Elgin Community College alumni, supporters and community members – 12 total – will be recognized by the Elgin Community College Foundation during its 13th annual Founders’ Day Brunch at 11 a.m. Sunday. Tickets remain on sale for this event, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in ECC’s Fox Valley University and Business Center, 1700 Spartan Drive in Elgin.
Honorees are as follows:
• Maryland State Delegate Michael Smigiel will receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award in recognition of his success and service following graduation from ECC. A member of the Maryland House of Delegates since 2003.
• Former St. Charles Mayor Fred Norris will receive the ECC Friend of Education Award for his service to the college, which includes being a member of the ECC Foundation Board and the co-chairman of the college’s successful 2009 referendum campaign. He has been a member of the St. Charles City Council from 1969 to 1997, including 20 years as mayor.
• Elgin attorney John Hurlbut is the 2011 recipient of the Exceptional Friend of the ECC Foundation – which recognizes individuals, businesses or organizations who exemplify the spirit of giving that propels the foundation and the college toward a promising tomorrow.
The foundation also will recognize the following community members with Lasting Impact Awards, which highlights Community College District 509 residents who, over a long period of time, have positively impacted the community as a whole and strengthened the mission and shared values of ECC, in particular.
• Judge Manuel “Manny” Barbosa: Currently a judge for U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Northern District of Illinois, Barbosa started his career as a Kane County assistant states’ attorney. He became the first Hispanic to lead a statewide agency when he was selected to chair the newly-formed Illinois Human Rights Commission, where he served for 18 years.
• Luis and Judy Cabrera: Luis, a 1967 ECC alumnus, is a former principal of Elgin’s Huff Elementary School. He has served on the Elgin Hispanic Network, the Kane County Gang Task Force, the United Way of Elgin Youth Impact Council, the YWCA Elgin, the District U-46 Foundation and the Family Service Association of Elgin. Judy, a retired U-46 bilingual diagnostician, has served on the Elgin Junior Service Board, the Well Child Conference Board of Directors and the Hispanic Heritage Coalition.
• Jaime Garcia: Garcia is one of the original founding members of Centro De Informacion, a nonprofit social service agency that helps Elgin’s newly arrived Hispanics with English translation of such items as utility bills, apartment leases, tax forms and other crucial items.
• Murna Hansemann: Hansemann taught family and consumer sciences for District U-46 for 31 years, and served on ECC’s Culinary and Hospitality Advisory Committee for over two decades. She has served on multiple ECC Foundation event committees and the college’s 60th Anniversary Committee.
• Silvia Realzola: An ECC alumna, Silvia Realzola is a self-employed Realtor and insurance agent who has volunteered for Centro de Informacion, District 300 and the Salvation Army. Her community connections led her to serve on ECC’s ENCORE team that contributed to the success of the 2009 referendum.
• Elgin Mayor Ed Schock: Schock, a former district U-46 teacher and school administrator, has served on Elgin’s City Council since 1993 and has been mayor since 1999. During his tenure, he has helped lure international and global businesses to Elgin, and has helped create more than 5,000 new jobs in Elgin since 2004.
• Jack and Marlene Shales: For more than 50 years, John “Jack” Shales has been in the construction business and is a current owner of Shales McNutt Construction, LLC. His charitable involvement has extended to several different groups, including the YMCA, the YWCA, the Boys and Girls Club, Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) of Elgin, Elgin-based EFS Foundation, the Larkin Center, Provena St. Joseph Hospital, the United Way, the Jayne Shover Easter Seals Association and Salvation Army. He is a member of the ECC Foundation and served on a number of advisory committees at the college.
Marlene has an extensive nursing career that included stints at Sherman Hospital, the Four Seasons Nursing Center and the Larkin Center. She was also the Executive Director at the Well Child Conference and Health Referral Service. Currently, Shales is involved in the Downtown Association of Elgin, the United Way, the Jayne Shover Easter Seals Association, the Ecker Center for Mental Health, the Gail Borden Public Library Foundation and the Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association.
Tickets to the brunch cost $75 per person. Proceeds from the brunch benefit the ECC Foundation General Scholarship Fund and the Annual Fund. Since its inception in 1984, the ECC Foundation has provided more than $1 million in financial support that benefits students through scholarships and academic programming support.
To make a reservation, contact Katie Michel at 847-214-7377 or kmichel@elgin.edu.