Nominations open for Staff and Team Excellence Awards

Mar 9, 2026 | HR Corner, Intercom

Every day, we see colleagues who go above and beyond, not for recognition, but because they care deeply about our students, our colleagues, our community, and our mission. Now is our chance to say “thank you.”

Who to nominate?

A staff member or a team who:

    • Consistently embodies NMC’s values?
    • Has made a clear, positive impact on NMC this year?
    • Inspires you with their dedication?

Who is eligible?

  • Staff: Full-time, part-time, or supplemental.
  • Teams: Departments, committees, or project groups (2+ employees).

How to nominate 

Complete and submit the Staff Excellence Nomination Form or the Team Excellence Nomination Form by Thursday, April 2, 2026

Help us highlight the incredible work happening across our campus! Recipients will receive a monetary award and an engraved plaque to be presented at the You Made It Possible Celebration on May 13, 2026.

NMC Employee Recognition Committee: Lori Hodek, Chair, Marcus Bennett, Hollie DeWalt, Les Eckert, Kim Gourlay, Craig Hadley, Taylor Nash, Denny Nguyen, Nancy Parshall and Lisa vonReichbauer.

 
 

Food for the Soul

Mar 9, 2026 | Hawk Owl Helpers and Heroes, Intercom

Thanks to the Hawk Owl Café staff and Associate Dean of Campus & Residence Life Marcus Bennett for offering a Food for the Soul menu in February. This four-week series of special menus was presented as part of NMC’s Embrace the Dream programming and in support of NMC’s goal to create a vibrant campus where everyone belongs.

Who’s been a Hawk Owl Helper or Hero for you? Let us know at publicrelations@nmc.edu!

Media mentions for March 9, 2026

Mar 9, 2026 | Intercom, Media Mentions

The following college events and stories have appeared in the media recently. We want to share your media involvement too. Please send information about your NMC-related interview or appearance to publicrelations@nmc.edu. If possible, please include a link to the piece and information about where and when it was used.

Please note access to some stories may be limited by paywalls set up by the media outlet. This includes the Traverse City Record-Eagle, which limits free clicks to five per month. You may also read Record-Eagle articles in the print edition at the NMC Library.

The People’s College: 75 years of higher learning
Baylife Magazine, March-April 2026, pp. 34-45
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Extended Education Opportunities

Mar 9, 2026 | Intercom

Did you know that your tuition waiver benefits extend beyond credit classes? Take a fitness class, learn a new hobby, or even enjoy a date night with your partner. Check out these exclusive employee passes and browse classes for you and yours this winter!

Chop, Mix, Power Up! Fun With Whole Food BowlsChop, Mix, Power Up! Whole Food Bowls

Get ready to explore a rainbow of healthy ingredients! From fluffy grains to crunchy veggies, protein-packed options to sweet and tangy dressings, we’ll have it all. Master the art of bowl building and learn the secrets to creating visually-stunning and flavor-packed bowls. Read more about Chop, Mix, Power Up! Fun With Whole Food Bowls.
Saturday, March 14; 1–3 p.m.
Tuition waiver price: $46 for two people (Public price: $149)

Drawing TreesDrawing Trees with Charcoal and Graphite

Northern Michigan has more than 100 different species of trees. Learn to draw some of them in this introductory course from a local artist who is inspired by the natural beauty of our region. From sugar maples to yellow birch, create the perfect composition of a forest scene. Read more about Drawing Trees With Charcoal & Graphite.
Saturday, March 21; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tuition waiver price: $22 per person (Public price: $99)

Date Night: It Takes Two to SalsaDATE NIGHT: IT TAKES TWO TO SALSA

Join us for a flavorful adventure in the world of salsas! This hands-on culinary class will introduce you to the vibrant and diverse realm of Mexican sauces. Discover the secrets behind creating the perfect salsa, from balancing sweet, sour, spicy, and savory flavors to mastering knife skills by chopping fresh ingredients. Read more about Date Night: It Takes Two to Salsa.
Thursday, April 9; 6–9 p.m.
Tuition waiver price: $46 for two people (Public price: $199)

Mobile food pantry March 16

Mar 9, 2026 | Intercom, Student News

NMC Mobile Food Pantry

NMC will host a mobile food pantry on Monday, March 16 from 3–5 p.m. in the Maple Lot on the Front Street campus.

While our program is designed for NMC college students and their families, it is open to all in the community who are in need of food.

