President of Iowa Lakes Trustees receives prestigious honor

Jan Lund, president of the Iowa Lakes Board of Trustees received the John P. Kibbie award for her vision and ideals in her work with community colleges at a ceremony in Marshalltown Thursday evening. Pictured from left, Sen. John P. (Jack) Kibbie; Moudy Nabulsi, chair of the IACCT Awards Committee and trustee from Southeastern Community College; Lund; and Iowa Lakes Community College President Valerie Newhouse. (Photo submitted) [Click to enlarge]

The president of the Board of Trustees of Iowa Lakes Community College has received a top award from the Iowa Association of Community College Trustees.

Janice K. Lund, of Estherville, received the award Thursday evening in Marshalltown.

She has spent many years dedicated to the growth of community colleges in Iowa as well as at Iowa Lakes and in her home community.

She can now add one more title to her resume.

The Iowa Association of Community College Trustees (IACCT) selected Lund as the recipient of the prestigious 2010 John P. Kibbie Award during their annual meeting in Marshalltown.

Valerie Newhouse, Iowa Lakes Community College president, felt that Lund is "well-deserving" of the award.

"Jan is dedicated to the vision and mission of community colleges," said Newhouse. "She is a community leader and a college leader."

In accepting the award, Lund said she was 'humbled' knowing "the number of well-deserving people in the trustees ranks across the state."

She thanked her fellow members on the board for their "friendship, support, encouragement and patience" in quickly making her an integral part of the board.

"I was also blessed with supportive and understanding college administrators and staff members who were, and continue to be, of great assistance to me, probably more than they even realize," Lund said.

She also acknowledged Jack Tatman, a previous recipient of the Kibbie Award and former long-time member (42 years) of the Iowa Lakes Board, for being an invaluable resource person as the college moved forward over the years.

In addition, Lund thanked George Shadle of Estherville, her predecessor on the board, for his encouragement, support and inspiration.

"George served with distinction for 20 years and was President of the Board for the last four of those years," she said.

Lund reflects the vision of IACCT by being a proactive leader, advocate and partner in building sustainable communities through workforce and economic development. The group supports maximizing human potential through high quality educational opportunities. Together, Iowa's community colleges are the largest postsecondary educational system in the state.

Lund has been a community college board member and officer for 17 years. During that time, she has served in the capacity of Board Vice President and chairs of various committees of the board.

She was commended for being a consistent and active team member of community colleges in Iowa.