 12 months, we were amazed at your support! The Foundation was fortunate to have a record-breaking year in fundraising receiving over $3.7 million in contributions and gifts in kind.
With your continued investments, the College and Foundation continue to make huge impacts, effecting the lives of those we serve. During FY22, the Foundation awarded more than $500,000 to students in scholarships and emergency funding. The 355-acre Kramer Borgic Farm, owned by the Foundation, awarded its second farm distribution that will assist in an additional $100,000 in scholarships going forward. The Foundation Board is thrilled to share the Foundation Endowment broke the $15 million mark for the first time! A transformational estate gift received from the late Mr. Cecil Paul & Marjorie W. Davis is helping fund scholarships and dual credit opportunities for students from Shelby County.
The return of events was more than welcomed this past year! After taking a pause from our annual Foundation Golf Classic in 2020, the event returned stronger than ever thanks to the great leadership of Amanda Tucker and Mike Bohannon in 2021, raising more than $41,000! Thank you for all of your contributions! In late June, the Foundation held a joint open house with the Workforce and Development Center to provide tours of our two newest buildings on campus and celebrate with our community.
Growth not only came through donations, but in evolving our staff as well. We are pleased to have Kellie Niemerg, Foundation Awards & Corporate Relations; Penny Walk, Donor Information & Database Coordinator; and Donna McCoy, College Advancement Representative joining our team this year.
We are incredibly grateful for your commitment supporting our students’ educational goals that will positively impact them for the rest of their lives. Thanks to your generous support, the Lake Land College Foundation had the largest growth year in history. Words simply cannot express our appreciation.
We look forward to seeing you on campus and visiting with you in the near future!
Deacon Patient, President Lake Land College Foundation Christi Donsbach, Executive Director for College Advancement/Foundation CEO
What a great year this has been! We have thoroughly enjoyed being able to meet with you in person, celebrate our accomplishments and plan for the future.
In fall 2021, the College launched a Strategic Planning process that was deliberately inclusive of the College’s internal and external stakeholders. Thank you to everyone who participated in a strategic planning survey or focus group throughout this process. We received feedback from more than 1,200 community members, alumni, students, employees, K-12 leaders, community, business and industry partners.
From this valuable feedback we developed the FY 2023-2027 Strategic Plan which focuses on enhancing student success in three key areas: excellent teaching and learning, effective processes for student support, and expanding partnerships. The plan also focuses on institutional and employee excellence. Our collective commitment to this strategic plan will position Lake Land College to excel in meeting the evolving needs of our district and the holistic needs of the individuals we serve.
In March 2022, the Lake Land College Board of Trustees approved the first tuition decrease in our 56-year history. We were so proud of our Trustees and employees for being good stewards of the districts resources, thus making it possible for us to assist our students and community during these very challenging financial times, when inflation is the highest it has been in over 40 years.
For many students, your help removes hurdles and gives them the chance they need to succeed. Through your generosity, the Foundation created 20 new scholarships this past year and provided emergency financial assistance to 31 students who were at risk of dropping out of college. Our students and their families are so honored to receive a Lake Land College scholarship and they have you to thank for that!
What is most remarkable to me is that 356 people gave their first gift to Lake Land College this past year. That is nearly one new gift per day. This is an amazing testament to the community’s belief in Lake Land College and the outstanding collaboration among the Foundation and Alumni board members, trustees and employees.
Once again, thank you for your support and shared commitment to creating educational opportunities for the residents of our communities. We appreciate you and all that you do!
Sincerely, President
Pictured left to right are former Vice President for Academic Services Jon Althaus, APSA Secretary/Treasurer Dean Kinkelaar, APSA Vice President Jeffrey Dust, Automotive Technology Instructor/Program Coordinator Kevin Miller, Automotive Technology Instructor/Program Coordinator Brian Madlem, Division Chair Technology/Electrical Engineering Instructor Michael Beavers, Executive Director for College Advancement Christi Donsbach and Alumni Engagement & Special Events Coordinator Amanda Tucker.
(APSA) of Illinois donated $31,200 to Lake Land College to be used for technology students’ learning needs earlier this year.
APSA Vice President Jeffrey Dust from Dust & Son Auto Supplies in Effingham and APSA Secretary/Treasurer Dean Kinkelaar from Effingham Regrinding Inc. presented the donation to former Lake Land College Vice President for Academic Services Jon Althaus at a ceremony on April 22.
“We wanted the money that was left to go to educational programs in local colleges and high schools,” Dust said. “We knew we wanted the funding to go to the automotive industry.”
The APSA was originally created in 1959 as the Automotive Wholesalers of Illinois, which was one of the most popular state associations for all the independent automotive job stores.
The donation to Lake Land College was made possible by the APSA’s remaining Ralph Silverman Scholarship and Endowment Fund as the association shut down on June 30. Silverman was a founding member of the APSA.
Dust and Kinkelaar were both among the founding members of the association and have been involved in the group for more than 50 years. Both are also Lake Land College alumni, so when the group was deciding how to distribute the remaining funds, Lake Land was one of the first choices.
“We really just want to try to keep people in the business and keep these things going,” Kinkelaar said. “We know Lake Land can do that.”
“WE REALLY JUST WANT TO TRY TO KEEP...THINGS GOING [IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY]. WE KNOW LAKE LAND CAN DO THAT.”
began working with plants as a hobby during the pandemic. Now, she has decided to grow her love of plants into a future career in horticulture.
When deciding where she wanted to attend college, Wagner said she visited several other institutions, but upon arriving at Lake Land College, she knew it was where she needed to be.