We ask that recipients queue up in the car line in a counter-clockwise circle around the edge of the parking lot. Please do not block the main access roads, be aware of other students using the parking spaces and watch for children being picked up at the Oleson Learning Center adjacent to the Maple Lot.

 

 

On the menu: Hawk Owl Café specials for March 9–13

Mar 9, 2026 | Intercom, Student News

Hawk Owl Cafe logoThe Hawk Owl Café serves specials during the fall and spring semesters from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 4:40 to 6:30 p.m. The protein option is $9.99, and the vegetarian option (V) is $7.99. Learn more at nmc.edu/dining.

 

Menu

Monday, March 9

Chicken Gyros with grilled pita served with lemon rice and roasted fingerling potatoes

Falafel Gyros (V) with grilled pita served with lemon rice and roasted fingerling potatoes

Tuesday, March 10

Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas served with Spanish rice and refried beans

Roasted Poblano & Bean Quesadillas (V) served with Spanish rice and refried beans

Wednesday, March 11

Sesame Chicken Stir Fry served with basmati rice and egg rolls

Sesame Tofu Stir Fry (V) served with basmati rice and egg rolls

Thursday, March 12

Italian Sausage Rigatoni with sun-dried tomato cream sauce served with garlic bread and broccoli

Roasted Vegetable Rigatoni (V) with sun-dried tomato cream sauce served with garlic bread and broccoli

Friday, March 13

Crispy Chicken with Buffalo sauce served with mac & cheese and asparagus

Battered Cauliflower Bites (V) with Buffalo sauce served with mac & cheese and asparagus

Kudos!

Mar 6, 2026 | HR Corner, Intercom

Kudos to Amy Shamroe! Last Friday, the NOMIAC team hosted an Industry Navigator Lunch and Learn. Industry Navigator Amy Shamroe delivered a compelling and informative presentation that clearly outlined the breadth of training opportunities available through Extended Education, workforce training programs, and partner institutions across the 10-county region. Attendees walked away with a deeper understanding of available resources and a renewed appreciation for the collaborative strength behind the NOMIAC and Sixty by 30 initiatives. Thank you, Amy, for leading our industry partners in training with NMC and the NOMIAC!

Kudos to Emily Crull! Emily has recently gone above and beyond in providing support to our department. She laid out an entirely new webpage that was needed for a tight turnaround while her team was short-staffed – and it looks fantastic! She has also created extensive graphic libraries for several different initiatives that our department is involved with, so our materials look professional and polished. We truly appreciate all you do!

Celebrating new chapters

Mar 6, 2026 | HR Corner, Intercom

These colleagues have moved on to a new chapter in their lives. We wish them the very best as they navigate a new adventure, and we thank them for their time and dedication to NMC!

    • Gabriella Baldino, supplemental employee – Food Service Front of House
    • Andre Dean, supplemental employee – Instructional Tech Specialist
    • Jillian Kaley, student employee – Residence Hall Front Desk
    • Steven Miles – Adjunct Math Instructor

Welcome our newest hires!

Mar 6, 2026 | HR Corner, Intercom

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

    • Bee Kelly, student employee – Ceramic Studio Lab Assistant
    • Kim Ockert, supplemental employee – Test Proctor
    • Charlotte Davis, supplemental employee – Banquet Server. Hagerty Center
    • Mitchell Gingras, supplemental employee – Tutor

Volunteers sought for A Taste of Success

Mar 6, 2026 | Intercom

Want a front-row seat to the hottest ticket in town? The NMC Foundation and Alumni Relations are looking for volunteers for the annual A Taste of Success on Friday, April 24 at the Hagerty Center.

We’d love to have you on the team! From greeting guests to helping with our high-energy Heads or Tails game or the “By the Glass” live donation portion of the evening, our volunteers are the secret sauce that makes this night special. Most importantly, you’ll be helping us raise critical funds and scholarship dollars for the students of the Great Lakes Culinary Institute.

It’s fast-paced, social and an absolute blast. Fill out the yellow sections of the Google Sheet to secure your spot. We will send out email communications the week of the event to give you a rundown of what to expect, and your day-of contact will be there upon arrival.

If you have any questions, please contact Zach Whitaker at zwhitaker@nmc.edu or (231) 995-2826.

