September 2015 • Issue Five
MCC AlumNet
THE
An Informational Network of Alumni From Flint JC, FCC, GCC and CS MCC.
A Love Connection: Flint natives find each other at FJC
They were married in June of 1970. But love was not the only
thing that took form and blossomed at FJC. The Shaltzes share a
great mutual respect and deep affection for their alma mater. They
credit FJC for providing them with a great start to fulfilling their
lives.
A proud graduate of the college’s Dental Hygiene program’s first
class, Ardele Shaltz ended up returning to college 20 years later to
earn a bachelor’s degree, after a stint working as a dental hygienist.
Opting out of the work world to be a stay-at-home mom, she later
returned to college after their children were older, starting at the
University of Michigan-Flint. Returning to school was a no-brainer
for her, a “piece of cake,” she said, as all of her FJC dental hygiene
credits transferred over to UM-Flint. Ultimately, she went on to earn
a Master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan in
Ann Arbor.
Photo courtesy of Mike Naddeo
Theirs is a love story that reads
like a romantic movie script –
complete with the proverbial
“and-they-lived-happily-ever-after
ending.”
Philip and Ardele Shaltz
celebrated their 45th anniversary in
June – and to think it all began at
Flint Junior College (FJC).
Hanging out in the school
cafeteria, skipping class, playing
Euchre with the guys, checking
out the ladies . . . . that was Philip
Shaltz’ modus operandi back in the
Philip Shaltz, recipient of MCC’s
day, until a pretty honor student by
Distinguished Alumni Award.
the name of Ardele came into the
picture.
She remembers her heart skipping a beat at the first glimpse of
the handsome young man who walked into the FJC cafeteria. He
was wearing a leather jacket, she recalls. “It was a pretty, dark camel
color, he had a crew cut, a nice smile and a great laugh,” Mrs. Shaltz
said. “I had no idea who he was but – Oh, my goodness – I was very
smitten.”
Phil Shaltz admitted that he was taken by the future dental
hygienist as well, who was largely responsible for his transition
from chronic class skipper to serious student: he was more interested
in the “social aspects” of college life. “I was distracted with other
things and not into book work at all,” he recalled.
They met in the fall of 1967, were introduced to each other by
mutual friends, and once he gathered enough courage to ask her
out: “I became fond of her very quickly,” he said. He remembered
how “cool” it was to be the first one to convince her to skip a class
– something she would never do. “I thought that was a great accomplishment, and vice versa,” he said.
“I was president of my class and I had good grades, but I
skipped a couple of nutrition classes to meet up with him,” she added.
She did manage to encourage him to stop skipping classes.
On March 9, 1968, they decided to go steady. And he gave her his
class ring.
“I was pretty confident that things would work out,” Mr. Shaltz
said. “We meshed really well; she’s a wonderful lady.”
The Shaltz family: Daughter Carrie, Phil, Ardele, and son Jason
“FJC was such a spring board for me,” she said. “I always loved
education. It’s the best gift to give your kids. Phil said it (going back
to school) was such a great example for me to set for the kids.”
The Shaltzes reside in Lake Fenton, and have two adult children,
Carrie Ardele and Jason Philip, who live in Los Angeles and Brooklyn, New York, respectively.
Now enjoying her retirement, Ardele Shaltz loves to go pontooning on the lake, spending time with her husband and friends, travelling and visiting her children. She is content: proud of her achievements and happy with her life. “I do have to give a toast to FJC for
where I am today,” she said. “Life is good.” Continued page 3.
MCC
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Join us in making a difference!
The MCC Alumni Association meets
bi-monthly to strengthen friendships and
associations formed at Flint Junior College, Flint Community College, Genesee
Community College and Mott Community College. Members help promote the
programs at MCC and seek to maintain
and inform interested alumni that continue
to support the institution. Board members
also lend a hand in promoting the importance of post-secondary education with
special emphasis on the MCC experience.
