Bernard C. Radde Distinguished Service Award: Judy Truesdell
Judy Truesdell was recognized with the Bernard C. Radde Distinguished Service Award in 2019.
Her first day on the job as a 麻花星空mv Trustee was spent breaking ground on the new听Niles campus. It was the first of many notable college milestones she would take part in during her听22-year tenure from 1997-2018.
The college continued to grow under her leadership with the establishment of the South Haven听Campus, and the introduction of M-TEC, Hanson Technology Center, Beckwith Residence Hall,听Todd Center, and the soon-to-be-opened Welch Center.
In addition to leading the college as a board member (most recently as secretary), Judy helped听grow college resources on LMC鈥檚 Foundation board from 1997-2014. She worked on four听campaigns raising over $14 million and saw the college through three successful millage renewals听and the historic capital millage campaign in 2016.
Judy left her mark on countless life-changing student programs and services over the years,听most notably helping to usher in the Early College program at LMC. Because of this opportunity,听thousands of high school students got a head start on college, saving area families millions of听dollars in tuition costs.
Judy has extended her generosity, leadership and civic engagement beyond LMC as a founding member of the Niles Education Foundation, a听Michigan Gateway Community Foundation trustee where she chairs the Niles Fund, and by serving on the boards of the Huizenga Foundation and听the Lakeland Health Foundation.
She and her husband, Terry, founded several Niles-based businesses including the IDI Design Group, Tree Play, Inc., one of the first wooden playset听companies in the country, and Cupcaketree.com, which created eco-friendly cupcake stands.
