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During the Iowa Valley Community College District All Staff Day held August 17 at Marshalltown Community College, the District recognized several campus leaders who have made a remarkable difference to the campus communities.

Pictured, from L to R: Tina Ruch-Wesselmann, Molly Hippen, Trudi Scott, Mike Mosher, Allie Osmundson, Steve Muntz

IVCCD Chancellor Dr. Kristie Fisher presented the awards as follows:

Outstanding Service Awards: The purpose of the Outstanding Service Awards is to recognize employees who have been nominated by their peers in the spring for exemplary performance that best represents each of IVCCD’s Six Core Values.

Core Value: Educational Excellence – Steve Muntz, Broadcast/Digital Media Faculty

The award nomination reads, in part: “Steve has been a mentor for many students over the past years.  His consistent leadership in the classroom as a teacher and mentor for the broadcasting students is well known. This year I felt compelled to nominate him based on his students’ strong appreciation for him. The projects they have worked on with him went well above and beyond normal classroom instruction.

I have two separate experiences that students have shared with me this year: students working on Honors projects and students working on a film project. This year alone Steve worked on 4 Honors Program Projects with students; allowing them to delve deeper into topics and learn through experiences. Additionally, he has heavily involved his students in filming a movie. Both groups have shared that Steve has been transformative in their educational opportunities and their lives as a mentor. They have deeply appreciated his subject area knowledge and the opportunity to work on real projects. Steve has collaborated with ECC’s Joerg on creating and filming a short movie. This is a unique example of cross field and campus collaboration. He has also collaborated within MCC campus by working with Honors students. When possible, Steve is willing to film unique classroom activities so we can recruit new students in Biology. Additionally, Steve is serving as the MCC Faculty Vice President. He led efforts on the MCC campus to help create peer help with Digital and Virtual Learning.  He also is a faculty Canvas and Technology in the classroom mentor.  He is always willing to help instructors with IT or Canvas issues.”

Core Value: Leadership and Communication – Molly Hippen, TRiO SSS Director

The award nomination reads, in part: “When I began my employment at ECC, I knew there was something special about her. She cared, she really truly cared about her students, about the reputation of our area, about how we serve faculty and staff, and our community.  She refuses to let anything or anyone slip through the cracks. I can count on her for anything. She is always willing to try new things and expand our services to improve student success. She is more than just an advisor, she is a role model, she is a counselor, she is a friend, she is a soft place for her students to land. She makes a difference in every student’s life that she touches. 

She sets the bar high for those who follow in her footsteps. She collaborates with her counterpart at MCC and makes sure that the staff is included in workshops.  She is a team player and helps to build a partnership that makes both programs shine.  Because of this our TRIO SSS programs are the best in the state. They boast and 83% persistence rate, 88% good academic standing rate and a 43% graduation rate. The last grant year, she secured thousands of additional grant dollars to support our students. She involves her students in the community at local churches and brings in speakers from our community to meet our students.  She understands the history of ECC and how important the ties are between our community and our students. She is always understanding about the other person, listens and values others opinions.  She never lets any of us fail and has a way of stepping in to help us be better.  She helps hold up the mission of the Hub at all times.”

Core Value: Develops Partnerships to Support Educational Opportunities – Allie Osmundson, Associate Dean of Enrollment

The award nomination reads, in part: “Allie’s leadership is apparent in the events that she plans, her work with students, and her committee work.  She is always clear and detailed in communication regarding events she plans; she is clear in expectations and the goals for meetings and events.   She shares her input and is an active member of committees that I have worked with her on. I have been most impressed in seeing her work with students and their families.  She is calm and professional in her interactions and communicates clearly.  I am glad that she is a face and on the front lines of recruiting for MCC.  As a coworker, I have had the opportunity to work with Allie in many settings and she always is respectful of others’ opinions and adds energy and positivity to activities and meetings.  Allie works diligently to be transparent and provide accurate information about school & career pathways for students.  She is willing to ask if she needs clarification on advising issues that are area specific; for example, for pre-med or pre-vet students, she will work with faculty to help develop an advising plan for each specific student’s needs.   

Allie continuously will check in with faculty on her student advisees to see how the student is doing in class and if they might need extra assistance.  Comments from students include that “Allie cares and is truly helpful!  She listens to what I want and helps figure out what to do.”  I cannot name all of the numerous roles she serves in the district!  Allie serves on the MCC Honors Program Advisory Board and volunteers to assist with the setup and running of the Honors Symposium. She is instrumental in helping to promote the Honors Program and seminar courses not only to MCC students but to dual enrollment high school students.  Most recently she organized a Pre-Health Career Event with the Nursing and Biology Departments.   What is most striking is that she has been helpful in bridging gaps between advising and faculty.  Her work with Transfer major students and plans has been transformative. Volunteered for community events including helping organize the MCC involvement in the Marshalltown October Fest parade.  She helps with pop-up events at night and on weekends in the community.  Additionally, she serves as the Assistant Soccer Coach for MHS.  .”

