November 2024 Central Connection
November 1, 2024
Educational hub opens in Red Cloud
Work has been going on at 402 N. Webster St. in Red Cloud for a while, not only the remodeling of the building itself but also the addressing of the myriad details required for it to fulfill its new role as the Red Cloud Educational Hub.
Now people curious about the updated building and the new services will have their chance at an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. on Nov. 14. They can meet Central Community College staff, tour the new facility and share their ideas for classes and programs.
But an open house doesn’t mean that the hub hasn’t already been in service.
Jason Davis, associate dean of community and workforce education at CCC-Hastings, said the college has already offered two community education classes and two CPR classes in the educational hub this semester.
The path to offering those four classes began in October 2023 when CCC held an information session at On the Brix in Red Cloud. It drew about 60 people who shared their thoughts on an educational hub.
“We’ve had great collaboration with the Red Cloud community,” Davis said, “especially the Willa Cather Foundation and Heritage Tourism. Jarrod McCartney, the tourism director, has been very helpful to us.”
Support also has come from the public schools, agricultural and medical entities, business and industry, and community foundations.
“The idea is to serve Red Cloud and the southern tier of CCC’s service area,” Davis said. “We’re going to be open to offering different courses and programs to meet the needs and interests of the community.”
The 2,000-square-foot space contains a full classroom on the east side of the building with a capacity for 25 students. In addition to a welcome area in front, there is room for classes, training, and other events. An immediate goal is to begin offering live video courses in the 2025 spring semester.
Davis also sees possibilities with the newly redeveloped Hotel Garber across the street as a place where culinary art students may gain experience in the industry.
“The class offerings are gaining momentum as word gets out about the Red Cloud Educational Hub,” he said. “It’s all very exciting.”
Columbus employees celebrate 25 years
Three Central Community College-Columbus employees recently completed 25 years of service. They are:
Ed Ballweg
Ed Ballweg of Columbus joined the staff on Oct. 18, 1999, as a building maintenance technician. He served in that position until 2003 when he became the maintenance supervisor. In 2005, with added responsibilities, that position changed to assistant facilities director.
He is a graduate of Lakeview High School.
He served in the U.S. Navy from 1986 through 1994 working as an aviation electronics technician on fighter jets with Strike Attack Squadron VA-92 based out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif. He was deployed on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise for four years, doing two tours in the Persian Gulf. Upon transferring to shore duty, he spent four years at NAS Miramar San Diego & NAS Lemoore in California as an electronic circuit board soldering instructor.
After an honorable discharge, he moved back to Columbus and worked at Mid-Nebraska Communications, a Motorola Repair Center, where he repaired two-way radios, pagers, and cell phones.
He is a member of St. Isadore Church and does building maintenance since 2012 at Columbus Family Practice in Columbus. He recently retired from 25 years of his own local home remodeling business.
He and his wife, Sherry, have a daughter and a son as well as a granddaughter who will have a little brother any day now.
Michelle Bentz
Michelle Bentz of joined the staff on Sept. 8, 1999, as an assistant to Doug Pauley on a worker training grant that provided CD-ROM training to business and industry. She went on to work as the campus’ career services director and to serve as interim associate dean of student services before accepting her current position as a sociology instructor in 2007.
Prior to CCC, Bentz worked as a probation officer for Dodge County in Fremont. While attending Midland University, she was employed by the federal government to provide pretrial services for people who hadn’t yet been convicted or sentenced for a crime.
She is a graduate of Plattsmouth High School who went to Midland on an athletic scholarship for basketball. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She later earned a master’s degree in higher education counseling from Wayne State College where she also completed graduate work in sociology.
Her community activities include the TeamMates Mentoring Program, Lakeview (Community School) Booster Club and 1C Church. On campus, Bentz is deeply involved with athletics and fine arts and is currently serving on the Bookstore Transition Team. In the past, she served as a part-time volleyball coach and as an adjunct criminal justice instructor.
She is a recipient of the 2023-24 League Excellence Award from The League for Innovation in the Community College, 2019 CCC-Columbus Faculty Member of the Year Award, 2004 CCC-Columbus Employee of the Year Award and the TRIO Support Award.
She and her husband, Don, have three children.
