Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH WEBSTER - While the Kosciusko Leadership Academy (KLA) Class of 2026 celebrated its graduation Tuesday night, time also was taken to remember two pillars of the organization who died in the past year - Jean Northenor and Dr. Jeffrey Fawcett.
In asking for two moments of silence, KLA President Nathan Conley said, “This past year, KLA lost a little bit of ourselves twice.”
First, he honored Northenor, who died Nov. 6, 2025. She served as executive vice president of Lake City Bank for many years, and co-founded KLA in 1981. The Northenor Award was created in her honor by KLA co-founder Matt Dalton because he thought so highly of her, Conley said. Northenor was a Project Proud judge for most of KLA’s years and later on, after she scaled back her participation, she was still involved as a Project Proud observer
“We’ll miss her. We’ll miss her a lot,” Conley said.
He then recalled his good friend, Fawcett, who died June 27, 2025.
Jeff and his wife, Tonya, moved to Winona Lake in August 2011 and Jeff was in the 2011-12 KLA class.
“So that tells you how quick he jumped right in. As you recall, kickoff date is August,” Conley said. “Jumped right in. Loved it and graduated 2012 KLA and served as vice president the next year. And served from 2016 to 2025 ... as our president.”
Conley pointed out while he put the final touches on the program for the 44th Graduation Celebration, Fawcett still had a hand in putting it together.
Later in the graduation celebration, Conley presented the Hall of Fame award to Dr. Jeffrey and Tonya Fawcett.
“We select someone that just really sticks out as having leaned into KLA and given time, talents a lot of different ways to help ... the organization ... to further the cause,” he said in presenting the award.
Conley said the Fawcetts have had 13 years of impact on KLA and continue to have an impact on it.
After the diplomas were presented to the 2026 graduates, an update on the first- and second-place 2025 Northenor Award recipients were presented. Kosciusko County Community Foundation CEO Stephanie Overbey talked about the Northenor Award Fund and the Dr. Jeff Fawcett Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation and how people can donate to those. Then longtime KLA Moderator Dr. Allyn Decker presented the 2026 Northenor Award.
Criteria for the Northenor Award includes its countywide impact, if it’s doable and if it’s sustainable.
Decker read the rationale the judges provided for selecting the award winner, which was “Second Chance Housing & Job Skills Training” and included team members Don Halvorsen, from Silveus Insurance Group; Sam Stewart, Tranzstar; Tony Peterson, Cardinal Services; and Jessica Mikesell, Bowen Health.
“The judges appreciated the diverse array of topics chosen by this year’s teams. We were impressed with each team’s research and diligence and ... proposed solutions. As always, these teams did not make judging easy. We ultimately chose the Second Chance Housing & Job Skills Training,” Decker read, in part. “We chose the Second Chance Housing & Job Skills program because it scored highest overall for all three of us. In addition to the project’s potential, countywide impact, it’s doability and it’s sustainability, we also found the need that project was addressing to be particularly compelling.”
The judges decided to award the entire amount to the team, totaling $2,692.
“We also felt the Northenor Award would make an impact on the project as outlined by the team - rezoning fees and marketing. Additionally, we believe the Northenor Award will bring visibility and credibility to a large group of stakeholders than team members or even LITE has on its own,” Decker finished reading.
The initiative was developed in partnership with LITE Recovery and Cardinal Services and proposes the creation of a tiny home recovery community in Warsaw. The program will provide up to five years of structured, recovery-focused transitional housing combined with on-site case management, workforce training through Cardinal Services’ Opportunity Labs and financial literacy education, according to the executive summary of the project.
Guest speaker for the event was Kosciusko Economic Development Director (KEDCO) CEO Peggy Simmons, who is a KLA graduate. She spoke for about 18 minutes on leadership and challenged the KLA cadets to get involved in something they care about within the next 90 days.
“If you’re ready to step into leadership across the county, don’t wait to be asked. Let me tell you something I’ve learned across every step of my journey, from being a stay-at-home mom to the U.S. Senate to Rochelle, Ill., to a failed attempt at retirement to KEDCO: The moments that matter most were the ones I chose to step into, even when I wasn’t sure,” she said, in part, during her comments. “... So here’s what I’m asking you to do tonight: Don’t let KLA be something you just complete. Let it be something you start. In the next 90 days, do one thing: Join a board, volunteer for a project, raise your hand when a need shows up because this community doesn’t need more observers, it needs more participants.”
The other KLA White Paper Projects this year included:
• Kosciusko County NFP Accounting Services-and-Small Steps, Big Impact with team members Lukas Rife, OrthoWorx, and Zeke McSherry, Core Mechanical Services.
• Loop It Forward, with team members Chris Hanson, Lake City Bank; Nicole Bevitori, 1Eighty Digital; Justin Holler, Instrumental Machine & Development; and Ethan Radke, Paragon Medical.
• Kosciusko Boating & Aquatics Center, with team members Glenn Grossman, Grace College; Keith Beers, SYM Financial Advisors; Gryffin Carpenter, W.R. Hall Insurance Group; and Andrew Wade, 1st Source Bank.
• Ortho Capital Innovation Center, with team members Emi Kreklau, Grace College; Kristin Huscher-Pahl, Joe’s Kids Inc.; Leigh-Ann Piasecki, CTB Inc.; and Cassie Peyton, Everwise Credit Union.
• Kosciusko Childcare and Early Learning Hub, with team members JoAnne Alvarez, Ivy Tech Community College; Matthias Briz, Kosciusko County Visitors Bureau; Trisha Musall, Joe’s Kids Inc.; and Alexis Devenney, Everwise Credit Union.
For more about KLA, visit its website at www.kosciuskoleadership.org
