Kudos!

Kudos to Chester Kelly, Becca Richardson, Dr. Sarah Montgomery-Richards and Hannah Rodriguez. Compliments to Hannah, Sarah and Becca for their outstanding work in the first session of Adult College Edge, hosted June 3rd to June 28th at the Innovation Center. For some adult students, going back to college can be a challenge. This team implemented a successful program helping their students get an extra edge in math, English and college success before their first semester started. In support of the initiative, Chester was there for every in-person session providing math tutoring services and helping all of the program completers to pass the course.

Kudos to Tait Ricks. On July 8th for most of the afternoon, Tait Ricks, College Completion Coach through the Michigan College Access Network and part of NMC’s Student Success Coaching Team could be found out in the Success Center working one on one with a student having a difficult time. She worked patiently with the student, helping him to make a success plan to complete his accelerated summer class. She listened as he shared his story and the things that were becoming barriers to his success and identified solutions that would help. Tait’s kind and caring approach to this student’s struggle was commendable. Thank you for taking the extra time to help a student in need!


Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Rosali Collier – Staff – Student Success Office Manager
    • Justin Rabish – Supplemental – GLMA Assistant Engineer

Kudos!

Kudos to Christa Abdul-Karim and Robb Houston. On May 23, NMC Extended Education & Training Programmer, Dr. Christa Abdul-Karim, and NMC Science & Math Instructor, Robb Houston, led a group of 20 lifelong learners to Iceland for a 15-day geology, climate and cultural adventure. The trip was a great success, which included puffin and seal sightings, viewing an active volcanic eruption, geysers, glaciers, icebergs, waterfalls, basalt columns and black sand beaches. In addition to seeing a variety of natural wonders, student travelers learned about the history of the country, its literature (specifically about the sagas), geothermal power, farming and fishing (and fish farms!) and the culture of the Icelandic people. They bonded and grew in their love of NMC and the seemingly endless learning opportunities we collectively provide as a community college.

Kudos to Elizabeth Sonnabend and Hollianne McHugh. Hollianne McHugh and Elizabeth Sonnabend attended the LERN Contract Training virtual conference in June. Congratulations to Hollianne and Elizabeth as they both passed the Certified Contract Trainer course and exam! Elizabeth oversees Extended Education & Training’s Work and Career portfolio. Hollianne is both a Technical Instructor in Manufacturing Technology here at NMC, and a contract trainer for Extended Education & Training. This knowledge will impact their work in the field of contract training and is already shifting Extended Education’s contract training pricing model.

Kudo to Christa Abdul-Karim and Jennifer Yaple. Dr. Christa Abdul-Karim and our fantastic student worker, Jennifer Yaple, developed a new landing page for all international tours with EES. Lifelong learners can now view past tours, as well as see upcoming travel opportunities: https://nmc.augusoft.net//info/landing/travel


Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Mark Dragovich, supplemental employee – Tech Division Lab Assistant
    • Jonah Villanueva, supplemental employee – Banquet Server
    • Brice Wise-Brown, supplemental employee – GLMA Vessels Deck Crew

Legal protections for pregnant and nursing mothers

At NMC, we prioritize creating a workplace that fosters inclusion and support for all employees, particularly those expecting children. To further strengthen this commitment, we’d like to inform you about two important legal protections: The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and The Providing Useful Maternity Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act).

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) strengthens existing protections for pregnant employees by mandating that employers with 15 or more employees provide reasonable accommodations for known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. This empowers expecting employees to request adjustments that help them effectively perform their jobs.

Examples of Reasonable Accommodations under the PWFA:

    • Modifications to work schedules (e.g., temporary changes to start/end times)
    • Adjustments to the physical workspace (e.g., ergonomic furniture)
    • Increased access to breaks
    • Breaks to express milk and access to a lactation space

How to Request a PWFA Accommodation

If you are pregnant and require accommodation due to a limitation, please reach out to your supervisor for open communication. You can simply inform them of the limitation and your need for an adjustment. There’s no requirement to specifically mention the PWFA.

If the request is easily agreed upon with your supervisor please just move forward with implementation. If the request requires some additional support or conversation, please reach out to Human Resources and we will work together to identify a reasonable accommodation that addresses the need while minimizing any undue hardship to NMC.

The Providing Useful Maternity Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP Act) mandates that employers with 50 or more employees provide a clean and private, non-bathroom space for nursing mothers to express breast milk. This space must be accessible during working hours and break times.