Sign up to volunteer at A Taste of Success

Spring professional development opportunities

Mar 6, 2026 | HR Corner, Intercom

NMC is hosting several upcoming training opportunities for employes. Seats are limited! Register for all courses through NeoEd Training using these instructions. For questions, contact professionaldevelopmentinstitute@nmc.edu

Canva Graphic Design Presentations and Canva AI

Tuesday, March 10, Noon-1 p.m. (Zoom)
Focusing on presentations and the use of AI, you will learn to apply the skills you have learned in Canva Basics to develop graphically pleasing presentations including video and audio, as well as using features such as drawing, resizing designs, magic features, text-to-image features, instant styles, and layouts. You will learn how to use AI to start the development of your presentations and how to upload existing presentations for further development in Canva. This is for use in class, on Instagram, on campus monitors, and more!

Using Headings in Google Workspace for Accessibility

Friday, March 13, 11 a.m.–Noon (Zoom)
This course focuses on mastering document architecture within Google Workspace by moving beyond manual formatting and into the power of semantic styling. You will learn to establish a logical hierarchy by choosing the correct heading levels, utilize the “Update to Match” feature for instant global styling, and determine master heading settings to create a consistent, accessible resource. By the end of this session, you’ll be able to leverage automated Tables of Contents and document outlines to create professional, accessible, and easily navigable content with minimal effort.

AVIRT (Active Violence Immediate Response Training)

Monday, March 16, 4–6 p.m.
Osterlin Building, room 205
Instructor: Eric Darling, Fife Lake Fire Chief

When acts of violence occur, you can’t always wait for EMS to arrive. AVIRT Training was developed with law enforcement and medical experts to empower everyone to become an immediate responder. This course is designed to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge to respond effectively to active violence and emergency situations. AVIRT teaches both active shooter response skills and emergency bleeding techniques. Certification period: 2 years. For questions, contact Garrett Croon at gcroon@nmc.edu or (231) 995-1747.

AI Prompting

Tuesday, March 17, 3–4 p.m. (Zoom)
Are you curious about AI and how it can help you? Learn about working with the AI Large Language Models (LLM’s like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.ai) to brainstorm, summarize, explain topics, find information on the web, and respond to complex prompts. Come to this session where you will see a demonstration and get hands-on practice in AI Prompting!

Advanced AI Prompting

Wednesday, March 25, from 3–4 p.m. (Zoom)
Elevate your prompt engineering skills with this focus on advanced skills designed to teach you five distinct prompting styles. You will move beyond simple queries to master the RODE framework for structured role-based output and the Ask Gemini dialogue method for iterative refinement, while also learning industry standards like Chain-of-Thought, Few-Shot, and Prompt Chaining. After briefly reviewing these AI prompt engineering skills, there will be dedicated time for hands-on practice.

Exploring the Evolving AI Landscape

Tuesday, March 31, 3–4 p.m. (Zoom)
This advanced workshop is designed for faculty and staff who are already familiar with AI LLM’s and basic AI prompting but want to deepen their understanding of the newest developments in AI. Participants will explore powerful new tools and features—including Gemini Nano Banana, ChatGPT-5, Study and Learn, Agent Mode, storybooks, and real-world applications that are reshaping education and productivity. (Please be familiar with AI Prompting before signing up for this class. Please email athornton@nmc.edu if you have questions.)

Crucial Conversations for Accountability

Friday, May 15 AND Friday, May 22, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. (on campus)
This course is strongly recommended for all supervisors, academic chairs and program coordinators, but all regular employees are welcome with supervisor approval. While Crucial Conversations for Accountability may sound like a “gotcha” approach, it is exactly the opposite. The training provides practical tools grounded in mutual respect, active listening and collaborative problem-solving. During this two-day training, learn how to have difficult conversations in a way that solves problems while improving relationships. Attendance is required both days for course completion.

For questions, email professionaldevelopmentinstitute@nmc.edu

NMC Jazz Lab Band and student vocalists to perform at The Alluvion

Mar 5, 2026 | Intercom, Student Events

The NMC Jazz Lab Band and vocalists from NMC’s music program will join the Jeff Haas Trio for an evening of performances from 6-8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 at The Alluvion.

The roster is part of the Alluvion’s weekly Jazz 4 All series. NMC students will be singing a wide range of jazz favorites including:

    • Anna Dewey, “Don’t Know Why”
    • Gloria Sobkoviak, “L-O-V-E”
    • Liliana Sosa Dunn, “Over The Rainbow”
    • Mason Moran, “All The Things You Are”
    • Rheanna Gilzene, “Almost Like Being In Love”
    • Tae Detweiler-Smith, “I’m Beginning To See The Light”

The Alluvion is located on the 2nd floor of the Commongrounds Cooperative at 414 East 8th Street in Traverse City. There are no advanced sales. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a “pay what you can” cover at the door. Come as you are and don’t miss the show!