Tech Tips: Take Action! How to Recognize & Avoid SMISHING Attacks!
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College for Kids summer classes are filling fast. View the available classes for ages 3 to 17 HERE then call Extended Education at 995-1700 to enroll; employee tuition waivers apply. One-week enrichment classes begin June 17 and continue all summer. Details at nmc.edu/kids.
The Business Office and HR are collaborating with IT to implement a new payroll and HR solution for the College called ADP Workforce Now. The conversion will take place later this summer and impacts all employees. ADP replaces Banner Self-Service’s platform for viewing info such as pay history, leave balances, tax forms, and other personal information. It will also change the way we enter and approve hours worked, and how we request and approve time off. More information on the platform and training will be provided at a later date.
The following college events and stories have appeared in the media in the past week. 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 Osterlin Library.
Art and culture summit, network bring organizations together
Record-Eagle, May 17
NMC culinary students compete for scholarship with small plate creations
Record-Eagle, May 18
The Towne Plaza
Northern Express, May 18
New agreement allows NMC, LSSU to collaborate
UpNorthLive, May 2
Operational continuity is a second, but critical, priority. As initial responses are completed, Emergency Management Team staff will focus on operational continuity planning by developing an assessment of damage, program disruptions, and other continuity problems. As the complete assessment emerges, Emergency Management Team staff will identify and recommend the most effective recovery plan for the College. If possible, academic programs and basic services will be resumed immediately.
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Celebrating her 30+ year career at NMC, Sue served the college over the years in the Health Occupations Office, the Deans Office, the Vice President’s Office and the Business Academic Area. Join us in seeing her off on life’s next adventure!
Sue DeCamillis’ Retirement Celebration
Lobdell’s – 715 E. Front Street
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Open House 4–6 p.m.
Dan and Debbie Edson (click for high-resolution version)TRAVERSE CITY — Daniel and Debra Edson have been named the 2019 recipients of Northwestern Michigan College’s highest honor, the NMC Fellow award.
The couple have been committed, passionate supporters of education since they met at Central Michigan University in the 1970s. Debbie Edson then went on to a 41-year career in special education with the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District. Dan Edson began his career in microbiology, inventing the world’s first blood test for Legionnaires’ disease in 1978. He went on to become an entrepreneur, co-founding the American Proficiency Institute in 1991. The Traverse City company is now a global leader in assessing the accuracy of laboratory tests. It employs 60 and has 20,000 clients worldwide.
While their success is global, it is important to the Edsons to give back to the local community where they raised their family and base their business. Their philanthropic support of NMC spans 26 years and has included scholarships, the University Center, the Dennos Museum Center, radio station WNMC and the West Hall Innovation Center. The college is a “wonderful resource,” Debbie Edson said.
“As we’ve gotten to know people at NMC, it just seems like it’s a great way to build the learning platform,” said Debbie Edson, adding all three children took classes at NMC.
Coming from Mancelona, Dan Edson said the college plays a key role in serving students regionally.
“That’s really important. I grew up in Antrim County, and I understand that,” he said.
Through API, Dan Edson has long collaborated with educational and medical partners including Michigan State University, Munson Healthcare and Ferris State University. He received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Central Michigan University, in December 2018. The couple’s philanthropy also includes a full tuition scholarship to the MSU College of Human Medicine that offers preference to an NMC transfer student.
Volunteer leadership is another important facet of the Edsons’ lives. Debbie Edson serves as a board member for the NMC Foundation and as a campaign steering committee member. Dan served as board chairman at the Traverse Health Clinic for 16 years and is now a member of the Munson Medical Center Board of Trustees.
NMC Foundation Executive Director Rebecca Teahen said the award is the culmination of a lifetime of personal commitment to advancing health, supporting and leading in education, and protecting the natural landscapes so critical to northern Michigan.
“Knowing them personally, since I was a child, and then having the opportunity to work closely with Dan and Debbie as they continue to support the college and our students has been an absolute joy,” Teahen said. “They both bring a ‘matter of fact’ approach their support of education and our community; it’s something they have always believed in and they have seen the power of education to change lives.”
