Joliet Junior College graduate Jay Bergman wins ICCTA award

JOLIET – Jay Bergman, Joliet Junior College 1968 alum, won the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) Distinguished Alumnus Award during the organization’s annual awards banquet on June 3.

Bergman, founder and CEO of the largest oil production company headquartered in Illinois, Petco Petroleum Corp., is also a well-known philanthropist who has donated more than $780,000 to the Chicago region of the American Red Cross.

Bergman has garnered an incredible amount of success since his days as a JJC student, but in his acceptance speech, he said that he wouldn’t be where he is now if it hadn’t been for JJC.

He graduated from Joliet Township High School in 1966. He knew he was going to have to put himself through college, but he was determined to get his degree, so he began at JJC as a business major. At one point, Bergman said, he was working more than 50 hours a week as he carried his full load of classes. He persevered and eventually transferred to Illinois State University, where he continued to balance his studies with work, and graduated in 1970.

He served on the JJC Alumni Board as president in the 1980s and was recently recognized as the longest-serving member of the ISU Board of Trustees (2003 to 2017). For the past 10 years, Bergman has also served at the state level as a member of the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) and is a part of the executive committee.

In addition to his self-made company and position on the IBHE, Bergman is the board chairman and majority shareholder of the First Secure Bank Group, a Chicago area banking company. He serves on several other boards, including the American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois region; the Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo; and the Community Foundation of Will County.

In addition to Bergman, JJC faculty members Dr. Maria Wolfe (nursing) was nominated for the ICCTA Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Member Award and Dan Warning (automotive service technology and 2006 JJC alum) was nominated for the ICCTA Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Member Award.

To learn about JJC, visit www.jjc.edu.