MALTA — Kishwaukee College named Dr. Norman Jenkins, former president of Kishwaukee College, and Dr. Diane McNeilly, former vicepresident of instruction at Kishwaukee College, as the recipients of the 2019 John C. Roberts Community Service Award. The couple received the award at spring commencement on Saturday, May 18.
The John C. Roberts Community Service Award was established in 2009 to recognize individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the pursuit of excellence in education for the residents of the Kishwaukee College district.

“Dr. Norman Jenkins and Dr. Diane McNeilly’s careers embody the same selfless dedication to the residents in our district and the support of education that inspired John Roberts when he worked to establish Kishwaukee College,” stated Ken Doubler, Kishwaukee College trustee, during the commencement ceremony.
Dr. Jenkins and Dr. McNeilly are passionate advocates of education. Both joined Kishwaukee College in the early days: Dr. Jenkins was recruited to the college before the doors opened in 1968 to head the student services department and Dr. McNeilly came on board in the Spring semester of 1969 in the physical education department as an instructor and chair.
During their tenure, they developed several new administrative and academic programs and the college experienced tremendous growth. They utilized the continuous quality improvement (CQI) management philosophy and believed it was imperative to the college’s improvement in its services, processes, and outcomes.
Even in retirement, the couple still devote their time and resources to the advancement of the college. Dr. Jenkins is an active member on the college’s foundation board, and they established an endowment to support Phi Theta Kappa.