KUDOS- (praise or respect that you get because of something you have done or achieved) defined by Merriam-Webster.com
Submit a Kudos here.
Kudos to the Facilities Department: They changed the air vents in PS 101/103 back to the diffusing style which has made a huge improvement for our customer’s experience. Thank you!
Take a minute to check out the Wellness information on the employee site.
Chris Barr, BCBSM Wellness Coordinator, will review all the information you need to know to participate in the exciting “Hit Your Stride” Challenge! You will be able to create a team of 1-3 people of your co-workers, and challenge yourselves to obtaining at least 4000 steps per day (shared by the team). The team with the highest number of steps will each receive a $100 visa gift card, but those that meet the average of 4000 steps per day, will also be entered into a drawing for a Fit Bit Alta!
So please bring your lunch and join us to learn about the details of the Challenge! If you are not able to join on the 22nd, details will be available in the Intercom and on the HR Wellness Site.
An alternative challenge will be available to those who have mobility limitations.
Simply log into bcbsm.com, choose the Health & Wellness Tab in the blue bar at the top of the page, and finally choose Rewards in the gray bar. If you have completed both the online health assessment and submitted the physician screening form you will click on Redeem Now. If it still says Start Earning, then both forms have not been registered as complete. If you believe this is an error- make sure your doctor sent the form and then follow up with Hollie DeWalt or Chris Barr for assistance.
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
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TRAVERSE CITY — NMC alumnus Ross and Brenda Biederman have been named the 2017 recipients of the NMC Fellow award, the highest honor bestowed by Northwestern Michigan College.
The couple has been a philanthropic and business force in northern Michigan for decades, winning the 2013 Distinguished Service Award from the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce. Virtually every sector of the community has benefited from their support, including healthcare, arts and culture, and education.
Ross Biederman graduated from NMC in 1959, only a few years after the college was founded by a group including his father, Les. He was named an Outstanding Alumnus in 2010. Under his leadership, Midwestern Broadcasting Co. expanded to include nine radio stations. Ross Biederman also developed the Radio Centre complex, which includes downtown Traverse City’s first parking structure. As the head of the joint Garfield Township-Traverse City Recreational Authority, he helped develop the former state hospital grounds into the thriving residential/retail/commercial destination it is today.
In the words of President Timothy J. Nelson, the Biedermans are an “empowering couple.” Ross and Brenda have continued the Biederman family legacy of philanthropy. They have supported NMC personally and through the namesake family foundation for 30 years. Biederman scholarship funds currently support more than two dozen students annually and have transformed hundreds of lives. Most recently, the Biederman Foundation provided critical support for a simulator for the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Ross is currently serving as a member of the NMC Foundation’s Campaign Steering Committee.
Brenda Biederman, a Buckley native, is an equally wholehearted supporter of education in general and NMC in particular. She helped launch the Women’s Resource Center and the Maidens of Michigan and is a past director for the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
A fourth generation of Biedermans now has an NMC connection — one granddaughter is currently enrolled in the nursing program.
The NMC Board of Trustees has named Fellows each year since 1964 as a way of recognizing and thanking those individuals who have made special contributions to the college.
Rebecca Teahen
Executive Director for Resource Development and NMC Foundation
rteahen@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1855
Thank you all for everything you do in pursuit of “Keeping Learning at the Center.”
Notable Accomplishments provided by Faculty and Staff
This section recognizes the good work being done and linkages to the Strategic Directions (SD) and Institutional Effectiveness Criteria (IE) are provided where possible. (more…)
TRAVERSE CITY — A nursing and a culinary instructor were named the 2017 winners of NMC’s annual Faculty Excellence awards at commencement ceremonies May 6.
Nursing instructor Mac Beeker is the Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award winner. Culinary instructor Robert George 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.
Beeker began his career at NMC in 2015. He is also an NMC alumnus, graduating from the nursing program in 2010. In their nominations students said:
Read more about Mac Beeker here.
George began his career at NMC in 2006. In their nominations, students said:
Both winners, coincidentally, are married to NMC employees. Beeker’s wife Mary Beeker is an NMC librarian. George’s wife Judy Chu is a communications faculty member.
The Faculty Excellence award was initiated by a contribution from longtime NMC benefactors Harold and Imogene Wise in 1970 and first awarded to a full-time faculty member in 1971. The Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award was created in 1999 as a companion.
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director, NMC Public Relations and Marketing
(231) 995-1019
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
TRAVERSE CITY — Two Northwestern Michigan College alumni were named winners of the annual Outstanding Alumni award at the 2017 commencement ceremonies held May 6.
Judge Kevin Elsenheimer, class of 1987, and Wei Cao, class of 2009, both received the award, bestowed on alumni with significant professional achievements and/or exemplary leadership in the local or global community.
Elsenheimer is a native of Traverse City. After he earned his associate’s degree at NMC he attended Michigan State University and Wayne State University Law 
School. He served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Antrim County before forming the firm of Young, Graham, Elsenheimer & Wendling, P.C., based in Bellaire.
