Tickets available for Joliet Junior College’s ‘Night of Stars’ on April 28

Joliet Junior College will host its annual “Night of Stars” April 28 at the Renaissance Center in downtown Joliet.

During the event, presented by the JJC Institutional Advancement Office, JJC will honor “current and former employees, alumni, community members and business partners,” according to a news release from JJC.

“Night of Stars” will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at 214 N. Ottawa St. in Joliet. Tickets are $35 and includes social hour, heavy appetizers and a cash bar. Purchase tickets at jjc.edu/night-stars.

According to JJC, following people will be recognized:

Judy Mitchell (1998): Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award

Mitchell, the ninth president of JJC, will retire in August. She started her 25-year career as an administrative assistant in 1996 and was appointed president in 2016.

She received the Gary W. Davis Ethical Leadership Award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association in 2021 and Zonta Club of Joliet’s Woman of Distinction Award in 2018.

Mitchel serves on the Silver Cross Hospital board, Will County Workforce Investment board, Habitat for Humanity and Will County Center for Economic Development, and Grundy County Economic Development. Mitchell is a member of Joliet Rotary and Zonta Club of Joliet.

William O’Connor and Michael Brncick: Susan H. Wood Hall of Fame Award

William O’Connor

O’Connor started teaching in the business department since 1999 and became its chair in 2010. He was elected secretary of the JJC Faculty Union in 2003 and became vice president several years later. O’Connor also served on the faculty contract negotiating team for the 2019-2023 contract.

He has actively devleoped or supported initiatives “to promote creative ways of making education more accessible for current and prospective students, especially with the introduction of eight-week accelerated classes,” according to JJC.

Michael Brncick

Brncick launched JJC’s Orthotics and Prosthetics program in 2006 and served serve as an instructor, advisor/coordinator and program director until he retired in 2021.

“Under Brncick’s leadership, the OPT program received two Awards for Excellence grants from JJC’s Institutional Advancement Office for opportunities that expanded students’ learning experiences,.” according to JJC.

Nicholas Macris: J.D. Ross Extraordinary Service Award

Macris currently volunteers for the Kiwanis Club of Joliet, Project Acclaim, All Saints Greek Orthodox Church, Greater Joliet Area YMCA and the Joliet Area Historical Museum.

He has served as either board president or chairman over the years for many of these organizations. He also led the volunteer effort to restore the Old Joliet Prison.

Macris grew up in Joliet, served 20 years in the Army and worked for ComEd for 22 years and retired from the company.

CITGO: Partners in Excellence Award

CITGO has supported JJC for more than 20 and “has long invested in STEM education initiatives, specifically in the college’s technical programs,” JJC said. CITGO representatives have actively served on academic advisory committees and the JJC Foundation Board and many student-focused events and programs on campus.

In 2016, CITGO established a $250,000 endowment with the JJC Foundation. Each CITGO STEM endowed scholarships are awarded to JJC students in one of the following areas of study: “process control instrumentation, operations engineering technology, industrial maintenance technology, electrical/electronic automated systems, process operations technology or the dual credit high school program and advanced integrated manufacturing,” JJC said.