Honoring those who have served with Distinction

You’ve probably heard the saying “it takes a village.” While the phrase is often use in reference to raising children, the same can be said here at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC). Our “village” of dedicated, caring and selfless faculty and staff make meeting the needs of our students and community possible. Seven faculty and staff were recently recognized for their contributions with EICC’s Emeritus Award. The award was presented to retired and retiring individuals who exemplified service to students and the community during their years with the college.

• Cindy LaFrentz served more than 40 years in the EICC Business Office, retiring as the Purchasing Specialist for the district. Her dedication, enthusiasm and positive disposition combined with her high level of professionalism ensured the district’s financial success.
• Laurie Adolph served more than 30 years, supporting student success from all directions.  During her time with EICC she built an impressive resume, working at Clinton Community College as an adjunct instructor, fulltime faculty member and Department Coordinator. At the district level she worked as the Institutional Effectiveness Director and Dean of Curriculum.
• Mark Aronson served as an Environmental Science Instructor at Scott Community College for more than three decades, using his expertise to ignite a passion in students for stewardship of the outdoors. In addition to his devoted work in the classroom, Aronson worked as the Environmental Club Advisor, assisted ATEEC on numerous grants and helped develop a new online education program for environmental science called “Navigate”.
• Brad Scott served as the Program Director for Scott Community College’s Culinary Arts Program, building it into what it is today – a nationally recognized program that produces highly trained chefs every year. One of his most celebrated accomplishments has been the success of SCC’s Culinary Arts Apprenticeship Program. It has served as a model for other institutions across the country and received numerous awards and accolades for its innovative and effective teaching approach.
• Ron Serpliss served 20 plus years with EICC in a variety of roles, including Dean of Students and Dean at Clinton Community College. A forward thinker, innovator, and creator, Serpliss has also been the guiding hand in many campus improvement projects and helped facilitate discussions and agreements for concurrent offerings
• Paul Wilts served 38 years as an Instructor for Muscatine Community College, exemplifying EICC’s commitment to a culture of high aspirations and expectations. Wilts has instructed welding, maintenance technician and engineering tech students, as well as worked in Continuing Education training dozens of companies including Raymond, HNI, Musco and Carver Pump.
• Russ (Armond) Dunn served more than 30 years as a Biology Instructor at Scott Community College with his passion for science motivating students to learn and achieve beyond their own expectations. In 2008, he created an Honors Seminar titled “The Biology of Cancer,” which has been taught repeatedly due to its popularity, especially among pre-health majors.