Heartland Community College Trustee, student recognized as Ag Leaders

 

[November 23, 2024]    NORMAL, IL, – Heartland Community College student Lauren Monk and Becky Ropp, Chair of the college’s Board of Trustees, were honored as leaders working to improve the agriculture industry in McLean County.

On Thursday, November 21, 2024, the McLean County Chamber of Commerce recognized individuals as “the best in 2024 McLean County agriculture” at their Agriculture Awards Dinner.

Illinois Community College District 540 Board of Trustees Chair Becky Ropp was recognized as a business person who has served to improve agriculture through civic and community activities. Ropp was given the Outstanding Person in Agribusiness Award, acknowledging her civic and community work through her leadership of the Board of Trustees. Under her tenure as a Trustee and as Chair of the Board Ropp helped guide Heartland Community College toward the expansion of Ag education with three new degree programs and multiple certification programs which led to rapid employment in the agriculture industry. Ropp has served on the Heartland Board since 2014.

In support of those programs and Ag students, Ropp was a leading voice for the development, funding, and construction of a 29,500-square-foot Ag Complex on the Heartland Campus. The Ag Complex, which opened in January of 2024, has classrooms, labs, greenhouses, and plots for the educational support of 200+ students annually. The Ag Complex has also served as a community hub with the facilities used by ag educational and industry groups.

Ropp is the Director of Compliance and Employee Relations at GROWMARK, Inc., and is in partnership with her husband Ken, daughter Leah, and her in-laws Ray and Carol Ropp in their dairy farm and cheese manufacturing and marketing LLC named Ropp Jersey Cheese.

Heartland Community College student Lauren Monk was named the recipient of the 2024 Emerging Leader in Agriculture Award. The award recognizes a young professional, high school, or college student engaged in non-production agriculture who has served to improve agriculture through civic and community activities.

Board Chair Becky Ropp (L) and HCC student Lauren Monk earlier this year at Spring 24 student awards presentation

Monk led Heartland’s Collegiate Farm Bureau Club, served as a Student Ambassador, and has spoken with numerous high school FFA and 4H students regarding college and educational pathways in agriculture.

During her collegiate career, she competed in State and National competitions of the Professional Agriculture Student Organization (PAS). She placed as a national runner-up in both Agriculture Education and Ag Ed Career Planning and was a member of the Heartland PAS College Bowl Team which competed at the National Conference.

In her freshman year Monk was one of only 55 students across the U.S. and Canada to be named a GROWMARK Scholar.

Both awards are voted on by the Ag Council.

[Text & Photo provided by Steve Fast]