NICC commencement speakers to share their stories and career journey with graduates

Thursday, May 4, 2023

CALMAR & PEOSTA—Northeast Iowa Community College will hold commencement for 282 Calmar and Peosta campus graduates this spring. Ceremonies for both campuses include Fall 2022, Spring 2023 and Summer 2023 graduates.

The Calmar ceremony will be held at Luther College, Center for Faith & Life, in Decorah at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, and the Peosta ceremony will be held at the Five Flags Center in Dubuque at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 12. Both events are free and open to the public.

At the Calmar campus 125 graduates will be attending the ceremony. Sue Runyon, of Fayette, NICC Board of Trustees, will give the welcome address. Lynn Hopp, vice president international operations and resources for TriMark Corporation, will give the keynote address.

During his 28-year career at TriMark Corporation, Hopp has served in diverse capacities including vice president of human resources and board of director, director of human resources, training and safety manager, and training coordinator. TriMark is an innovator, designer and manufacturer of vehicle hardware products headquartered in New Hampton.

Noah Young, Automotive Technology, ‘23, will deliver the NICC graduate address. As a student Noah served as a leader and advocate for community colleges and attended the Community Colleges on the Hill event in Des Moines.

At Peosta, 157 graduates will be attending the ceremony. NICC Trustee Gary McAndrew, of Peosta, will give the welcome address. Mark Dickson, general manager of John Deere Dubuque Works, will deliver the keynote address.

Dickson has served as general manager for John Deere Dubuque Works since April 2015. He began his career with Deere & Company in 1998 and has experience in six operations within the John Deere enterprise. Over a 25-year career with Deere, he has held various leadership positions in supply management, quality, customer support and manufacturing operations.

Alicia Mouzon, Nursing graduate, December ‘22, will deliver the NICC graduate address. Mouzon is a labor and delivery nurse for MercyOne Hospital in Dubuque. As a student, Alicia was a member of the TRIO-Student Support Services program on campus and credits the program for offering insights that helped prepare her for a successful career.

Northeast Iowa Community College serves eight counties in northeast Iowa and surrounding areas. Offering academic programs of study in a variety of disciplines, in addition to online and blended learning, customized business and industry training, short-term certification options and adult education and literacy, the College is committed to affordable, high-quality education and training to ensure the growth and vitality of northeast Iowa. For more information about NICC, visit www.nicc.edu.