Daniel and Debra Edson have been named the 2019 recipients of Northwestern Michigan College's highest honor, the NMC Fellow award.

The couple’s philanthropic support of NMC spans 26 years and has included scholarships, the University Center, the Dennos Museum Center, radio station WNMC and the West Hall Innovation Center. The couple’s philanthropy also includes a full tuition scholarship to the MSU College of Human Medicine that offers preference to an NMC transfer student.

Debbie Edson had a 41-year career in special education with the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District. Dan Edson began his career in microbiology, inventing the world’s first blood test for Legionnaires’ disease in 1978. He went on to co-found the American Proficiency Institute in 1991.

“As we’ve gotten to know people at NMC, it just seems like it’s a great way to build the learning platform,” said Debbie Edson, adding all three children took classes at NMC. Coming from Mancelona, Dan Edson said the college plays a key role in serving students regionally.

“That’s really important. I grew up in Antrim County, and I understand that,” he said.

The Fellow is Northwestern Michigan College's highest honor, awarded annually since 1964. Fellows may be nominated because they have demonstrated influential networking on behalf of the College, have demonstrated a pattern of outstanding financial or personal time contributions to NMC, or as a retiree of the College continue to contribute back to their academic or professional fields as volunteers, mentors or advisors.