The Fellow is Northwestern Michigan College’s highest honor, awarded annually since 1964. Fellows may be nominated because they have demonstrated influential networking on behalf of the College, have demonstrated a pattern of outstanding financial or personal time contributions to NMC, or as a retiree of the College continue to contribute back to their academic or professional fields as volunteers, mentors or advisors. Exceptional contributions in one or more of these areas may justify nomination
See a list of past recipients.
NMC President’s Office
(231) 995-1010

Long known as a smart financial choice, NMC is increasingly simply the smart choice, as determined by students well-positioned to know best.
So far, 13 valedictorians and 3 salutatorians from northern Michigan’s Class of 2019 have been admitted to NMC for fall. More than 120 students have a grade point average of 3.9 or better, on a 4.0 scale.
“We’ve had a good run this year,” said Cathryn Claerhout, director of admissions. “We’ve got people who are not (just) looking at us to save money, it’s because we’ve got their program.”
Manton High School valedictorian Isabela Bivens (left) is one. She also received the Founder’s Scholarship, worth $8,000. Bivens is member of the National Honor Society who runs cross country and track and field, has a black belt in tae kwon do and works as an assistant martial arts instructor and on a farm. Her older sister Catherine attended NMC, too, and her positive experience also influenced Bivens.
“I know she was challenged there so I’m pretty excited to go,” she said, adding she plans to take general classes, perhaps focusing on sciences.
Ellsworth High School valedictorian Kevin Dickinson (right) is likewise following in a sibling’s footsteps. His brother Roger graduated with a degree in visual communications in 2016. Dickinson considered attending a four-year school but decided he’d prefer to stay closer to home. Like Bivens, his favorite subject is math and he’s a member of the National Honor Society. Dickinson also plays basketball and participates in Little Buddies, a mentoring program with the local elementary school.
“We hang out with them and try to be a good influence on them,” said Dickinson, who will study creative writing at NMC.
My family and I would like to thank NMC for the beautiful plant given to us for my mom’s funeral. For around 20 years, she was a member of the Grand Traverse Chorale, along with being an accompanist for the NMC Children’s Choir for over 10 years. She loved music and especially loved working with children and watching them grow in confidence and skill as they performed in various concerts. NMC and EES is a great place for nurturing the young as well as offering options for adults to either learn something new or continue with a talent they’ve enjoyed for years. Thank you NMC for also being an understanding place when the situation of being a family caregiver arises. You made these last 6 years possible for myself and my mom. Thank you.
TRAVERSE CITY — Three alumni were named the 2019 winners of Northwestern Michigan College’s Outstanding Alumni award at commencement ceremonies May 4.
Terry Beia, 1983 – Petroleum Engineering Technology. In 1998 Beia made his first real estate investment in downtown Traverse City. In the two decades since the investment, he’s been an active booster and backer of downtown. Download a high-resolution photo »
Frank Dituri, 1979 – Parks and Recreation Management and Biology. A highlight of Dituri’s career in both private and public sectors is serving as chairman of the Boardman River Dams Implementation Team, tasked with the restoration of Traverse City’s Boardman River. Download a high-resolution photo »
Dr. Marie Socha, 1983 – Pre-med studies. After earning both a master’s and PhD., Socha went on to a career in public health as an epidemiologist, serving agencies from the Centers for Disease Control to the Department of Homeland Security. Download a high-resolution photo »
Established in 1988, Outstanding Alumni award recipients are chosen for significant professional achievements and/or exemplary leadership in the local or global community. Applications for the 2020 Outstanding Alumni award will be sought in January.
Cameron Penny
Director of Alumni Relations
cpenny@nmc.edu
(231) 995-2825
There is still time to order GRASP Reading and Math summer lessons for your child in grades K-8. With this at-home program, students retain essential skills over the summer. With a 100% tuition waiver, you pay $45 for one program or $55 for both reading and math.
View the registration flyer HERE and call NMC Extended Education at 995-1700 to register this week!
Patrons enjoying the traditional buffalo burger and kids games might also notice a giant crane and the steel beamed-frame of a rising second story on the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center at the annual NMC Barbecue this Sunday.