Willy Kilgore
Willy Kilgore of Columbus became a full-time member of the CCC staff on Sept. 1, 1999, as a computer technician, the position he still holds today.
He is a graduate of Rising City High School who went on to earn an associate of applied science degree in information technology from CCC-Columbus. He started working for the CCC information technology services department as a work-study.
Outside of work, he serves as secretary for the Rising City Fire Department.
Derr, Williams begin their retirements
Two Central Community College-Grand Island employees have begun their retirements. They are:
Kay Derr
Kay Derr of Grand Island began work on a part-time basis in 2001 when Phone Central was just beginning, giving her the opportunity to register students over the phone. In 2005, she was promoted to full-time status and held various responsibilities, from working with transcripts and the Tech Prep program to spending a brief stint in the library at College Park before securing her current position as a registration technician and lending a hand to student accounts when needed.
Derr is a graduate of Grand Island Senior High School who went on to earn a payroll certificate from CCC.
She has been an active member of Stolley Park Church of Christ and directed sessions at the Nebraska Youth Camp in Kearney for more than a decade. Although she has stepped away from directing, she continues to support the camp by creating a T-shirt quilt from camp shirts that is auctioned at its annual dinner.
She and her husband, Jerry, have three daughters, a son and eight grandchildren. In retirement, they plan to visit those grandkids more often and enjoy camping trips along the way.
Margaret Williams
Margaret Williams of Grand Island joined the CCC-Grand Island community and workforce education office in 1994 as a community education administrative assistant.
More recently, she became the community education coordinator.
She previously had worked as a sales assistant and office manager at KOLN/KGIN-TV in Grand Island. During her five years there, she represented the station at Chamber of Commerce events; wrote the scripts describing the floats, bands and political entities in the annual Harvest of Harmony Parade; and occasionally ran the camera for live shots in the studio. Prior to KOLN/KGIN, she was employed for several years at a Grand Island temp agency.
Williams is a graduate of Grand Island Senior High School. When her daughters were students in the Grand Island Public School system, she was active in in PTA and the Tri-City Youth Symphony. She also served as a Girl Scouts leader and recruiter.
For 20 years, she was a lector at St. Mary’s Catholic Church where se also served on the Parish Council and as a religious education teacher.
Her current community activities include P.E.O., AARP and her quilt guild.
She and her husband, Don, have two daughters and four grandchildren.
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A most rare vision Puck (Trey Hill of Columbus) sets the mood for people filling Franklin Square Park in downtown Columbus to enjoy William Shakespeare’s comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Central Community College-Columbus presented the play Oct. 24-27. |
Employee news
CCC Foundation
Alumni Director Cheri Beda has completed a certificate in fundraising management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Columbus Campus
Carol Fuchser has shifted from nursing program director for curriculum to nursing instructor.
New employees include Rodney Hoelscher, mechatronics instructor, and Aaron Wrigley, administrative assistant for the Center for Training and Development.
Grand Island Campus
The following individuals have joined the staff: April Garcia and Diane Smith, nursing assistant and medication aide trainers; Haley Koehn, admissions technician; and Bernadine Syverson, enrollment management technician.
Josh Matthiessen has resigned as a custodian.
Former Grand Island resident Larry Michael Carmann, 75, died Oct. 28 in Davidson, N.C.
Memorial services will be held Nov. 9 at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson.
He was born June 14, 1949, in Kearney to Rudolf and Dorothy Carmann. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Kearney State College.
He married Marcia L. Carmann on May 27, 1972. She died in 2011. He married Elaine M. Hibbeler on June 15, 2013.
He taught mathematics for 26 years at Barr Junior High School, for seven years at Grand Island Senior High School and for eight years at CCC-Grand Island.
He was a member of St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Grand Island and St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Davidson, N.C. Memorials are suggested to either church.
Survivors include his wife, two children, two stepsons, a brother, two sisters and seven grandchildren.
Hastings Campus
Tara Bialas has shifted positions from academic transfer specialist to disability services director.
New employees include Savannah Blanke, dental assisting instructor; Cierra Hauserman and Shelly Sealey, administrative assistants for the skilled and technical sciences department; Dana Miller, human resources generalist; and Graceyn Skalka, shipping and receiving and building maintenance technician.
Kyle Finecy has resigned as an automotive technology instructor.