Diana and Richard Milock (download a high-resolution version here)TRAVERSE CITY — The Northwestern Michigan College Foundation today announced it has received a $3 million gift commitment from community members Diana and Richard Milock. This gift will support the college’s Audio Technology program, Great Lakes Culinary Institute and Dennos Museum Center.
This is the largest single gift from a living donor in the college’s history. Richard and Diana Milock have now given more than $5.3 million to the NMC Foundation as part of the current Be What’s Possible campaign, making them the lead donors in this effort. With this gift, the campaign has raised more than $37 million to date. The campaign will continue through June 30, 2021 to raise support for scholarships, programs, facilities, and the Fund for NMC.
“The generosity of Richard and Diana will support student success and the sustainability of a treasured cultural asset—in turn making so much possible for the entire community,” said NMC President Nick Nissley. “This multidisciplinary gift reflects the scope of NMC’s offerings—arts and culture, technical education, and emerging programs.”
This new gift will:
Establish an endowed fund to support the greatest needs of the Dennos Museum Center with $1.5 million;
Create an endowed fund to support students at NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute through scholarships and the greatest needs of the program with $1 million;
Support the current needs of the Audio Technology Program and the Dennos Museum Center, including key equipment updates to the Milliken Auditorium and support for the Audio Technology Program to encourage student success with $500,000.
“It is an honor to work with Diana and Richard—two amazing and generous leaders—to achieve their philanthropic goals through the NMC Foundation,” said Rebecca Teahen, Executive Director of the NMC Foundation. “This gift speaks to their belief in NMC and the power of philanthropy to make a difference for our students and the whole community.”
The Milocks have supported both the Dennos Museum Center and NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute for nearly two decades, most notably with a $2 million gift to expand the museum in 2015. Diana Milock serves on the board of the NMC Foundation and as a member of the campaign steering committee for Be What’s Possible, the Campaign for NMC. The Milocks were named NMC Fellows, the college’s highest honor, in 2014.
Northwestern Michigan College is a publicly funded community college that offers associate degrees, professional certificates, and bachelor’s degrees in more than 80 areas of academic study including the Great Lakes Culinary Institute and the Audio Technology program. For more information, visit Northwestern Michigan College at nmc.edu.
The Michael and Barbara Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College is the region’s premier cultural center offering world class programming in the visual and performing arts. The museum offers a changing array of exhibitions in three galleries and a sculpture court; features a hands-on Discovery Gallery; and a Gallery of Inuit art, the museum’s major permanent collection. The museum’s 367-seat Milliken Auditorium offers concerts in blues, jazz, chamber and world music and hosts the productions of numerous performing arts groups in the region. For more information, visit the Dennos Museum Center at dennosmuseum.org.
Release date: APRIL 21, 2021
For more information:
Rebecca Teahen Associate Vice President for Resource Development Executive Director, NMC Foundation rteahen@nmc.edu (231) 995-1855
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
Diana and Richard Milock (download a high-resolution version here)TRAVERSE CITY — The Northwestern Michigan College Foundation today announced it has received a $3 million gift commitment from community members Diana and Richard Milock. This gift will support the college’s Audio Technology program, Great Lakes Culinary Institute and Dennos Museum Center.
This is the largest single gift from a living donor in the college’s history. Richard and Diana Milock have now given more than $5.3 million to the NMC Foundation as part of the current Be What’s Possible campaign, making them the lead donors in this effort. With this gift, the campaign has raised more than $37 million to date. The campaign will continue through June 30, 2021 to raise support for scholarships, programs, facilities, and the Fund for NMC.
“The generosity of Richard and Diana will support student success and the sustainability of a treasured cultural asset—in turn making so much possible for the entire community,” said NMC President Nick Nissley. “This multidisciplinary gift reflects the scope of NMC’s offerings—arts and culture, technical education, and emerging programs.”
This new gift will:
Establish an endowed fund to support the greatest needs of the Dennos Museum Center with $1.5 million;
Create an endowed fund to support students at NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute through scholarships and the greatest needs of the program with $1 million;
Support the current needs of the Audio Technology Program and the Dennos Museum Center, including key equipment updates to the Milliken Auditorium and support for the Audio Technology Program to encourage student success with $500,000.
“It is an honor to work with Diana and Richard—two amazing and generous leaders—to achieve their philanthropic goals through the NMC Foundation,” said Rebecca Teahen, Executive Director of the NMC Foundation. “This gift speaks to their belief in NMC and the power of philanthropy to make a difference for our students and the whole community.”
The Milocks have supported both the Dennos Museum Center and NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute for nearly two decades, most notably with a $2 million gift to expand the museum in 2015. Diana Milock serves on the board of the NMC Foundation and as a member of the campaign steering committee for Be What’s Possible, the Campaign for NMC. The Milocks were named NMC Fellows, the college’s highest honor, in 2014.
Northwestern Michigan College is a publicly funded community college that offers associate degrees, professional certificates, and bachelor’s degrees in more than 80 areas of academic study including the Great Lakes Culinary Institute and the Audio Technology program. For more information, visit Northwestern Michigan College at nmc.edu.
The Michael and Barbara Dennos Museum Center at Northwestern Michigan College is the region’s premier cultural center offering world class programming in the visual and performing arts. The museum offers a changing array of exhibitions in three galleries and a sculpture court; features a hands-on Discovery Gallery; and a Gallery of Inuit art, the museum’s major permanent collection. The museum’s 367-seat Milliken Auditorium offers concerts in blues, jazz, chamber and world music and hosts the productions of numerous performing arts groups in the region. For more information, visit the Dennos Museum Center at dennosmuseum.org.
Release date: APRIL 21, 2021
For more information:
Rebecca Teahen Associate Vice President for Resource Development Executive Director, NMC Foundation rteahen@nmc.edu (231) 995-1855
NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY NOTICE
Northwestern Michigan College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, height, weight, marital status or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. nmc.edu/non-discrimination
This gift is the culmination of many years of the NMC Foundation and many of you across our campuses working with the Milocks to understand how their philanthropic goals best align with college priorities. Thank you for all that you have done to build trust and confidence in NMC to make this gift possible.
This is the largest single gift from a living donor in the college’s history. Richard and Diana Milock have now given more than $5.3 million to the NMC Foundation as part of the current Be What’s Possible campaign, making them the lead donors in this effort.
With this gift, Richard and Diana join you in supporting student success as well as the sustainability of the Dennos Museum Center, a treasured cultural asset. This gift makes much possible for the entire community as it:
Commits a planned gift to create an endowed fund to support the greatest needs of the Dennos Museum Center with $1.5 million;
Commits a planned gift to create an endowed fund to support students at the Great Lakes Culinary Institute through scholarships and the greatest needs of the program with $1 million;
Supports the current needs of the Audio Technology Program and the Dennos Museum Center, including key equipment updates to the Milliken Auditorium and support for the Audio Tech program to encourage student success with $500,000.
Your dedication to student success and the arts have inspired the Milocks to support the Dennos Museum Center and NMC’s Great Lakes Culinary Institute for nearly two decades.
The relationships that you build every day at NMC not only help our students succeed, but also inspire others to trust NMC to make a difference with their philanthropic gifts.
Thank you,
Nick
—
Nick Nissley, Ed.D. | President | Northwestern Michigan College
The pandemic has changed a lot of your plans. We don’t want college to be one of them! It’s not too late to apply — to NMC or any other college you may be considering!
During the week of April 19–23, many Michigan colleges and universities will waive their application fees to remove this potential barrier to prospective students. (NMC eliminated its student registration and application fee in 2017.)
Last Wednesday NMC held their annual recognition celebration to honor this year’s retiree’s, service award recipients, and excellence award recipients. This year’s event was held virtually, with employees across the college gathering late in the afternoon.
NMC has thirteen employees who are retiring this year – seven of whom were awarded Emeritus for having over twenty years of service. These employees are greatly cherished for their contributions to NMC and will be greatly missed. We asked their colleagues to submit farewell videos for each retiree; compilations of these videos can be found on the 2021 Retirement Recognition page.
During the celebration, President Nick Nissley announced the annual Staff and Team Excellence Award winners. Each year, one employee at NMC is presented with The Staff Excellence award for exhibiting exemplary NMC values in their daily work while one department at NMC is selected for having gone above and beyond expectations to make a significant impact on the college in the past year.
This year, the Staff Excellence Award went to Lori Hodek (right), the Talent Development Coordinator at NMC. In her role, Lori focuses on what she can do for the employees at NMC, striving to make each and every one of us all better at our jobs. She maintained this focus even during the pandemic, re-imagining our October Conference and introducing Fed-Ex Day, an event that re-energized projects in every department on every campus. To quote some of the many nominations submitted on her behalf, Lori is “always willing to help bolster employee success.” She “is the oil for our squeaky joints. She helps things move smoothly so the rest of us can attend to our business.” She is self-motivated, “an organizational wizard”. On top of all that, she knows the name of every single one of her colleagues. She brings grace, warmth and friendliness to every interaction, qualities that were cited over and over again in the multiple nominations she received for this award.
Meanwhile, the Hagerty Center/Hawk Owl Cafe staff took the 2021 Team Excellence Award. Their work was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and since they were essential workers, they were among the small number of employees whose jobs require them to come to campus. Not only did they take on this challenge, they also shifted to a completely different campus. In addition to their work environment changing, the business model for this team also flipped. At the Hagerty Center, they focused on group service, whereas at their new location in the West Hall Innovation Center, it became individual service. They executed this transition seamlessly and in barely a month over the holiday period, updating the menu while making it more affordable for students, improved scheduling efficiency as well as digital signage. (Below, clockwise from left: Chad Shenkelberger, Lee Nelson, Crystal Bailey, Jo Gallegos, Lauren Marchany, Christine Arnold, Trisha Strahan, Scott Williams and Nancy Schaefer)
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.
Thank you to the organizers of the main campus cleanup happening from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. this Thursday, April 22 in recognition of Earth Day. This spring tradition dates back many years. Volunteers are welcome; check in at the Student Success table on the West Hall lawn the day of the event. Cleanup options are available all over campus, allowing room to spread out and something for everyone. NMC’s Audio Tech program will provide live music, and a book swap and on-site e-waste recycling will also be available. Read more here.
Kudos to Katie Sommer-Ford: A student injured their hand and needed assistance drawing charts for an exam being proctored in the Student Success Center. Katie stepped in and helped by holding an instrument for the student, while wearing PPE and sitting with a plexiglass shield, so they could complete their exam. Katie is always willing to step in and help wherever needed, and we’re so grateful to have her as a part of our team!
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!
NMC is excited to announce that a modified, in-person Commencement ceremony is being planned for both the Class of 2021 and the Class of 2020. It will take place Saturday, May 1, 2021, between 1-4 p.m. at Milliken Auditorium in the Dennos Museum Center on NMC’s main campus. Students were asked to RSVP for the ceremony by April 16, and were assigned walk-through times via email.
The walk-through Commencement will be held in accordance with NMC’s safety protocols, as well as state and local COVID-19 guidelines, which are subject to change. Details as we now know them are below. Current state guidelines run through April 19, 2021.
Students have been assigned a walk-through time between 1 and 4 p.m. Graduates will most likely be grouped by program area in order to be able to celebrate with classmates and faculty.
Each graduate will walk across the stage and receive congratulations from college officials.
Up to two guests may accompany each student into the Dennos Museum and Milliken Auditorium. (This number was recently updated.)
The ceremony will be streamed online for those who cannot attend in person at youtube.com/NorthwesternMichiganCollege. Following the walk-through, graduates may continue their celebration outside the museum, where additional guests may join, following social distancing guidelines. Additional photo opportunities and congratulations stations will be available under tents.
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.
Congratulations to the 13 NMC employees who are retiring as well as those who have achieved excellence and career service milestones this year, who will be honored at Wednesday’s annual Retirement & Recognition ceremony. Yes, it’s a busy time of year, and yes, another Zoom meeting probably doesn’t make your Top 10 list for the week, but as we wrap up this COVID semester, the ceremony a great way to recognize and celebrate our colleagues. Join the celebration here from 4–5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
As of this week, all Michigan residents age 16 and over are eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We wanted to offer two tools to help you secure an appointment to conveniently receive one of these safe, effective, free vaccines.
https://gtcountycovid19.com/vaccine/ allows you to save a spot to receive a vaccine at the mass clinic operated at NMC’s Hagerty Center by the Grand Traverse County Health Department.
You can also visit these pharmacy sites directly: Meijer, RiteAid, Kroger, CVS, Walmart to schedule a vaccine appointment.
If you need help navigating the vaccine scheduling process, call the COVID-19 Hotline at (888) 535-6136 (press 1) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Vaccination is a critical step to ending the pandemic restrictions that we have all lived under for more than a year. At NMC we have been proud to partner with Grand Traverse County to offer the Hagerty Center as a mass vaccine site since January. We encourage you and your loved ones to take the first available opportunity to get vaccinated. It is the best way you can help end the pandemic.
NMC Students, Faculty & Staff! Our Audio Tech program is hosting a spring concert on Wednesday, April 14 starting at 5 p.m. on NMC’s main campus. We will have performances by East Bay Drive featuring Laurie Sears, Little Graves, Doc DPC, and more! The stage will be set up on the lawn between West Hall and Founders Hall (note the new location) where there is plenty of space for people to come jam and stay safe. (Please respect COVID-19 social distancing and mask guidelines).
NMC employees: If you are interested in serving on the Strategic Planning Work Team, please email strategic-planning@nmc.edu by Friday, April 9 to be added to the team. And thank you to everyone who has already volunteered.
Read more about the Strategic Planning Work Team here, and find more information on the strategic planning process at nmc.edu/strategic-planning, which is being continually updated as more events and activities are scheduled.
Adult learner champions inclusion of nontraditional students
April 7, 2021
This Saturday, Amber Marsh will find out if she’ll spend the next year as a vice-president of an organization seeking to advance the success of more than 200,000 community college students in 11 countries worldwide.
It’s a position the Kalkaska County resident, licensed cosmetologist, mother and NMC student never imagined herself seeking two or three years ago. But the difference NMC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international community college honor society, has made in Marsh’s own life has compelled her to try and advance its mission still further.
“I know this gives people tools for success,” said Marsh, who’s president of NMC’s chapter. “(PTK) is an organization that has helped me to grow, push me, challenge me.”
It’s been a decade since an NMC chapter member has sought international office, said chapter adviser Kari Kahler. She believes Marsh, one of three finalists for NMC’s district vice presidency, has a good shot at being the first from the college elected to the international level.
“She has embraced the ideals of Phi Theta Kappa. Her heart is service,” Kahler said, adding that under Marsh’s leadership, NMC’s chapter was just named the most distinguished among 31 chapters in Michigan. “She’s just in it for all the right reasons.”
While the conference is mostly virtual, Marsh and other finalist candidates will be in Orlando for the vote.
With this year’s election prioritizing inclusion, Marsh thinks she’s a fitting candidate. She’s studying business administration and hopes to one day start her own business in the beauty industry.
“I want to be a voice for nontraditional students, for trade students,” she said.
Marsh’s interest in advocacy and policy traces to a 2019 conference she attended at the Roosevelt Institute in New York as a Forge Fellow. She’s now on the national leadership board for the institute founded by the former U.S. president. PTK invited her to present on her trip, and wound up extending an invitation for membership, which requires at least a 3.5 grade point average.
“I didn’t think I could afford the ability to be in a scholarly organization,” said Marsh, who also runs a food and clothing pantry at Forest Area Schools, where she graduated from high school and where her two children now attend, and founded a women’s conference in Kalkaska.
But she’s found PTK dovetails well with her interests in community. One project she led was sewing reusable cloth face masks for residence hall students, to reduce the waste of disposable masks. She’ll be joining the NMC Foundation Board as a student member, and is also a member of the strategic planning steering committee launching this month.
“I just have a passion for PTK and how it grows community at NMC,” Marsh said.
Diana and Richard Milock (download a high-resolution version here)TRAVERSE CITY — The Northwestern Michigan College Foundation today announced it has received a $3 million gift commitment from community members Diana and Richard Milock. This gift will support the college’s Audio Technology program, Great Lakes Culinary Institute and Dennos Museum Center.
This year, the Staff Excellence Award went to Lori Hodek (right), the Talent Development Coordinator at NMC. In her role, Lori focuses on what she can do for the employees at NMC, striving to make each and every one of us all better at our jobs. She maintained this focus even during the pandemic, re-imagining our October Conference and introducing Fed-Ex Day, an event that re-energized projects in every department on every campus. To quote some of the many nominations submitted on her behalf, Lori is “always willing to help bolster employee success.” She “is the oil for our squeaky joints. She helps things move smoothly so the rest of us can attend to our business.” She is self-motivated, “an organizational wizard”. On top of all that, she knows the name of every single one of her colleagues. She brings grace, warmth and friendliness to every interaction, qualities that were cited over and over again in the multiple nominations she received for this award.
Thank you to the organizers of the main campus cleanup happening from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. this Thursday, April 22 in recognition of Earth Day. This spring tradition dates back many years. Volunteers are welcome; check in at the Student Success table on the West Hall lawn the day of the event. Cleanup options are available all over campus, allowing room to spread out and something for everyone. NMC’s Audio Tech program will provide live music, and a book swap and on-site e-waste recycling will also be available. 
The NMC Technology Help Desk has plenty of gadgets to borrow if you need some help wrapping up your final projects.
Violence against Asian Americans is increasing at an alarming rate. Read more here:
Experts suggest maintaining an “attitude of gratitude” increases positivity for yourself and for others. Please encourage your colleagues by 
NMC Students, Faculty & Staff! 
This Saturday, Amber Marsh will find out if she’ll spend the next year as a vice-president of an organization seeking to advance the success of more than 200,000 community college students in 11 countries worldwide.
“She has embraced the ideals of Phi Theta Kappa. Her heart is service,” Kahler said, adding that under Marsh’s leadership, NMC’s chapter was just named the most distinguished among 31 chapters in Michigan. “She’s just in it for all the right reasons.”