Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) has announced the winners of its annual Employee Excellence Awards for the 2024-25 academic year. The winners are listed below.

>Becca Richardson, part of NMC’s mathematics faculty, has been honored with the Imogen Wise Faculty Excellence Award. That prize, which is given out by a student selection committee, recognizes staff members who exhibit “teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication.” Students praised Richardson for using “several different learning styles to promote understanding,” and for making math applicable to students’ lives by incorporating concepts like budgeting, retirement planning, investments, and saving for a house. Richardson is an NMC alumna herself, and has been teaching at the college since 2013.

>John Lutchko, who took over as head of NMC’s Great Lakes Water Studies Institute last fall, is the winner of this year’s Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award. Lutchko also teaches courses within the school’s marine technology program. This award follows the same basic criteria as the above, and is also bestowed by a student selection committee. Students commended Lutchko for going “above and beyond to help students keep up with coursework,” as well as for having palpable passion and enthusiasm for the subject matter. Like Richardson, Lutcko his an NMC alumnus, having graduated wish a freshwater studies degree in 2013.

>NMC’s public relations, marketing, and communications department (PRMC) won the Team Excellence Award, earning accolades for “exemplifying the college values of innovation and collaboration.” Team members include Diana Fairbanks, Emily Crull, Steve Kellman, Cari Noga, Deanna Silkowski, Joan Sodini, and Kelly Yauk. According to a press release, PRMC has worked over the past year to develop “a comprehensive brand strategy” for the college that “forges alignment between NMC’s mission and messaging, empowering every employee to effectively communicate the college’s distinct value to all those it serves.” PRMC was also credited, in part, for helping NMC achieve six consecutive semesters of enrollment growth.

>Finally, Katharine Marvin, NMC’s director of development and alumni relations, was honored with the Staff Excellence Award. Per the press release, Marvin was instrumental this year in securing $1.4 million in gifts for NMC programs, ranging from nursing to aviation to the WNMC radio station. She was also a crucial part of NMC’s recruitment and onboarding, sitting on six different search committees “as NMC worked to build a strong and cohesive Advancement & Community Engagement (ACE) team.”

Pictured, from left to right: (Top) Becca Richardson, John Lutchko, Diana Fairbanks, Emily Crull, Steve Kellman; (Bottom) Cari Noga, Deanna Silkowski, Joan Sodini, Kelly Yauk, Katharine Marvin