By Reece Rutland 

INA, IL – The 50 Influencer series launched with the pioneers that molded the vision of a local community college into the reality that became Rend Lake College.

So, it feels only fitting that the series concludes with a look at those who are currently maintaining the legacy that was established by their forefathers five decades ago.

Over the course of 50 years, dozens of local men and women have been elected to the RLC Board of Trustees, serving the institution and its students to the best of their ability. As many of those first Influencer stories focused on the founding board members, it felt appropriate to culminate the list with the college’s current trustees.

“I am proud to work alongside this board to set the tone of a better tomorrow for our institution, its students and our community,” said RLC President Terry Wilkerson.

NOTE:  Over the next few days, the board members will be featured individually.  The first will be Chairman of the Board Randy Rubenacker of Dahlgren.   -sd

Randy Rubenacker was named the new chairman of the Rend Lake College Board of Trustees in 2017.

A six-year veteran of the RLC Board before that, Rubenacker said he is pleased with the college’s current direction despite challenges with state funding.

“I think the college needs to stay on the track that it’s on,” Rubenacker expressed during his appointment to chair. “With the issues we have with the state, I think this board has been very practical and pragmatic and frugal. We’ve held the expenses down pretty well and I think we just need to continue that course until something changes.”

But, Rubenacker’s experience with RLC extends far beyond his time on the board.

As a sophomore in 1978, the 20-year-old, soon-to-be graduate was the second student in RLC history to receive the college’s Outstanding Agriculture Student of the Year Award. His younger brother Terry followed suit by earning the same honor in 1985.

He also carries a family legacy of involvement with the institution and the Rend Lake College Foundation. In 2005 Randy was selected to succeed his late father, Richard Rubenacker, on the RLC Foundation Board of Directors.

“I give a lot of credit to my father and mother,” Randy Rubenacker said. “They were very proud of Rend Lake College and all that it does for the area, and they made sure that we all used it. They had a lot of influence on what success my brothers and I have had.”

“I think both of my brothers – Rodney and Terry – felt the same way. We all went to Rend Lake College, got our degrees in Ag Production and started farming. He (Richard) was always good about giving us advice but letting us help make decisions.”

Randy also notched Alumnus of the Year designation in 2008, becoming the institution’s 27^th alum to earn the accolade.

“It is quite an honor,” he said. “I’ve been to several of the annual dinners and you see who usually gets it … it is a pretty impressive crowd. It is an honor and a humbling experience. I really appreciate the consideration.”

Rubenacker and his wife, Debbie, live in Dahlgren. She is also a RLC graduate.

Randy’s mother- and father-in-law, Victor and Betty Rapp, were conferred honorary degrees by the college after all eight of their children graduated from Rend Lake.

Rubenacker is Owner-Manager of Rubenacker Farms Partnership, a row crop farm operation since 1987. He also serves as President of Prairie Tile Systems, Inc. and Rubenacker Farms, Inc., and is President of 4R Corporation, a farm implement dealership which dates to 1987.

He has served as a member of the Hamilton County Board, Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District Director, State Fair Advisory Board, Haw Creek Drainage District Commissioner, Southeastern Illinois Regional Planning and Development Commissioner and a Hamilton County Economic Development Commissioner

 

 

By ReAnne Palmer 

INA, IL –   It was a night of celebration and merriment at the 2017 Rend Lake College Foundation Annual Dinner with numerous surprise awards and announcements, starting with the 2017 Alumnus of the Year. The Annual Dinner was held Thursday, Dec. 7 at the Mt. Vernon Hotel & Events Center.

Kicking off the evening’s festivities was the biggest award of them all – the Alumnus of the Year honor – given to a standout alum for their dedication to the college. Because this year marks RLC’s 50th birthday, it was fitting that the Alumnus of the Year has been involved with the college for nearly as many years.

“Deciding who will receive the honors of the Alumnus of the Year is no easy task,” said RLC Foundation CEO Kay Zibby-Damron. “We knew it would be special for the honor to go to someone who was directly connected to the college’s 50th anniversary. In August, I listened intently during the anniversary celebration to a certain speaker who spouted off names and accomplishments. It was quite impressive. I introduced myself to the speaker afterwards and asked if he would be willing to share his speech with me.”

She continued, “As I learned more about Bob Kelley, the decision about our Alumnus of the Year became quite evident. Not only was Bob a part of the first class to attend Rend Lake College in 1967, but he is also the unofficial college historian. There are thousands of pages, and yes, I mean thousands, filled with information about the college that has been captured, collected, and compiled by a man who truly loves Rend Lake College.”

Kelley’s ties to RLC go much deeper than just a member of the first-ever RLC freshman class. During his youth, his mother was executive secretary to Dr. Howard Rawlinson, the first dean of RLC. He is a student and graduate who then returned as Communication Director for 27 years. In his 11 years of retirement, he’s stayed connected to the college as a member of the Sports Hall of Fame Committee and writer of the RLC History Book.

“Rend Lake College has played an important role in providing a pathway to future success. In my two years as a student, 27 years as an employee, and 11 years as a retiree, there are only three years in the last 50 where I haven’t had direct ties to the college,” said Kelley, who also includes the 10 years he was on campus with his mother.

Still completely dedicated to the college and always humble, Kelley noted during his speech at the Annual Dinner that he doesn’t see himself among the top ranks of other Alumni of the Year, which include law enforcement and politicians, business owners, NASA employees, and others.

“I came to Rend Lake College in the fall of 1967, and while I’m certainly not the most-accomplished, I am a representative of the 20,000 graduates who – by my calculations – will have received degrees this May,” said Kelley. “And tonight, I am the luckiest of those graduates.”

Toward the end of his speech, an emotional Kelley expressed his utmost thanks to his family and friends in attendance, and to everyone in the room for being avid supporters of the institution he loves.

“Rend Lake College played a big part, along with family and church, in helping me get more out of my life than I deserve. There was never a day that I did not look forward to going to work surrounded by friends, colleagues, and work-related family,” said Kelley. “I could not find a finer institution anywhere that means more to me. The most heart-felt thank you to everyone here.”