President's Medallion Recipients 2021

Vernon "Art" Adams 1990-1993 

Cindy Brand 1991-2009 

Margaret Esposito 1990-2003 

Jim Pemberton 1990-1995 

Fred Ragsdale 1990-1995 

Sharon (Sullivan) Tarvin 1990-2001 

Roger Tuttle 1990-2007 

Jim White 1990-2011 

This group served as the first leaders of Heartland Community College in 1990. They guided and built the foundation of what the College is today, navigating a number of issues and demands leading to one of the most successful community colleges in the state of Illinois. They laid the groundwork to transition from the humble origins of storefronts and church basements to our beautiful campus facilities today. Heartland would not be the College it is today without their tireless efforts and extraordinary vision. 

Longtime Bloomington resident and State Farm executive, Willie Brown has led numerous charitable and community improvement initiatives. His work on the Heartland Community College Foundation Board in the late 1990s and early 2000s helped to highlight the important work of fundraising for local students. Under his leadership, the Foundation expanded its scholarship offerings and connected with a number of local philanthropists and businesses to create greater access to higher education for hundreds of students. 

Gregg Chadwick was a long-time member of the District 540 Board of Trustees. First appointed in 2002, he was elected 4 more times and served as both the vice chair (2007-2009) and chair (2009-2020). Additionally, Chadwick served as president of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) in 2020. He previously served as ICCTA treasurer (2009-2010), chair of the Government Relations and Public Policy Committee (2017-2019), and as vice president (2019-2020). In July of 2020, he was awarded the Ray Hartstein Trustee Achievement Award for exemplary service. 

Dr. Alan Chapman is part of the fabric of education in our community. A teacher, principal, and superintendent for Unit 5 schools, Alan has spent his entire career creating new pathways for learning for local students. Alan embraced Heartland early on, helping to connect the College with students in his district and paving the path for college courses to be taught in high schools, giving students an early start on college. Even after retirement, Dr. Chapman continued to champion education and HCC specifically. Serving as a co-chair in 2015 for the College’s first major gifts campaign, he helped raise nearly $8 million. Shortly after, he joined the College’s Foundation Board. In his tenure, the Foundation grew its scholarship offerings by more than 200%, and now annually awards more than 275 scholarships. Alan’s leadership and commitment to education has impacted generations. 

Julie Dobski is a local entrepreneur often recognized for her commitment to education by a number of local schools and universities. She is also the founder and owner of Little Jewels preschool. Her vision for creating early education opportunities for the youngest in our community reflects how she values the transformative power of education. As a local entrepreneur for more than 3 decades, she regularly illustrates her value of education by providing countless learning opportunities for her employees. Julie immensely impacted Heartland when she co-chaired in 2015 the first major gifts campaign in the College’s history, raising nearly $8 million for scholarships and programs. Her legacy as a community leader, philanthropist, and advocate is second to none. 

Betty was one of the first faculty hired at Heartland. With a focus on business education, she taught at HCC for a quarter of a century, guiding and shaping the minds of thousands of students. Her work on various projects, including textbook affordability and bringing free VITA tax services to Heartland, showcased her desire to support student success both inside and outside of the classroom. Betty was also a deeply respected leader at Heartland. She worked with faculty and administration to develop the College’s system of faculty promotion, writing in her final promotion portfolio: “I’m proud to say that I have played a role in creating a culture at HCC that expects, supports, and respects scholarly teaching. I think that is what we do a little differently here at Heartland and rightfully so given our mission to provide excellence in teaching and learning.” 

Allan led the growth and expansion of credit programs at Heartland for nearly two decades. During his time as Vice President for Learning and Student Success, the College developed programs in nursing, information technology, manufacturing, and early childhood education. Under his leadership, HCC also expanded the ability for students to transfer to four-year institutions, creating smoother pathways to their next destinations, which Allan believed could be anywhere they wanted to go.