After five years as a trustee on the Bellaire School Board, Elsenheimer was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2004. He served for six years, where he was elected Assistant Speaker Pro Tem, Assistant Minority leader, and Minority Leader. He served in Gov. Rick Snyder’s cabinet as Executive Director of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA.) In 2017, Elsenheimer was appointed to the 13th Circuit Court bench serving Antrim, Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties.
“What a tremendous honor. I know that I was very, very well prepared for a career I never expected, frankly, by my time at NMC, because of the preparation I had from wonderful instructors,” Elsenheimer said in remarks at Commencement. “I am truly humbled.”
Since earning her degree, Wei has returned to her native China, where she lives in Beijing. There she serves as a major asset to NMC as the college has embarked on its strategic effort to expand international engagement and recruit international students over the last several years.
Currently an entrepreneur and consultant, Wei has served as a liaison with Chinese institutions on multiple NMC visits. She has been a link to Chinese art galleries for the Dennos, and to institutions like the Yellow River Conservancy Technical Institute, with whom NMC has a formal partnership and where NMC instructors will begin teaching in June. Dennos Museum Center director Gene Jenneman presented Wei with her award on a trip to China in April.
“I am greatly honored to have received this award,” she said. “I would like to thank NMC for all the guidance provided throughout these years even after graduation. I sincerely wish the best for NMC and I will keep sharing my experiences with China!”
NMC established the Outstanding Alumni award in 1988. It is the highest award NMC presents to an alumnus.
Betsy Coffia
Director of Alumni Relations
bcoffia@nmc.edu
(231) 995-2825
Samantha Oleson at the NMC Barbecue in 2007For many northern Michigan residents, the annual NMC Barbecue is a spring tradition. For Samantha Oleson, it goes back a lifetime.
The 22-year-old is part of the fourth generation of the Oleson family to carry on the fundraising picnic under the pines started in 1956 by her great-grandparents, Jerry and Frances Oleson.
This year she formally joined the Barbecue Board, the volunteer committee that spends several months planning the Barbecue, set for May 21 on NMC’s main campus. But the Sunday before Memorial weekend has long been a dedicated date on her calendar.
“I’ve been volunteering since I was seven years old,” Oleson said. She’s never missed a single Barbecue, even during her college years at Western Michigan University. “I would bring my friends and volunteer. It wasn’t something that I felt obligated to do, but I wanted to do.”
Mark, Frankie, Don and D.J. Oleson: Four generations enjoy the 2015 BarbecueA former dual-enrolled NMC student, Oleson is among a group of four cousins in the fourth generation of the family who now work in the Oleson’s stores. They continue to donate all the food for the Barbecue, which drew 7,678 people in 2016. On May 21, they’ll fan out for different day-of duties. Even fifth-generation Frankie Oleson, age 2 and a half, gets a job.
“He carried buckets,” said dad Mark Oleson, Samantha’s cousin. “He’s excited.”
They’ll still squeeze in time to enjoy the meal themselves.
“We eat on the steps, right past the serving lines,” Samantha Oleson said. “It’s great to see people come, year and year again, and see how dedicated they are to the college and the Barbecue.”
Besides the meal, the Barbecue includes classroom and program displays, free live music, a veteran’s tent and an alumni tent. Separate ticketed activities include children’s games and a cake walk.
Tickets are $6 in advance ($8 on Barbecue Day) and on sale now online and at Oleson’s Food Stores. Visit nmc.edu/bbq for more information.
Samantha Oleson at the NMC Barbecue in 2007For many northern Michigan residents, the annual NMC Barbecue is a spring tradition. For Samantha Oleson, it goes back a lifetime.
The 22-year-old is part of the fourth generation of the Oleson family to carry on the fundraising picnic under the pines started in 1956 by her great-grandparents, Jerry and Frances Oleson.
This year she formally joined the Barbecue Board, the volunteer committee that spends several months planning the Barbecue, set for May 21 on NMC’s main campus. But the Sunday before Memorial weekend has long been a dedicated date on her calendar.
“I’ve been volunteering since I was seven years old,” Oleson said. She’s never missed a single Barbecue, even during her college years at Western Michigan University. “I would bring my friends and volunteer. It wasn’t something that I felt obligated to do, but I wanted to do.”
Mark, Frankie, Don and D.J. Oleson: Four generations enjoy the 2015 BarbecueA former dual-enrolled NMC student, Oleson is among a group of four cousins in the fourth generation of the family who now work in the Oleson’s stores. They continue to donate all the food for the Barbecue, which drew 7,678 people in 2016. On May 21, they’ll fan out for different day-of duties. Even fifth-generation Frankie Oleson, age 2 and a half, gets a job.
“He carried buckets,” said dad Mark Oleson, Samantha’s cousin. “He’s excited.”
They’ll still squeeze in time to enjoy the meal themselves.
“We eat on the steps, right past the serving lines,” Samantha Oleson said. “It’s great to see people come, year and year again, and see how dedicated they are to the college and the Barbecue.”
Besides the meal, the Barbecue includes classroom and program displays, free live music, a veteran’s tent and an alumni tent. Separate ticketed activities include children’s games and a cake walk.
Tickets are $6 in advance ($8 on Barbecue Day) and on sale now online and at Oleson’s Food Stores. Visit nmc.edu/bbq for more information.
Those who have selected the Blue Cross medical plan are eligible to receive a $50 gift card for completing the Blue Cross Health & Wellness online Health Assessment and submitting their physician health screening form before Wednesday, May 31, 2017.
If you have misplaced your health screening form, you can print a new one through your Health and Wellness page!
To get started, log on or register your Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Michigan account at bcbsm.com. You can also use the Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Michigan mobile app. From there, select Health & Wellness.
Don’t have Blue Cross medical through NMC? You still have access to all the great features within the Blue Cross® Health & Wellness website, powered by WebMD®.
Contact Chris Barr or Hollie DeWalt for assistance.
How do I redeem my $50 Gift Card?
Simply log into bcbsm.com, choose the Health & Wellness Tab in the blue bar at the top of the page, and finally choose Rewards in the gray bar. If you have completed both the online health assessment and submitted the physician screening form you will click on Redeem Now. If it still says Start Earning- then both forms have not been registered as complete. If you believe this is an error, make sure your doctor sent the form and then follow up with Hollie DeWalt or Chris Barr for assistance.
Stephanie is the International Services and Service Learning Assistant and has been recognized for her exceptional degree of connectivity with students and her dedication to keeping learning at the center. NMC sends more students to study abroad than any other community college in Michigan, and Stephanie’s work is instrumental in making that happen.
The following employees are celebrating an anniversary soon. Please join us in congratulating them!
Note that dining services are open over the summer in the Hawk Owl Café only, Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
The new hours start Monday, May 8.
Summer term is upon us. Due to limited staffing and hours, please give Roy in the Catering Department as much notice as you can when ordering a catered event.
TRAVERSE CITY — Commencement ceremonies for Northwestern Michigan College’s Class of 2017 will be held Saturday, May 6, at 2 p.m. at the Traverse City Central High School gymnasium. First-time highlights of this year’s event include three student veteran graduates walking with their service dogs, and the awarding of NMC’s first bachelor’s degree in marine technology.
Ceremonies will be streamed live starting at 2 p.m. online at nmc.edu/video and NMC’s YouTube channel.
About 260 graduates are expected to participate in the ceremony. More than 700 students earned degrees this academic year including the Associate in Nursing, Associate in Science and Arts, Associate in Applied Science, Associate in General Studies, Certificate of Practical Nursing, Certificate of Achievement and the Bachelor of Science in Maritime Technology. NMC will also award a Bachelor of Science in Marine Technology and eight associate degrees in surgical technology, the two newest degrees, for the first time.
Also for the first time, three service dogs will walk in the ceremony.
All three students and dogs’ names will be read aloud, and all three dogs will receive special certificates in addition to the students’ diplomas.
This year’s student speaker is Connor Bebb, president of the NMC Student Government Association. Jim Bensley, adjunct humanities instructor and director of the office of International Services and Service Learning, will give the Commencement address as the 2016 Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award recipient.
The 2017 Outstanding Alumni award recipients will be named during the ceremony, as will the 2017 winners of the Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award and Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award.
NMC University Center partner Ferris State University will award degrees to about 30 students as well.
A reception will follow the ceremony in the small gym.
Diana Fairbanks
Executive Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019
Scott Herzberg
POC, Military & Veteran Services/Advisor
sherzberg@nmc.edu
Read about what our Training Services team is up to including upcoming classes that you may be able to take for free using the tuition reimbursement benefit: mailchi.mp/nmc/nmc-training-services-may-2017-newsletter
Those that have selected the Blue Cross medical plan are eligible to receive a $50 gift card for completing the Blue Cross Health & Wellness online Health Assessment and submitting their physician health screening form before Wednesday, May 31.
If you have misplaced your health screening form you can print a new one through your Health and Wellness page!
To get started, log on or register your Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Michigan account at bcbsm.com. You can also use the Blue Cross® Blue Shield® of Michigan mobile app. From there, select Health & Wellness.
Don’t have Blue Cross medical through NMC? You still have access to all the great features within the Blue Cross® Health & Wellness website, powered by WebMD®.
Contact Chris Barr or Hollie DeWalt for assistance.
Annual compliance training courses have been sent to you for the following courses:
If you have not yet completed your compliance training, please complete these before the end of the semester. *Remember to use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. For questions or technical assistance, please contact the NMC Technology Help Desk at helpdesk@nmc.edu or (231) 995-3020 or HR at hr@nmc.edu.