October 2013 Board Report

The Illinois Valley Community College board Tuesday approved naming rights for two prominent areas within the new Peter Miller Community Technology Center.

Trustees approved naming the massive lab at the northeast end of the center the “Fives Cincinnati/Giddings & Lewis Manufacturing Center” in recognition of the company’s gift of a $300,000 vertical machining center.

The donation was made possible by 1982 IVCC alumnus Dan Janka, formerly of La Salle. Janka is president of Fives Machining Systems of Erlanger, Ky., and former president of MAG IAS, third largest machine tool manufacturer in the world.

Janka, IVCC’s 2011 commencement speaker and 2012 IVCC-LPO Hall of Fame inductee, is most deserving of the honor, said IVCC President Jerry Corcoran.

“Because of the role Dan has played in orchestrating the donation from Fives, training and equipment support from Caterpillar, and a bridge to employment for IVCC interns, we would like to name the center for the manufacturers he has worked with over his extraordinary career,” said Corcoran.

The board also approved naming the MIMIC (Making Industry Meaningful in College) meeting room for 1951 LPO Junior College alumnus Ralph Scriba of Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif. Scriba, a self-made international success story, philanthropist and aviation parts pioneer, made a $50,000 gift to the Peter Miller Community Technology Center capital campaign in April.

MIMIC is a nationally recognized program uniting students from engineering design, electronics and business into “company” teams to design, manufacture, market and sell products.

“Few individuals better embody the IVCC MIMIC spirit than Mr. Scriba,” said Corcoran.

In other CTC-related news, Corcoran said with the Nov. 1 grand opening less than three weeks away, most of the furniture is in and much of the technology has been installed. The Fives vertical machining center is being installed, contractors are completing “punch list” reviews and the new Cultural Centre stage floor has been installed.

The board also approved:

  • The $11,914 bid of Grasser’s Plumbing & Heating of McNabb for HVAC lab/classroom equipment.
  • The $51,110 bid of JBH Technologies Inc. of Glenview for a 3D printer to be used in the Computer Aided Engineering and Design program and by MIMIC students.
  • The purchase of two integrated hydraulic training systems for the industrial maintenance program in the CTC for $43,715 from Parker Hannifin Corporation.
  • Purchase of a digital signage system from Springfield Electric for the CTC that includes three 55-inch Samsung digital signage displays and software for $12,575. The board also approved the purchase of lateral filing cabinets for the CTC from Henricksen & Co. for $11,577.
  • The purchase of 280 tons of rock salt from Cargill Incorporated Salt Division for $14,714 or $52.55 per ton.
  • Authorized Corcoran to begin preparing the 2013 tax levy to be presented in November and finalized in December.
  • After a second reading, board policies on medical/occupational examinations, drug-free campus, and bicycles and skateboards on campus.

The board also learned:

  • Jennifer Scheri, training specialist for the Business Training Center, was recently honored by peers across Illinois as the winner of the 2013 “WeTrain Lifetime Achievement Award.” Corcoran, who used to work with Scheri in the Dislocated Workers Center, said, “Jennifer has been with IVCC for 20 years and there is no one more deserving of this recognition.”
  • Head librarian Frances Whaley has been invited by the board of directors of the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois to join an elite group of professionals to put together a new library director’s development program.
  • The women’s volleyball team that includes student trustee Taylor Gunia is 19-10 this fall and “has improved each season under Coach Julie Sherbeyn,” Corcoran said. Tuesday, Oct. 22 is the last home match before regional play begins Nov. 3.
  • The women’s tennis squad qualified for the national tournament in Tyler, Texas next spring. “Coach Julie Milota and the team deserve recognition for a job well done.”
  • The Oct. 9 College Night attracted 50 colleges and universities from around the state and Midwest. Corcoran credited assistant director of admissions Connie Skerston and her coworkers in student services for the success of the event.