For Immediate Release – October 28, 2026
Lake Land College Alumni & Retirees recognized at annual awards ceremony
Several Lake Land College alumni, retirees and community members were recognized for their outstanding personal and professional accomplishments during the annual Lake Land College Foundation and Alumni Awards ceremony.
The following alumni awards were presented during the ceremony: The Alumnus Achievement Award, the Pacesetter Award and the Distinguished Service Award. Additionally, the 2026 inductees for both the Lake Land College Distinguished Alumni Society and the Retiree Wall of Fame were recognized at the reception.
The Alumnus Achievement Award, which is given each year to a Lake Land College graduate in recognition of outstanding accomplishments, was presented to Stephen Anderson, Effingham.
As an agriculture student at Lake Land, Anderson served as the College’s Student Trustee and participated in student government at both the local and state levels. After graduating, he transferred to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to complete degrees in agricultural and biological engineering. He spent several years working with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service before returning home to partner in his family’s grain farm. Anderson also launched an agricultural engineering practice focused on soil and water conservation and agricultural drainage. Through his business, he now works directly with farmers, landowners, local governments and renewable energy developers to improve agricultural productivity and environmental quality.
The Pacesetter Award, presented annually in recognition of outstanding career accomplishments by a recent Illinois community college graduate, was presented to Nic Turner, Oakland.
Turner was an active student during his time at Lake Land, serving as a student ambassador in addition to his studies in the College’s Ag Transfer program. After transferring and earning a degree in Agriculture Science Education from the University of Illinois, Turner began his career with Farm Credit Illinois, where he served as an Associate Vice President as well as the Vice President of Crop Insurance for the organization’s regional office in Paris. In 2023, Turner joined Oakland High School, the same school he graduated from, as an Ag Education instructor. Now entering his fourth year as an educator, his goal is to grow the high school’s Ag program to 100% enrollment.
The Distinguished Service Award, presented annually to an individual for outstanding and dedicated service to Lake Land College, was presented to Meg Yargus-Steward, Marshall.
Yargus-Steward is the CEO of Hannig Construction; B&S Plumbing, Heating & Cooling; Central State Construction and Crown Electric. She is actively involved in supporting organizations and initiatives throughout the communities where she lives and works. She is a former Lake Land College Foundation Board Member, including a stint as President in 2017, and served a brief term on the Lake Land College Board of Trustees in 2018. Yargus-Steward is grateful to have had the opportunity to serve the College over the years, and she remains a firm believer in the impact Lake Land has on students, the workforce and its surrounding communities.
Three Lake Land alumni were inducted into the Lake Land College Distinguished Alumni Society, which recognizes alumni who have made a lasting imprint in their career fields and in their communities. The 2026 Distinguished Alumni Society inductees are Dr. Justin Pals of Effingham, Matt Ogle of Charleston and Kari Hostetler of Springfield.
Pals has spent the last 20 years dedicated to helping people live happier, healthier lives through chiropractic healthcare. After graduating from Lake Land College in 1997, he continued his education at Eastern Illinois University and completed his studies at Logan University, eventually returning to his hometown of Effingham to work alongside his mother at Pals Family Chiropractic. In 2011, he opened his first solo practice by opening New Health Chiropractic in Effingham. Pals is an active member of the Illinois Chiropractic Society and is a seven-time recipient of the Effingham Daily News People’s Choice Award for Best Chiropractor. Pals also enjoys sharing his passions and regularly gives back to his alma mater by hosting Lake Land College Health Occupations students for job shadowing opportunities.
Ogle is a proud 2007 Lake Land College graduate and a current Engineering Manager at Gaggle, an online safety system for K-12 schools. There, Ogle leads a team of four engineers and has earned the Gaggle Core Values award multiple times for his work in student safety. Ogle credits Lake Land College for giving him the foundation for a rewarding career, and he is deeply committed to giving back. He has hosted many Lake Land students as interns and attends the College’s annual career fair to share his profession with the next generation. Beyond his support of Lake Land College, Ogle spends a week each summer building homes for families in need in Honduras.
Hostetler began her educational journey at Lake Land College before earning a master’s degree from Eastern Illinois University. Since then, she has devoted her career to improving systems and services that support vulnerable populations, with more than 17 years of service working with Illinois state agencies in training and workforce development. Now as Supervisor of Adult Protective Services, Hostetler has led significant improvements in statewide training on abuse, self-neglect and financial exploitation, strengthening protections for older adults and adults with disabilities throughout Illinois. Hostetler’s work has also made waves beyond Illinois, as she contributed to a $14.2 million statewide technology initiative at the University of Missouri to enhance services for older adults and Medicaid recipients.
In addition to the alumni awards, three former Lake Land employees were also recognized during the ceremony as the 2026 inductees into the Lake Land College Retiree Wall of Fame. Created in 2008, the Retiree Wall of Fame honors retired Lake Land faculty and staff for their outstanding achievements in service of the College. The 2026 Wall of Fame inductees were Nina Rose of Charleston, Alvin Siebert of Effingham and Larry Hymes, who received the honor posthumously.
After graduating from Lake Land in 1990, Rose began her career as the Students Receivable Manager in the College’s Accounting Office. In 1997, she landed a new role with Lake Land as the Administrative Assistant to the Associate Vice President for Workforce Development, a position she held until her retirement in 2012. During her career at Lake Land College, Rose served on the Curriculum Committee and was responsible for the approval and maintenance of all non-transfer degrees, certificates and courses through the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). In 2011, Rose received the Shine Award, Lake Land’s most prestigious employee honor, in recognition of her outstanding work. Beyond her service at Lake Land, Rose is an avid traveler and is a generous donor to local charitable organizations.
Siebert is a 1970 Lake Land graduate and spent 30 years at the College as an Automotive Instructor. During his time in this role, Siebert was instrumental in the development and modernization of the College’s Automotive curriculum. He regularly attended seminars and training sessions to remain current in his teaching, and he managed contacts with major automobile manufacturers to secure donations of new vehicles and parts for use in the program. Siebert was also instrumental in acquiring National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) certification for the College, solidifying Lake Land as a high-quality, nationally recognized automotive technician training program. After retiring from Lake Land College in 2002, Siebert has remained an active member of his community, serving as a Trustee of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Effingham for more than 18 years.
Hymes was a four-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former draftsman at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis. He joined Lake Land College in 1971 as a Civil Engineering Instructor and built the program from the ground up, developing curriculum and course materials nearly from scratch. He spent 30 years in his role as an instructor, retiring in 2001. Beyond his work at Lake Land, Hymes left a lasting impact on the Civil Engineering industry, creating curriculum for Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Quality Control and Assurance training that remains the standard for statewide asphalt and aggregate testing. He also spent 17 years protecting his community as a volunteer firefighter.
-30-
Lake Land College District 517, located in Mattoon, Illinois, serves the second largest community college district in the state, with a total population of 189,869. The Lake Land College district comprises all or part of 15 counties and 31 public school districts in rural east central Illinois. Counties served by Lake Land College include: Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Macon, Montgomery, Moultrie and Shelby.