Whether you’ve gone to one class or
graduated with several degrees, the MCC
Alumni Association invites you to join us
as we improve the campus, the community and reconnect with friends, faculty and
staff. To join, please call (810) 762-0425
or email us at foundation@mcc.edu.
Alumni Association Board of Directors
John Krupp, CPA, President
John Fontana, Vice President
Grace Glass, Treasurer
Members
Clara Blakely
David Bush
Marcy Garcia
Jill Gist
Charley McClendon
Michael J. Thorp
Stacey Vanucci
Gennois Wiggins
Lennetta Coney, Ex Officio
Emeritus Members
Dan Cady
Betty Lou Campbell
John Chinonis
Dean Haley
Sally Joseph, J.D.
Sixto Olivo
The Honorable Thomas Yeotis
MCC Alumni Outreach continues to
flourish
As alumni, you know the value of education. Whether you attended this fine institution
when it was Flint Junior College, Flint Community College, Genesee Community College,
and now Mott Community College, many of you have described how MCC has been your
pathway to excellence. People have shared countless
stories, retelling how MCC placed them on a path to
advancing their academic goals and professional careers.
Students, past and present, are what we are all
about. This is why it is so important for us to reach out to
alumni. The MCC Alumni Association’s alumni outreach
effort, started in April 2014, has enjoyed a highly
successful launch. We’ve been to Charlotte, NC; Chicago,
Ill.; Tempe, AZ – and one day soon – we’ll be coming to a
town near you!
This is an exciting time to be an alum of Mott
College. Every facet of programming targeted to
alumni indicates that MCC is making a conscious effort to
reach out to those who have graced the halls and trekked
through the campus of this great institution. We’re asking
you to help MCC tell its story, and to help current students, recent graduates and alumni
reflect on our heritage with pride. There is no better way to tell the story of MCC than
through the journeys of former students whose lives were affected or transformed through
their pathway to excellence. So, what’s your story?
Please take a few moments to tell us how Mott Community College impacted your life.
Just call (810) 762-0425 or email us at alumassoc@mcc.edu. We’d love to hear from you.
Annual Distinguished Alumni Awards
Ceremony Scheduled Oct. 8, 2015
MCC’s 2015 Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Retiree Awards Ceremony will
take place Oct. 8, 2015 in the MCC Event Center. Reception is 5:30 p.m. with the dinner
program to follow at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $50. Foundation for MCC President Lennetta
Coney has announced this year’s
recipients: Jane Bingham; Dr. Susan
Goering; Dr. Ronald F. Sutliff and
Dean Yeotis. Dr. Rajagopal
Shantaram has been chosen as the
recipient of the Outstanding Retiree
Award. For more information,
please call (810) 762-0425 or go to
www.mcceventsonline.com.
Dean Yeotis
Jane Bingham
Dr. Susan Goering
Dr. Ronald Sutliff
Dr. Rajagopal Shantaram
Continued from page 1.
A 2011 recipient of MCC’s Distinguished Alumni Award, Phil Shaltz transferred to Michigan State University after attending FJC for two
years. He received his BA degree from MSU in 1970, and credited FJC with providing a “wonderful transition” to go on to MSU. “I wasn’t the
greatest student. I don’t think I would have been prepared to go to a four-year right out the chute,” he said. “I needed to slowly meld myself
into college life.”
“I really enjoyed my time at FJC,” he said. “It was close to home, I already had friends here, and it made my transition (to MSU) much
easier. It helped mold me into who I am today; it helped me appreciate my community more.”
“Staying here probably in some way helped me to be more socially conscious,” he added.
He joined his father at Shaltz Fluid Power in 1977 and took over the reins of that company in 1979, where he currently holds the position
of President. He has amassed numerous business achievements that have led to several acquisitions and startups. In 2003, Mr. Shaltz and several businessmen founded Uptown Six, of which he is a managing partner. The Uptown Six group, responsible for the focus on the redevelopment of the downtown Flint area, has developed various properties which have become the catalyst for the continued expansion of Flint’s urban
areas. Mr. Shaltz serves on The Hurley Board of Managers, The Hurley Foundation, FirstMerit Bank Community Board, Crim Fitness Foundation Board Member Emeritus, United Way, and is actively involved with many other organizations. He founded The Flint Diaper Bank and I’m
Concerned about the Blueberries initiative as ways to help the children of this community.