Core Value: Recognition of students, employees, and community members for contributions and outstanding achievements aligning with our Vision, Mission, and Core Values – Trudi Scott, Print Shop Manager

The award nomination reads, in part: “When the previous Print Shop Manager resigned, Trudi Scott jumped at the chance to return to Iowa Valley until his replacement was hired. She served the District for 30+ years in the print shop before retirement, so she knew her way around without much guidance. While it would have been easy to turn down the request, Trudi returned and immediately got to work. She re-simplified our printing processes, ordered paper, took care of monthly reporting, set up the new print shop, and more. She returned just as Marketing was transitioning to their new space after construction was complete on their new offices, so it was comforting to know that campus-wide printing operations were in good hands. More than anything, though, she re-focused the print shop again on providing superior customer service, something that had been lacking in previous years. She turned around projects in hours, rather than weeks, ensuring deadlines were met.

Trudi returned in November, weeks before the holiday break. She put in extra hours to print text books (even the late requests that came in while the District was on break), making sure that students had access to class materials when the semester began in January. Trudi realized that paper hadn’t been ordered by the previous print shop manager, so she took care of ordering paper, envelopes, and letterhead for the entire District. She also maintained the copier fleet, ordering staples and toner for the machines.

Just before Trudi returned, she was elected Mayor of Gladbrook. She juggled her mayoral responsibilities while working in the print shop. While not central to her job, she brought with her a strong community-focus. She encouraged us to work with local vendors every chance we had, and freely shared her community contacts to facilitate this. Trudi ran a Masterclass in promoting an inclusive and respectful environment while she was here – she demonstrated her inclusive and respectful nature in everything she did. No request was too small for her attention – she worked hard for everyone in the District, and took the time to teach and share her knowledge with anyone who asked. Trudi’s customer focus has been so important: when we have a need for materials for college or career fairs, legislative sessions, Community College Day on the Hill, recruiting events, or any other project, Trudi ensured that the teams would have the correct materials in a timely fashion. Her timely work helped us promote ourselves more effectively in the community.

We cannot thank Trudi enough for her continued commitment to the District. While it would be easy to walk away and enjoy her well-deserved retirement, she always answers our call in our time of need.  When Trudi says it’s covered, it’s covered – there is never a need to micromanage or look over her shoulder – which is a HUGE relief. Trudi has trained her replacement, and when she says she is confident the print shop is in good hands, we are all confident that is the case.”

Core Value: Continuous Quality Improvement – Mike Mosher, Chief Information Officer

The award nomination reads, in part: “Mike has been instrumental in bringing Iowa Valley into the modern age of security. No one on the team has spent more time tracking threats, learning new security standards and expectations for the industry, and probably lying awake at night worrying about the security of the district. The IT team all know that it is always a matter of “when” not “if” a security incident will occur but Mike makes sure we fight as hard as possible to prevent the worst possible outcomes and that we learn from other institutions as much as possible with how we approach our jobs. 

Although I know sometimes he misses those simple days as a database admin he has really stepped up to be a great leader for the IT team, he leads by example and through expecting all of us to continue to educate ourselves and push beyond complacency. He also hasn’t lost his sense of humor which is a required trait to navigate such troubled waters! Mike is involved in every IT project!! That is A LOT!!! Everything will impact our students and stakeholders throughout the district. This is no small task. He has expanded his knowledge in every area of IT so that he better understands what the needs are for now and into the future. This will set the stage for a longer-lasting infrastructure for our district and growing needs.

Mike is someone that leads by example. He goes above and beyond his job expectations to make sure the district is well taken care of technology-wise. He has been instrumental in making sure we are secure as cybersecurity has changed the IT world and he is adamant to do everything he can to ensure our systems and data integrity. By improving our IT infrastructure, it will help with the community needs and the growing student demands of our students. Mike is always looking for the best way to implement changes. He helps assist many offices when they are in the decision-making process do get his ideas or so he can make sure they don’t overlook an important aspect of the needed change. This is critical when so much depends on technology. With the bond projects, Mike has demonstrated his ability to make sure the district is getting the most out of the funds being spent and utilizing them in the most efficient way possible. He strives to ensure all aspects of the job are complete and has the future of the district in mind. We appreciate being able to work with him and keep doing the best we can as the IT environment shifts in this ever-changing landscape.”

Core Value: Growth and Sustainability – Tina Ruch-Wesselmann, Academic Support Specialist/Success Coach

The award nomination reads, in part: “Tina became a part of the Hub Staff in November of 2021, and her nominator said that in that short amount of time, Tina took on her role as an academic specialist success coach with true dedication.  She dove right in without missing a beat and finished long-term projects in a very short amount of time.  Because of that, the Hub is now positioned to grow its retention efforts in a way that is unprecedented. 

With the Hub’s new cohort retention report, Tina tracks the students in their Panther Success program weekly and can tell us where our students are academically and she is in constant contact with them.  This is in addition to her duties as an academic specialist in which she has also grown.  She also completed a large project for Dr. Estey with the high school-guided pathways which are specifically targeted for growth and sustainability. Tina is well-organized, communicates well, and is always looking for ways to improve our processes.  Tina is from Iowa Falls and a graduate of Ellsworth Community College and is a natural recruiter for our college and knows how to connect students to resources on campus and off.”