Begun last fall, the West Hall renovation and the Commitment scholarship for promising, mostly first-generation college students are the beneficiaries of funds from this year’s 64th annual picnic under the pines, set for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday on main campus.
“The NMC Barbecue has a long and proud history of investing in the future of our region, whether it’s through the students themselves, or by creating the learning spaces they need to succeed,” said Barbecue Board President Heather Jewell. “It’s exciting to know a $6 picnic meal can have such an incredible impact when we all join together to support our college.”
Originally a residence hall, the Timothy J. Nelson Innovation Center is set to reopen next spring as a 54,000-square-foot, multi-story library and flexible learning space accommodating a range of learning styles and needs, including experiential and simulation. Since 1993, the Commitment scholarship has offered full-tuition scholarships to 1,500 students from all around the region, positioning them to transfer and complete a bachelor’s degree.
The Barbecue traditions of free live entertainment, classroom displays and program exhibits, and free admission to the Dennos Museum Center will all return. New at the Barbecue is the first annual printmaking sale, set for 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building. Patrons can take home a student print for as little as $3. See the complete list of activities and events.
In addition to supporting college programs and equipment — to the tune of $1.8 million since the late Gerald W. Oleson and his wife Frances, founders of Oleson’s Food Stores, started it in 1956 — the Barbecue is a place where community connections flourish. More than 500 volunteers put on the Barbecue. Additional volunteers are still welcome, especially in the following areas. Sign up online.
Tickets are $6 in advance and can be purchased at Oleson’s Food Stores, the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, the NMC Foundation, and many financial institutions. Tickets are available for $6 plus a $1.25 service charge on MyNorth Tickets. Tickets are $8 on Sunday.
The following college events and stories have appeared in the media in the past week. 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 Osterlin Library.
Former ambassador to talk Venezuelan crisis
Record-Eagle, May 13
Maritime Career Day May 16
White Lake Beacon, May 12
NMC holds 2019 graduation
UpNorthLive, May 4
Midnight harvest spawns shiitakes
Record-Eagle, May 4
Adapted in TC: Confidence in youth justified through students
Record-Eagle, May 5
NMC Commencement ceremonies taking place today
Ticker, May 4
Annual IT Olympics set
Record-Eagle, May 1
Please join us in welcoming these new additions to our NMC staff!
Please join us May 19, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Fine Arts Building for an art-filled day at the NMC BBQ! Purchase student prints produced throughout the 2019 Spring Semester using various techniques such as intaglio, embossing, and monoprinting. All proceeds go towards the rising artists. We welcome participants of all ages to come and see as well as be inspired by the traditional methods of printmaking offered at the classes here at NMC. Prints start at $3, and vary on price based off of quality, quantity, and size. Watch students demonstrate different printing techniques, learn about the printing process through our live demos, and delve into the art.
NMC President Tim Nelson will be honored with a National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award at a Building Character Celebration at the Hagerty Center Monday, May 13 from 6 to 9 p.m. The celebration is hosted by the Boy Scouts of America’s Michigan Crossroads Council.
The NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA) is a prestigious recognition granted by the local council’s NESA committee to Eagle Scouts who have demonstrated outstanding achievement at the local, state, or regional level. The NOESA recognizes Eagle Scouts whose efforts have made a positive impact in the community.
Need a quick lunch but don’t have time to leave campus? Sandwiches, wraps, and drinks are available at the bookstore all summer!
Nicole Speelman (click for high-resolution version)TRAVERSE CITY — Science and English instructors were named the 2019 winners of NMC’s annual Faculty Excellence awards at commencement ceremonies May 4.
Chemistry instructor Nicole Speelman is the Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award winner.
English instructor Cathy Warner is the Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award winner. Chosen by a student selection committee, criteria for both awards include teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication.
Both joined the NMC faculty relatively recently. Of Speelman, who began in January 2018, students said:
Cathy Warner (click for high-resolution version)Of Warner, who began in August 2017, students said:
The Imogene Wise award was first bestowed in 1971. The adjunct award was created as a companion in 1999.
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director, NMC Public Relations, Marketing & Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019