Additional Resources

For further information on the PWFA and PUMP Act, and your rights as an employee, we recommend visiting the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) websites.

NMC remains dedicated to supporting expecting parents. Should you have any questions or concerns regarding the PWFA, PUMP Act, or your needs as an expecting parent, please do not hesitate to contact your supervisor, or Human Resources.

Additional information will be shared through policy, with specific identification of lactation spaces on NMC’s campuses in the near future. If you need any assistance identifying an appropriate space, please contact Human Resources.

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Maggie West – Tutoring Services Coordinator
    • John Burris – Groundskeeper

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Josiah Logan, student employee – Resident Assistant
    • Dawn Bruchez, supplemental employee – Cafe Lobdell’s Kitchen/Dining Room Assistant
    • Alex Rodgers, student employee – Resident Assistant

Kudos!

Kudos to Kristi Hallett and the facilities fepartment. Kristi worked with me for several months coordinating with the facilities department for the community Pride Carnival with Up North Pride. She helped us foresee potential problems and always responds so quickly and kindly. We appreciate you Kristi! Also a big thanks to our facilities department for helping set up this event; there were a lot of moving parts and we are grateful for all of your help!

Kudos to Lindsey Kimball and crew. Lindsey and crew are on the ball! Being gone on the State of Michigan can provide logistical challenges when it comes to supplies. They continue to make sure our supplies are getting to GLMA during the summer months. These supplies are critical to shipboard operation and allows us to operate without missing a beat. Thank you, Lindsey and crew, for continuing to make sure our supplies get to us. You’re doing a fantastic job and it doesn’t go unseen.


Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Emma Marion, supplemental – Writing Center
    • Seth Nevins, supplemental – GLMA Culinary Intern

Kudos!

Kudos to Carolyn Andrews, Lisa Eiden, Alyssa Irani, Tam Livengood, Denny Nguyen, Molly Norville and Hannah Rodriguez. Congratulations to the following employees who completed Crucial Conversations for Accountability training. The skills these learned support a positive, culture of open communication and promote building strong relationships through respect across the college. Congratulations and thank you for being part of NMC’s positive culture and community!

Kudos to Ali Thornton. Ali helped me with an embedding issue in a PowerPoint where we were trying to show a video. She worked tirelessly to find a solution to get the video to play straight from the PowerPoint slide. She enlisted her coworkers to test the various solutions she found from searching online forums. She showed me how to embed videos in the future and some reasons why this particular video was giving us so much trouble. Her directions were clear and easy to understand, and now we have a PowerPoint that plays multiple videos seamlessly. I also have the skills to do this in the future. Than you, Ali, for taking so much time out of your day, over multiple days, to help me solve this problem!


Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Claire Durling – Food Services Office Manager
    • Dylan Schaub – Instructional Systems Technician
    • Gavin Tulgetske, supplemental employee – GLMA Culinary Intern
    • Kayla Burt – Adjunct Certified Flight Instructor
    • Seth Crompton – Adjunct Certified Flight Instructor
    • Julieanna Frost – Humanities Instructor
    • Malachi Sullivan, supplemental employee – GLMA Vessels Deck Crew Able Body

Duplicate Priority Health ID cards

You may have received a random set of ID cards in the mail from Priority Health recently. They are duplicates that were sent out accidentally. The information is correct and either your original card or the new one will work for your needs.

Kudos!

Kudos to Alex Walsh. Since partnering with NMC through MCAN nearly two years ago, Alex has consistently gone above and beyond for every student he meets. Over the past year alone, he took two veterans to a national conference and organized a day of free activities at Jacobs’ Farm for all veterans on Veterans’ Day. Additionally, Alex assisted a refugee from Afghanistan in becoming an NMC student and mentored them through a successful year, culminating in the student receiving the Student Award for Perseverance just a few weeks ago. Thank you, Alex, for all you have done for NMC. We wish you the best as you embark on your next journey in law school.

Kudos to Amy Burns-Bailey, Carolyn Andrews, Ryan Deering, John Lutchko, and Hans Van Sumeren. Kudos to Amy Burns-Bailey for coordinating NMC sessions at the Spring MEATA (Michigan Educators Apprenticeship & Training Association) Conference. Thank you to Carolyn Andrews, Ryan Deering, and the APL crew for the pre-conference activities and to John Lutchko and Hans Van Sumeren for showcasing the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute in a conference session. It was wonderful to see NMC highlighted!


Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!

Welcome our newest hires

These employees recently started working at the college. Let’s welcome them to the NMC community!

    • Tyler Bristol, supplemental employee – Marine Technology Research Assistant
    • Katherine Grace, supplemental employee – Dennos Museum Assistant
    • Megan Dagen, supplemental employee – Learning Services Office Assistant
    • Aris Tarcinski, student employee – Aviation Line Crew

Kudos!

Kudos to Robert Watrous, Bradley Villeneuve and the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen. On behalf of the entire graduating class, staff, and faculty, I wanted to extend my deepest gratitude to you and your team for your invaluable contribution to our recent college commencement ceremonies. Your presence added a touch of dignity, respect and patriotism to the event, setting the tone for the significance of the occasion.

Kudos to the Commencement Volunteers. Thank you to Denny Nguyen, Brittany Hanbury, Lisa vonReichbauer, Ali Thornton, Theresa Scott, Suzanne Rizzo, Lindsey Dickinson, Hannah Rodriguez, Katie Sommer-Ford, Zach Whitaker, Ryan Bernstein, Bridget Munroe, Linda Berlin, Tracy Welch, Taylor Nash, Lisa Thomas, Molly Norville, Lynne Moritz, and any other volunteer I may have missed, I wanted to extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your invaluable contributions to our recent commencement ceremonies. It is because of volunteers like you that our ceremonies were able to proceed seamlessly, leaving a positive impression on everyone in attendance. Your willingness to give your time and energy to help celebrate this important milestone in the lives of our graduates truly embodies the spirit of community and service.

Kudos to Megan Holtrey and Maria Ulrich. Your dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work were instrumental in ensuring that Commencement ran smoothly and that our graduates had a memorable and enjoyable experience. From assisting with logistics to providing support behind the scenes, your efforts did not go unnoticed. Thank you once again for your invaluable support and for being an essential part of our special day.

Kudos to the Public Relations, Marketing & Communications department. On behalf of the entire commencement committee, I wanted to extend our heartfelt appreciation to you and your department for the invaluable support you provided in making our recent commencement ceremonies a resounding success. Your expertise in communication, promotion and coordination played a vital role in ensuring that our ceremonies received the attention and recognition it deserved. From crafting engaging press releases and coordinating media coverage to managing social media campaigns and promoting the event to the wider community, your efforts were instrumental in generating excitement and interest surrounding the ceremony.

Kudos to the Bookstore, Alumni Services and the Extended Education Services department. Thank you for being a part of the NMC commencement ceremonies. You helped to make the day a huge success. It was wonderful to have all of the support for our graduates and their families.

Kudos to the Facilities department. I wanted to extend our heartfelt appreciation to you and your department for the invaluable support you provided in making our recent commencement ceremony a success. From setting up the venue to ensuring that everything ran seamlessly behind the scenes, your efforts did not go unnoticed. Your contributions were instrumental in creating a welcoming and celebratory atmosphere that will be cherished by all who attended.

Kudos to Kyle Morrison, Eric Carlson and Chris Hanna. Thank you for all of your help with the 2024 commencement ceremonies. From recording Nick’s message to the grads (with closed captioning) to livestreaming the ceremonies, your efforts did not go unnoticed. Your dedication, hard work, and attention to detail played a crucial role in ensuring that our ceremonies proceeded smoothly and flawlessly. Thank you once again for your invaluable assistance and for going above and beyond to help make our commencement ceremonies a success.

Kudos to Colleen Burry. A huge thank you to Colleen Burry for organizing and executing a smooth set of commencement ceremonies on May 4! Colleen’s effort allowed me to attend my son’s commencement in Marquette. This effort takes months of organization and dedication. Colleen also implemented a Grad Fair this year which resulted in increased attendance at our ceremonies. Way to go, Colleen!

Kudos to Esther Nance, Chad Schenkelberger and the Hawk Owl Café. Huge thanks to Esther, Chad and Staff at Hawk Owl Café for a last minute coffee 911 order for CIT IT Olympics. Your team truly saved the day as our many volunteers need their morning coffee to effectively run the registration for the CIT Olympics and I totally forgot to put in the coffee order ahead of time.


Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by submitting a KUDOS. Let them know you appreciate their hard work and are thinking of them!