Southwestern Michigan College Board of Trustees, at its regular meeting Nov. 13 on the Niles campus, awarded Criminal Justice Director Dr. Donald Ricker with his 10-year service pin.

Professor Ricker has overseen SMC’s award-winning CJ program since 2014, taking the reins in only its second year.

Ricker holds an associate degree in criminal justice from Delta College, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Houston and an Ed.D. in higher education leadership from Maryville University in St. Louis.

Prior to coming to SMC, Ricker served as a patrol officer, criminal investigator and probation counselor in the Houston, Texas, area.

In addition, he taught criminal justice and sociology in New Mexico, Ohio and Michigan. He has been honored throughout his career, including a Meritorious Special Recognition award for stopping an armed robbery in progress, and both the Donald C. Roush Award for Teaching Excellence in 1996 and the National Staff and Organization Development (NISOD) for Excellence in Teaching from New Mexico State University.

Working with SMC students through Tuesday CJ Club, Ricker has led them to numerous victories at SkillsUSA, where he chairs the Technical Committee for the State Criminal Justice Contest.

An active member of the local community, he serves on the Southwest Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force Executive Board and is a board member of the Social Justice Alliance of Cass County.

In other business, trustees received the college’s audit from Plante Moran, presented by Partner Kenley Penner and Manager Alyssa Lawrence. SMC earned a “clean, unmodified opinion — the highest level of assurance.”

In his President’s Report, Dr. Joe Odenwald highlighted the volleyball team qualifying again for the Great Lakes District Tournament and the seven conference and regional awards announced for players on Nov. 12; five members of the cross country teams ran at the NJCAA National Championships in Richmond, Va.; the men’s basketball team has started 4-1 and, after upsetting No. 2 South Suburban in Chicago, garnered votes in the NJCAA national rankings for the first time since program revival; the women’s basketball team’s 4-1 start; and the Bass Anglers ranked 15^th in School of the Year — one of just two community colleges.

“In the arts,” Odenwald continued, “the band and choir events were outstanding. The Halloween Spooktacular attracted a lot of community members for a costume contest and trick-or-treating. The holiday concert is on Dec. 7 at 7:30.”

“Founders Day was also a success,” Odenwald said of the Nov. 1 luncheon celebrating SMC’s 60^th anniversary.

The board accepted two gifts to the college totaling $405 and acknowledged seven donations to the SMC Foundation amounting to $14,825. A $6,000 gift from SMC represents proceeds from the 50^th Steve’s Run, with a like amount dispatched to Mayo Clinic cancer research.

An annual Strategic Update meeting is proposed for the morning of Jan. 8, 2025, followed by the monthly business meeting at 1 p.m.