Heartland Community College honors six with President’s Medallion

Heartland Community College has recognized six individuals for their integral role in expanding the College, serving its students, and paving educational pathways for the larger community.

 The President’s Medallion award recognizes individuals who exemplify the College's mission to enrich the community. 

The following individuals were honored at the Elevate Heartland 2026 event on May 29 with a President’s Medallion: 

Joe and Charlotte Talkington 

Drs. Joe and Charlotte Talkington have shaped opportunities for generations of students through their decades of service to Illinois State University. As longtime members of the College of Applied Science and Technology (CAST), they dedicated their careers to empowering learners through mentorship and educational access. 

Dr. Charlotte Talkington joined the ISU Family and Consumer Sciences faculty in 1968 and taught for more than 25 years. She became known for statewide teacher workshops, curriculum leadership, and creating multiple endowed funds supporting FCS students and faculty. 

Dr. Joe Talkington served at ISU for more than 29 years as a professor and department chair in Technology. After retirement, he founded Star Uniforms. 

Together, the Talkingtons have established several scholarship funds at both Heartland Community College and ISU, including the Star for Nursing Education Endowed Scholarship and the Talkington Family Endowed Scholarship. 

Bob Dobski 

A longtime Bloomington-Normal business leader, Bob Dobski is an entrepreneur and philanthropist whose impact spans decades.

Bob, along with his wife Julie, ran a number of successful McDonald’s franchises from the 1980s until retirement in 2017.  He became deeply embedded in the Bloomington-Normal community, serving as President of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce and supporting organizations including: the Salvation Army’s Safe Harbor, The Baby Fold, Rotary, and many others.

In 2024, Bob and Julie were honored as McLean County History Makers for their lifetime of service. 

Ed Carroll 

Ed Carroll is a respected educator and academic leader whose 34-year career at Heartland Community College has shaped generations of students in Bloomington-Normal. A Distinguished Professor of History—honored with Professor Emeritus status in 2020—he has taught U.S. History and Western Civilization while pioneering curriculum updates, online instruction, and statewide articulation efforts. He helped establish Heartland’s Honors Program and served as a founding president of the faculty union. 

Dr. Carroll has also held key leadership roles in regional historical organizations, including serving as Board Chair of the Heritage Association of McLean County, President of the David Davis Mansion Foundation, and Vice Chair of the Illinois Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. 

Dodie Dunson 

Dodie Dunson, Sr., is a longtime Bloomington-Normal community leader and mentor. 

Dunson became a community organizer in his youth, organizing a basketball league for five different housing developments. A Bloomington High School Class of 1978 graduate, Dunson was a star athlete who went on to play basketball at Parkland College on scholarship, studying recreation leadership. 

After making an impact in social work in Los Angeles, he returned to his hometown of Bloomington, where he started a 44-year career serving youth in Bloomington-Normal, including his long-standing role as Director of Family Engagement at the Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington-Normal. He has also served as Director of the Lawrence Irving Community Center, working closely with at-risk youth and supporting their academic success. In 2019, he was named Normal’s Citizen of the Year in recognition of his impact on generations of youth. 

Meta Mickens-Baker 

Meta Mickens-Baker is a seasoned HR leader, long-time community servant, and advocate for youth and education in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois. She serves as a Human Resources Manager at State Farm Insurance Companies, specializing in talent acquisition, diversity and inclusion, and employee relations. 

Mickens-Baker dedicated 17 years to the McLean County Unit 5 School Board, serving at one time as its chair, as the first woman of color to be elected to the body. 

She has been recognized with a variety of awards, including Virginia Tech’s Influential Black Alumni Award, the Bloomington Martin Luther King Jr Award, the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, and the Multicultural Leadership Program Servant Leadership Award. 

“We are proud to recognize these individuals who helped elevate our community into what it is today,” said Heartland President Keith Cornille. “Each recipient of these awards exemplifies the Heartland Community College mission to enrich our community. Through their service, support, and actions, this group has made a significant impact on our community and – directly or indirectly – the lives of all our students since the College’s foundation.” 

The inaugural recipients of the HCC President’s Medallion Award were honored in 2021.