News Release from Northwestern Michigan College 1701 E. Front St., Traverse City MI 49686 Contact: Paul Heaton, 231 995-1019, email: pheaton@nmc.edu Date: June 25, 2008 News Archive

Five individuals receive NMC’s highest honor

TRAVERSE CITY, MI – The Northwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees has conferred the college’s highest honor to Barbara and Chuck Benson, Louise Hagerty, and Terry and Wayne Lobdell. Each has been named an “NMC Fellow.”

NMC has been naming "Fellows" since 1964 as a way of recognizing and thanking those who have made special contributions to the college – whether through creative counsel, monetary resources or inspiring leadership.

“These individuals have each dedicated their time and generosity, both personally and professionally, to help NMC fulfill its mission,” said NMC Board Chair Jay Hooper. “Naming them as NMC Fellows is our way of expressing our appreciation for the opportunities they help us provide for our students.”

• Barbara and Chuck Benson – Among their many activities in support of the college, the couple has established an endowed scholarship at NMC. Chuck, a former NMC student and the owner of Bay Supply and Marketing, has supported the NMC Scholarship Open golf outing as a sponsor for more than 10 years. Barbara is a past chair of the NMC Foundation Board, the fundraising and philanthropic arm of NMC. During her leadership, the Foundation’s assets grew to more than $28 million, placing NMC eighth nationally among community colleges for total funds raised and fifth for dollars raised per student. She also served as a co-chair for the NMC Annual Fund campaign for several years, engaging the Foundation Board to match annual campaign gifts. In addition, she has served as a volunteer for multiple committees and has attended and spoken at numerous NMC events.
• Louise Hagerty – Louise has been a champion of NMC since the 1970s, when she served as a member of the Development Fund Committee – a group of volunteer advocates who preceded the creation of the NMC Foundation. She also helped establish the Friends of the Osterlin Library and has supported many other NMC programs. Her family’s internationally successful company, Hagerty Insurance, is headquartered in Traverse City. Professional development is a cornerstone of the Hagerty corporate culture, and in 2004, Louise and her family demonstrated that commitment with a gift to NMC’s Great Lakes Campus campaign. In recognition, NMC named the first-floor meeting rooms of the east wing the Hagerty Center.
• Terry and Wayne Lobdell – The Lobdells have a passion for the restaurant industry, one of the main interests of their diversified investment company, Lobdell Family Enterprises. Long time friends of the College, in recent years the Lobdells have made sustaining philanthropic gifts to help create the Great Lakes Campus and scholarship assistance for students enrolled in the Great Lakes Culinary Institute. It was their gift that named Lobdell’s – A Teaching Restaurant, the working laboratory for Great Lakes Culinary Institute students. The couple also supports NMC with their time. Wayne has served as a member of the Great Lakes Culinary Institute advisory committee since 2003, and Terry was appointed to the NMC Foundation Board in 2006.

All of the 2008 NMC Fellows will be recognized at a dinner in their honor later this year.