President's Medallion Recipients 2022

Dave and Deb Fedor are supporters of lifelong education and giving back. Their values align perfectly with the mission of Heartland Community College. Dave, an alum of Richland Community College and Illinois State University, is a principal owner of Tentac Enterprises, formerly The Synder Companies, based in Bloomington. Before joining Tentac as Chief Financial Officer, he served Dunbar, Breitweiser & Company as a Certified Public Accountant. Dave's focus on giving back involves both financial sponsorships as well as instituting an environment at Tentac that has allowed employees to donate more than 2500 hours volunteering in the community. 

Deb is a graduate of Heartland Community College’s 2nd nursing class. Regularly encouraged by Dave to go back to school to realize her dream of becoming a nurse, Deb returned to the classroom at the age of 38. Deb’s career in pediatric nursing found her in roles at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Carle Clinic, and the McLean County Health Department. One of her passions was improving child immunization rates. In 2013, Deb was selected as Heartland’s Distinguished Alumni. 

The Fedors have established a scholarship that benefits students enrolled in HCC’s nursing program. Additionally, they have created a scholarship to support students in the Heartland Academy for Learning Opportunities (HALO) Program that provides access to higher education for students with intellectual disabilities in a supportive yet challenging learning environment.

Ronn Morehead left his mark on the Bloomington-Normal area in the many ways he helped the people of his community. Soon after graduating high school, he joined Laborers Local 362, kicking off a lifetime affiliation with unions. For more than 30 years Morehead worked for the American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations, helping laid-off workers find new careers and training opportunities. His work involved establishing links with community colleges and grants for upskilling displaced workers. He served on both the Heartland Community College Foundation, Mid-Central Community Actions Illinois Special Olympics, and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act boards, and for nearly 45 years organized the Bloomington Labor Day Parade. Morehead was instrumental in bringing the WWII monument to Normal and in 2018 was named Downs Citizen of the Year, the same year he was named a History Maker by the McLean County Museum of History. He served as president of the Bloomington and Normal Trades and Labor Assembly for 40 years. 

Joan Bullard is the owner and managing broker at Joan Bullard Realty, Inc. located in Odell, IL, just outside of Pontiac. A real estate professional for more than 20 years, she is past president of the Livingston County Board of Realtors. Her company is very active in the local community, supporting charity golf tournaments, food pantries, local schools and sporting events, St. Jude, and the Boys and Girls Club of Livingston County. 

 

An active member of her community, Bullard is the past President of the Pontiac Boys and Girls Club. A regular guest speaker in Heartland classes, she also served on the Livingston County Board, District 2 from 2013 to 2014. Bullard was named a 2017 Athena Award winner by the Pontiac Chamber of Commerce and Business Person of the Year in 2019. 

Dr. Nancy Evans is a champion of accessible education for all. One of the earliest employees of Heartland Community College, Dr. Evans taught business and helped build the curriculum for that program area. Her strong belief in the mission of accessible, equitable, innovative learning opportunities and resources that enrich our community led her to spend most of her professional career in the community college setting. One of her passion projects was working to lower the cost of textbooks for Heartland students by helping develop open educational resources. Her philanthropy included serving for three years on the Heartland Foundation Board and establishing a scholarship for students who have overcome childhood health issues. Dr. Evans is now a retired Distinguished Professor of Business Emeritus.

Before his retirement, Duane Farrington was the Executive Vice President of Technology, Digital, and Innovation at State Farm. In 2020, he was recognized with the Digital Innovator Award by the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF) for his work in championing creative tech solutions. Farrington is heavily involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal, volunteering in their “Passport to Manhood” program, serving as the chair of the Community Advisory Council, and as past chair of their fundraising campaign. He partnered with Heartland on initiatives with the 100 Black Men of Central Illinois and was previously a member of The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. In addition, Farrington serves on the board of Westminster Village and is involved with United Way. Duane and his wife, Toni, were named the 2018 Philanthropists of the Year by the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation. They co-chaired a capital campaign for the Community Cancer Center during the addition of a new tower for the patients and their treatments.