Mike Sullivan Honored for 37 Years as Lake Land Trustee

Lake Land College honored Trustee Mike Sullivan, Mattoon, at the regular Board of Trustees meeting on Monday. Sullivan previously announced his resignation from his trustee position on February 12.

“It has been my privilege and honor to serve as a college trustee for over 37 years, and I will deeply miss being an active board member,” Sullivan said.

During the March 11 meeting, the board of trustees issued a Resolution of Appreciation in recognition of Sullivan’s service since his initial election in 1987. Sullivan has served longer than any other Lake Land College trustee, and he is proud to have collaborated with every president in the college’s history during his tenure.

(MIKE SULLIVAN SURROUNDED BY LAKE LAND PRESIDENT JOSH BULLOCK {left} AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES PRESIDENT GARY CADWELL)

“We are thankful for Trustee Sullivan’s years of dedicated service to Lake Land College and the mission of higher education,” Lake Land President Josh Bullock said. “His visionary leadership has led the college to grow beyond expectations, and his devotion to his community is evident in the lives he has touched along the way. We wish him the best as he embarks on this next chapter in his life.”  

Sullivan’s connection to Lake Land College extends beyond his 37 years of service as a trustee. He witnessed the groundbreaking of campus in the 1960s and graduated in 1970 among some of the first students to attend the college. In 1968, he was elected Student Government president and served on the very first Illinois Community College Board Student Advisory Committee. He led the committee that started the annual Spring Carnival that students continue to enjoy on campus today. In 2014, Sullivan was inducted into the Lake Land College Distinguished Alumni Society.

(ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEES ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JIM REED w/MIKE SULLIVAN)

In his years as a trustee, Sullivan continued to impact Lake Land College as an advocate for student support and success. He has worked with state legislators to promote the necessity of adequate community college funding, increased student financial aid and the enhancement of transfer opportunities through university partnerships. Further, he has served as a liaison between the college and local businesses, helping students apply their classroom instruction in practical work-based learning experiences. He helped lead the addition of Lake Land’s John Deere program, which sponsors students with paid, supervised experience through local John Deere dealerships and is one of just 18 programs of its kind in the country.

Sullivan also advocated the importance of providing a welcoming campus environment to better serve students and local residents. He led the development of Alumni Park, which has provided a place for students, staff, faculty and alumni to enjoy the beauty of Lake Land College since 2007. He also led the creation of the Veterans Memorial and granite flag in Podestá Park.

Sullivan spearheaded the energy saving initiatives and programs that have made Lake Land College a national leader in the field. By incorporating technologies and techniques such as solar panels and daylight harvesting, these initiatives save the college approximately half a million dollars per year and provide unique educational opportunities for students.

Sullivan was also a charter member of Lake Land’s alumni association board and was recognized for his outstanding contributions to the college’s Alumni Association with the 2004 Golden Apple Award. In 2005, he and his wife, Linda, established a scholarship endowment with the Lake Land College Foundation to annually benefit one Lake Land student. In 2018, Sullivan was named to the Foundation’s Top 50 VIP list, which recognizes the 50 most influential individuals in the college’s history.

As a proponent of community college and higher education, Sullivan also served on the state-wide Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) legislative committee for more than 30 years. He was elected by his peers to serve as ICCTA treasurer from 1997-1998, ICCTA vice president from 1998-1999 and ICCTA president from 1999-2000.

Sullivan has received numerous awards and recognition for his service as a member of the ICCTA. His is one of just four trustees in the organization’s history to receive the ICCTA Education Award six times, and he received the Ray Hartstein Trustee Achievement Award in recognition of his exemplary service by an active community college board member. He also participated in more than 100 professional development seminars during his tenure and earned the Linden A. Warfel Trustee Education award as a result.

Beyond the realm of education, Sullivan is an active proponent for community enrichment and support for the individuals within them. He has served on Mattoon’s Planning and Zoning Committee, the Mattoon Community Foundation Board, the Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation Advisory Board and the Saint Mary School Board in Mattoon. As an advisor for the East Central Illinois Development Corporation (ECIDC), he assisted in the economic advancement of 11 counties throughout Illinois. He also spent many years with the Mattoon Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) committee to plan activities for the shelter and serve as an advocate for those in need.

“It is rare to find someone who is so engaged in service for so many years,” Lake Land College Board Chair Gary Cadwell said. “On behalf of all former and current trustees, we thank Mike for his generosity in helping new trustees, collaborating with peers and college staff and for guiding the college into the future.”