“I really like giving back to the community, trying to create change and helping to make the community that’s been so kind to me, better.
The health and welfare of this community is very important to me,” he said.
Ardele Shaltz said she believes her husband will probably never retire. “He built a business that afforded me a lifestyle to be a stay-athome mom, Bless his heart,” she said. “He’s a good guy and such a hard worker. I’m glad I trusted my gut instinct.”
Alum gives boost to alumni event in Arizona
Thanks to Clella “Kelly” Banks, MCC Alumni Association’s
woman on the ground in Tempe, Arizona, our alumni reception held there in April was one of the most successful events
to date.
The alumni event at the Tempe Center for the Arts, the
third installment of the MCC Alumni Association’s Alumni
Outreach Project, was well received. “We had a 100 percent
turnout of alums who RSVP’d and many have expressed a
desire to see this event occur annually,” The Foundation for
MCC President Lennetta Coney noted.
Judi Heughens, longtime assistant to The Foundation
for MCC, and a Surprise, AZ resident, helped coordinate the
Tempe event.
An MCC alumna and retiree, Mrs. Banks knows a thing
or two about
alumni events. MCC President Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea, center, in yellow, joined the group in Tempe.
She retired from Mott Community College in 2009 with 27 years of service under her belt, after
enjoying a successful career in nursing and in the Health Sciences Division. She helped organize
MCC’s first nursing alumni group in 1988, serving as an officer. She was also a charter member
of the Mott Alumni Association.
“As a group we held fundraisers that funded eight scholarships for nursing students each
year,” Mrs. Banks recalled. “Our many events allowed us to mentor, share stories and ideas, problem-solve and to care for each other and the students who would follow us.”
Kelly Banks was proud to share her ideas and experiences as an alumni booster with the Foundation for MCC staff organizing the event. She had the background, after having assisted with
just about every event the MCC Nursing Alumni and the Mott Alumni group chose to do -- and
she loved every minute of it. “We had a great group of people from the beginning and many great
people who joined us as we went along,” she reflected. “Being on an Alumni committee allowed me to reach beyond my position to help create
events and fundraisers that establish scholarships and programs that continue to help future students,” Mrs. Banks said. “Each time we help a student find their way, we’ve made our corner of
the world a bit better.”
MCC in Tempe:. Front left: FMCC’s Mary
A widow, Kelly Banks has three grown children and four grandsons. She lives part-time in
Yarbrough, MCC Alum Kelly Banks.
Back left: FMCC President Lennetta Coney and both Michigan and Arizona, with “two rescued Jack Russell Terriers that think they are human!”
MCC Head Basketball Coach Steve Schmidt.
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In Memoriam: A Tribute to Federal Court Judge Paul V. Gadola
A proud product of Flint Junior College and a 2005 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, Judge Gadola will always be remembered as someone who truly cared about the Flint community and his alma mater.
Judge Gadola was part of Mott Community College’s first elected Board of Trustees in 1969 and served for 20 years, including a term as
Chair. He also served the college as a charter member of the Alumni Association. He enjoyed a successful career practicing law, maintaining a
private practice from 1955 to 1989. Nominated to serve on the bench as a judge with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, he took office in January of 1989.
A founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan’s Greater Flint Branch, Judge Gadola played an active role participating in a variety of civic organizations, including the Urban League of Flint, March of Dimes of Genesee County and the Cystic Fibrosis
Research Foundation. An exemplary community leader, Judge Gadola left a legacy of leadership that provided inspiration to many people – not
just in Flint and Genesee County, but throughout the state and nation as well.
With his passing on Dec. 26, 2014, the college community lost a stalwart champion and great friend.
MCC
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION