INA, Ill. (December 13, 2022) — The Rend Lake College Foundation (RLCF) hosted its 43rd annual dinner on December 8 at the Rend Lake Event Center in Ina, Illinois. Nearly 300 guests attended the event, including alumni, community members, college staff, and faculty.
Rend Lake College Foundation hosts 43rd Annual Dinner.
The dinner began with a cocktail hour, where guests had the opportunity to mingle and catch up with old friends. The program started with a welcome from RLCF Board Chairman Tony Wielt. Wielt thanked Peoples National Bank and Eggemeyer Associates Architects for their sponsorship of the annual dinner. Wielt also recognized the Jefferson County CEO Program for its contributions to facilitating the coat check and escorting guests and the RLC choir, under Sara Alstat-Sanders, for singing before the event.
"Tonight is a very special night for the Foundation," said Wielt. "We get a chance to recognize the past, celebrate the present, and create a vision for the future."
Rend Lake College Foundation Chairman Tony Wielt talks about the recent changes in the RLCF Office and how each person has been instrumental in its continued success.
Wielt spoke about the recent changes in the RLCF office. “This year’s transition has allowed us to reevaluate and restructure the roles within the organization. This work will position us to be even more effective moving forward and set us to impact even more students in the next chapter.” He completed the introduction with a special mention of RLCF board member Pat Kern. “The work you have done for the Foundation has been extremely important. I want everyone here to know how grateful the Foundation and the college are for your time and talents. Your help and guidance during this transition have been vital. It is why we are here tonight, stronger than we have ever been.”
Wielt invited Amy Newell, RLCF Assistant Director of Development, and Dawn Johnson, RLCF Major Gifts officer, to the podium. Johnson recognized special guests in attendance, Illinois State Senator Terri Bryant, RLC Board of Trustees Chair Randy Rubenacker, Board Vice Chair Larry Manning, Board Secretary Brian Dorris, Board Member Dr. David Asbery, Board Member Randall Crocker, Board Member and Illinois Community College Trustees Association Representative (ICCTA) John Kabat, and Board Member Jeff Jones.
(L-R) Amy Newell, RLCF Assistant Director of Development, and Dawn Johnson, RLCF Major Gifts Officer, recognize members of the audience that made the dinner possible.
Newell recognized the RCLF Board — President Tony Wielt, Vice President Mary Ellen Aiken, Secretary Mark Ballard, Treasurer Joshua Esser, Randy Dauby, Matthew Flanigan, Will Davis, Pat Kern, Jeff Lueke, Dr. Charles Roe, Randy Rubenacker, and Dr. James Wittenauer.
Newell then recognized the RLC administration — President Terry Wilkerson, Associate Vice President of Career Technical Education and Student Support Kim Wilkerson, Associate Vice President of Academic and Student Services Buster Leeck, Associate Vice President of Institutional Outreach Chad Copple, Chief Financial Officer John Gulley, and Executive Director of Administrative Services Cathy DeJarnette.
John Kabat, Rend Lake College Board Member and ICCTA representative, delivers the invocation.
John Kabat, Rend Lake College Board Member and ICCTA representative, delivered the invocation.
Tim Wills, Rend Lake College Athletic Director, announcing the RLCF 2022 Alumnus of the Year Award, Dean Merder.
Tim Wills, Rend Lake College Athletic Director, announced the RLCF 2022 Alumnus of the Year Award.
“I got to know this gentleman 40 years ago,” said Wills. “We both showed up on this campus in August 1982 with eight other guys, all wanting to be college basketball players.”
Wills told the exciting story of Dean Merder, including his time playing basketball as a Rend Lake College Warrior, moving on to play at a 4-year university at Oakland City, becoming a leader in his industry at Kimball International, and finally becoming a President and CEO at TrueScripts.
“Dean has charisma and leadership qualities that attract people to him,” Wills said. “He was a great teammate. He is a hard worker. He is competitive. Most importantly, he’s been a really good friend for 40 years. It is my privilege and honor to introduce our alumnus of the year for 2022, Mr. Dean Merder."
(L-R) 2022 RLCF Alumnus of the Year Dean Merder receiving the RLCF 2022 Alumnus of the Year Award from Rend Lake College Athletic Director Tim Wills.
The audience greeted Merder on the stage with a standing ovation.
Merder displayed humility when accepting the award, explaining how he told Pat Kern during their initial phone call that there must be someone more deserving than him.
Merder grew up in Jasper, Indiana. He was recruited to play basketball by RLC coach Mitch Haskins. It wasn’t until looking back that Dean realized some of his most pivotal moments as a leader. Dean explained his story and gave credit to his accomplishments to God. - Read Dean's Full Story Here.
2022 RLCF Alumnus of the Year Dean Merder gives a speech about his award.
A true testament to his impact, Dean, was surprised by nearly 20 friends, family, and co-workers at the event. Showing his gratitude, Dean thanked almost every person that attended for him individually.
His philosophy in leadership is to give everyone a chance. “My entire career has been focusing on giving people a chance,” Merder said. “Promoting people, giving them a chance, mentoring and coaching them. We all make mistakes. We all struggle. The biggest joy I have is seeing people grow and develop. I love seeing people reach a goal or a dream.”
Dean then thanked the individuals that came for him and let them know they had a significant impact on his development.
Dean Merder's Family, Friends, and Co-Workers surprised him at the RLCF's 43rd annual dinner as he received the Alumnus of the Year Award.
“I hope to make you proud as the Alumnus of the Year,” said Merder. “ I will do everything I can to represent Rend Lake College at the highest level with the highest honors I can.”
Terry Wilkerson, RLC President, and Pat Kern, RLCF Board Member, took the stage.
Pat Kern, RLCF Board Member announcing Mary and George Slankard as the 2022 RLCF Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.
“Do you remember the movie It’s a Wonderful Life with George and Mary Bailey?” Kern prompted the audience. “ Because of their giving back to the community, the Bailey’s changed the lives of so many. The story of George and Mary Slankard is much the same. They started giving to the RLCF 35 years ago. They donated to the RLCF Children’s Center because they believed in education. They believed education could change lives. The Slankard’s donated $175,000 to the new Mary and George Slankard Learning Resource Center. They have reached a lifetime amount of giving to the RLCF in the amount of $911,000.”
The audience erupted with applause for the figures stated.
Kern explained that the RLCF reached $5.5M in total endowment, and the Slankard’s Scholarship Fund comprises 13% of the total fund.
Accepting the 2022 Rend Lake College Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf of the Slankards were Tom Mallory and RLC Board of Trustees Member and Longtime friend Randall Crocker.
President Wilkerson commented on the award, “I had the pleasure to visit with Mary and George. When someone doesn’t have to do something and does it for the youth and the region, that is powerful. Congratulations.”
(L-R) Pat Kern, RLCF Board Member, Tom Mallory, George and Mary's Nephew, Randall Crocker, RLC Board of Trustees Member, and Terry Wilkerson, RLC President.
RLC President Terry Wilkerson presented two Presidential Awards.
The first recipient was the new chair of the RLCF, Tony Wielt. “I have personally seen Tony dive right in,” said Wilkerson. “He has things he needs to do but is quick to put the college first. He is quick to have extra meetings. Some of our transitions have taken extra time. He has been about the college for no other reason than to be about the college and what the college’s mission is.”
(L-R) RLCF Board Chairman Tony Wielt is presented with the 2022 President Award from RLC President Terry Wilkerson.
Cathy DeJarnette, RLC Executive Director of Administrative Services, announced the second Presidential Award recipient RLCF Board Member Pat Kern. “We are all here tonight because we all believe that we can make a difference in the life of a student,” said Dejarnette. “The next person I would like to honor with a presidential award is a true believer and supporter of the RLCF.”
DeJarnette described Pat Kern’s time with RLC. Kern started at RLC as a student worker and was hired full-time in 1992 as a data entry clerk. She was named one of the college’s 50 influencers in 2017 and led the RLCF for 15 years. She is currently a member of the RLCF Board of Directors.
“Most recently, Pat has given up her time and talents in the Foundation Office as we transitioned to a new team,” said Dejarnette. “She has shown up, day after day, and week after week, volunteering her time and sharing her knowledge to ensure our students are being served and that the Foundation Office continues to thrive, grow, and carry out its mission.”
(L-R) Cathy DeJarnette, RLC Executive Director of Administrative Services, Pat Kern, 2022 Presidential Award Recipient, and RLC President Terry Wilkerson.
DeJarnette followed up the Presidential Award with a Special Recognition Award.
“This recipient was a former student worker who was hired full-time by RLC in January of 1992 as a finance and registration assistant,” said DeJarnette. “Three years later, she was promoted to Business Office Financial Coordinator and then to Controller in 2004. After nine years, she was the obvious choice for our next VP of Finance and Administration in 2013. Where she remained until retirement in May 2022.”
DeJarnette noted that the recipient, Angie Kistner, had served Rend Lake College for more than 30 years.
Angie Kistner realizes the speaker is talking about her accomplishments when presenting the Special Recognition Award.
Kistner was described as a hard worker who was often in the office before the sun was up. She helped online during COVID, kept a watchful eye on the college’s finances, and assisted with millions of dollars in grants. She was named one of the college’s 50 influencers in 2017, was a member of the president’s cabinet, and was an inaugural member of the President’s Executive Leadership Team in 2019.
“When she won the Rend Lake College Outstanding Staff Award in 2011,” DeJarnette said. “She was nominated by the staff from one of her favorite causes, the Rend Lake College Children’s Center. She’s truly made a difference in the lives of so many students. The college and the Foundation appreciate her continued and endless support.”
Amy Newell, Rend Lake College Foundation’s Assistant Director of Development, listed many of the causes and events that Kistner was a part of during her time with RLC and following her retirement.
Newell and DeJarnette presented Angie Kistner with the 2022 Rend Lake College Foundation Special Recognition Award.
(L-R) Cathy DeJarnette, RLC Executive Director of Administrative Services, Angie Kistner, 2022 Special Recognition Award recipient, and Amy Newell, RLCF Assistant Director of Development.
Newell recognized student athlete Madyson Barton in the student spotlight. Barton was the recipient of the Coach Wayne Arnold Scholarship. She spoke about the adversity she had to overcome to attend college and thanked the RLCF for its support.
(L-R) Student-Athlete and Coach Wayne Arnold Scholarship recipient Madyson Barton delivers a speech of gratitude as Amy Newell, Assistant Director of Development for the RLCF, looks on.
“College wasn’t part of my plan due to my financial situation,” said Barton. “In high school, I moved in with my grandparents. They were instrumental in helping me, but financially they couldn’t help me as much as they would have liked.”
Barton was brought to emotions when described checking on her grandmother following her Grandfathers death in July. She mentioned balancing work with college and sports.
“I also wasn’t planning on playing college softball,” Barton said. “ I had a change of heart after my friend CJ passed away. He wanted to play college baseball, so I reached out to Matt Knox, Rend Lake College’s Softball Coach, to honor CJ’s memory. Without the assistance of the Coach Wayne Arnold Scholarship, that wouldn’t have been possible.”
Barton will graduate from Rend Lake College this spring and has been accepted to Eastern Illinois University, where she plans to study Chiropractic Medicine in the fall of 2023.
After the recognition ceremony, Dawn Johnson announced a major fundraising project, The Game Plan.
The Game Plan, a significant gym and facility renovation project, is unveiled to the guests of the 43rd annual dinner.
She showed a video highlighting the coaches and players at Rend Lake College and explained how donations to the project would significantly impact many students' lives.
“The caliber of students we are attracting at Rend Lake is a shoutout,” said Dawn Johnson, RLCF Major Gifts Officer. “We have to have the facilities to match the quality of students we are trying to recruit.” Johnson explained that there had not been a significant renovation to the Waugh Gym or its facilities in 55 years.
The Game Plan, a significant gym and facility renovation project, is unveiled to the guests of the 43rd annual dinner.
Johnson invited guests to learn more about The Game Plan by contacting anyone in the office or visiting them online at rlc.edu/gameplan.
The dinner concluded, and guests could continue their conversations and learn more about the foundation and its work.
The Rend Lake College Foundation is grateful to all those who attended and supported the 43rd annual dinner. The Foundation looks forward to continuing its mission.