“Once I got here, I just thought to myself ‘I’m going to stay at Lake Land’,” Wagner said. “There are so many opportunities here, and most if not all of the instructors teach from experience. For me, that’s the most efficient way to learn, because these teachers have been in the situations their students are likely to experience.”
Dyke Barkley. I enjoy taking care of plants and things as a hobby, so it hardly feels like work.” Wagner also expressed appreciation for the convenience the College offered her, with nearby living arrangements, ease of access to nearby areas and an easy adjustment period to college life.
"ONE OF THE REASONS
I LOVE LAKE LAND IS... BECAUSE YOU CAN REALLY TELL THAT EVERYONE HERE WANTS WHAT’S BEST FOR YOU AND CARES ABOUT YOU.” -WAGNER
“Everyone here is on your team,” Wagner said of Lake Land. “I continuously felt more comfortable in my classes and with college life in general thanks to Lake Land.”
Another aspect Wagner said she enjoys about working on campus is that her work is completed during the day and accommodates her class schedules.
“It’s not a nighttime job,” Wagner said. “I feel like I really have time to work on homework and focus on my studies.”
In addition to receiving some scholarships from her hometown, Wagner was also awarded the Farm Credit of Illinois Annual Agriculture Scholarship through the Foundation scholarship process as well as COVID relief funds to assist with her educational expenses.
“All of my financial aid definitely helped a lot,” Wagner said. “It is really exciting for me to be able to work at the Foundation and as a teacher’s assistant for
As well as her classes and work schedule, Wagner also participates in several clubs on campus, including being a Student Ambassador, Horticulture Club, Student Government Association and more.
“I’m always busy, but I like to be busy,” Wagner said. “One of the reasons I love Lake Land, is because of the positive environment. You can really tell that everyone here wants what’s best for you and cares about you.”
2021-2022
CHARLESTON
Debra Sandercock
Tom White
EFFINGHAM
Tom Grunloh – Immediate Past President
Tyler Micenheimer
LA QUINTA, CA
Larry Blackerby
MARSHALL
Meg Yargus Steward
MARTINSVILLE
Linda Von Behren
MATTOON
Austin Frank Renee Huckstead - Secretary
Blake Pierce
Chris Pilson
PARIS
Angela Dyer
Kelly Eastham
Amanda Martin
SHELBYVILLE Denise Bence
SULLIVAN
Micah Dickens
Deacon Patient —President
Rich Hartke —Vice President
Dr. Jonathan “Josh” Bullock, College President Kaye Dent, Legal Counsel
Christi Donsbach, Foundation CEO
Nate Dragovan, Alumni Board Liaison
Madge Shoot, Foundation Treasurer/ College Comptroller
Tom Wright, Lake Land College Board of Trustees Liaison
Christi Donsbach, Executive Director for College Advancement
Kellie Niemerg, Foundation Awards & Corporate Relations
Donna McCoy, College Advancement Representative
Amanda Tucker, Alumni Engagement & Special Events Coordinator
Penny Walk, Donor Information & Database Coordinator
Karen Fuqua was a lawyer in her hometown of Mattoon, Illinois. She is the youngest daughter of Robert L. Fuqua and Mildred Harlan Fuqua. Her father was the oldest son of nine children who left school after the eighth grade to farm beside his father. His greatest regret was that he was not able to continue his education, and he was determined his children would be able to complete high school and continue with higher education. He also believed that all children should have that opportunity and he instilled that same passion in Karen.
She was also a fervent advocate for social justice and spent summer breaks registering voters in the rural South. The Fuqua Foundation was created through the generosity of Karen Fuqua and her legacy continues through the foundation by helping others who need a financial boost.
Neal helped found Lake Land College in 1966 and funded a number of scholarships. In 2005, a building at the College was renamed Neal Hall in honor of him and his wife Nancy. His generosity is well known in central Illinois and played a major role in building the YMCA in Mattoon and establishing the Neal Nursing Institute at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center. He was active in local business affairs and a member of the Mattoon Chamber of Commerce and served terms on the board of directors of the Central National Bank of Mattoon and the First Neighborhood Bank of Toledo.
Upon his passing, he left a generous bequest to the college that again provides another annual gift for years to come. His generosity and vision for Lake Land played a huge role in the history of our College. In 2019, he was named one of Lake Land College’s top 50 most influential people.
The Crystal Swan Award is awarded to a Lake Land College Foundation Board Member who has gone above and beyond. Steward recently joined her family’s business, Yargus Enterprises in Marshall, IL. Steward worked in the fertilizer industry for over a decade selling material handling equipment to key accounts. She is the Marketing Manager and earned her bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Butler University in 2006. She is a member of the Wabash Valley Crew Board, the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemicals Association and PAC Boards based in Springfield, IL. Steward joined the Foundation Board of Directors in 2019 and currently serves as the Finance & Investment Committee Chair.
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. Since 1999, Smith, former president of First National Bank Mattoon, now Washington Saving Bank, has been an integral member of the Lake Land College Foundation Board of Directors. During his service on the board, the bank made numerous gifts to the College Foundation and supported more than 40 Lake Land students with scholarship assistance. Though Smith’s tenure on the board of directors is complete, he continues to volunteer in many capacities. Smith served as the chairman of the Foundation Golf Classic Committee for over 20 years and raised more than $600,000.
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
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
If
if
Dr. George T. Mitchell
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.
questions about giving, how to create a scholarship
interested
leaving a planned gift please contact
or cdonsbach@lakelandcollege.edu.
at
IT’S A GREAT DAY TO GIVE THE LAKE
