On December 1st at the Avalon Manor in Merrillville, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana Northwest celebrated the service and dedication of 41 employees who reached their five year to 35 year anniversaries. Their cumulative years of service totaled 400. The annual Service Awards Banquet was entitled a "World of Thanks". Committee members Joe Arredondo, Michael Ashcraft, Loleta Hughes, Sheila Johnson, Wanda Keten, Jared Riddle, Lakshmi Singanallur and Keisha Wesley organized the 16th annual event.

Chancellor J. Guadalupe Valtierra said the afternoon banquet was an appropriate recognition of the work provided by employees serving the college and its students. While employees with five year increments of service were recognized, the college also recognized the 2006 Outstanding Support Staff, Tina Alexander of the Michigan City Campus; 2006 Outstanding Adjunct Faculty, Richard Markwart, business instructor in Valparaiso; and the President's Award for Excellence in Instruction awardee, Sandra Horne, nursing instructor in Gary.

Elisha Culver, Lisa Feuerbach, Paul Niethammer and Arthur Hershman were recognized for their innovative ideas for college improvement through their participation in the "What's Your Idea" campaign. Employees that contributed 1% of their salaries to Ivy Tech Foundation also received a gift of thanks from Cindy Hall, executive director of development for the Region.

5 YEARS		10 YEARS
Vanessa Armor		Holly LaHayne
Cindy Barber		Kim Bontekoe
Kimberly Cloud		Dr. Norman Comer
Susan Davies		Danita Harris
Marsha Eriks		Ethel Harvey
Kathy Feliciano
Laura Grady		15 YEARS
Sheila Johnson		David Gidcumb
Willie Jones		Susan Layhew
Joseph Joniec		Nancy Love
Donna Krol
David Merrill		20 YEARS
Librado Navarette		Geraldine Dix
Jerold Pactwa		Michelle Isbell
Natalie Pugh		R. Keith Howard
Julie Rogers
Jeremy Schramm		25 YEARS
Pamela Shelhart		Carol Bowron
Michael Sherwood		Arthur Tuesburg
Gayle Simpson
Lakshmi Singanallur		30 YEARS
Tony Thomas		John Niemann
Robert Torres
Joel Trumble		35 YEARS
Karen Williams		Dorothy Bradley
John Wilson