Former student chosen to fill seat on IVCC board
Sept. 11, 2003
IVCC graduate Paula Endress of Earlville was seated on the College Board on Aug. 20. The co-owner of the Sun Press in Serena, she was appointed to fill a two-year term left with the resignation of Harry Debo of Peru. She was recommended for the appointment by a board committee that interviewed all applicants for the post.
“The education I received at IVCC made a profound difference in my life and I want to do my part, through service on the Board of Trustees, to ensure IVCC continues for generations to come,” Endress said.
The daughter of the late Donald and Mary Goble of Earlville, she attended IVCC from 1978 to 1980 when she received her associate degree. During that time, she was a reporter and page editor on the student newspaper, then called the Apache. She met her husband, Jay, an IVCC alumnus originally from Mendota, while working on the newspaper.
In 1982, Endress received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from NIU.
“Some of the finest instructors I had during my college career were at IVCC: Dr. (Rose Marie) Lynch, Mrs. (Donna) Linder, Mr. (Edward) Krolak, Mr. (William) Komarek, Mr. (Jim) Jewell,” she said. “Their dedication and commitment to providing a quality education was unsurpassed.”
Endress said working on the IVCC newspaper set her work habits.
“I recall many late nights of working on the Apache and Dr. Lynch was always there beside us, no matter how late the hour,” she said. “Her dedication and strong work ethic were an inspiration to me when I became Editor/Publisher of the Times Sentinel.”
Endress currently is the director of marketing and education for DeKalb County’s Ben Gordon Center, a behavioral healthcare center in DeKalb. She was the editor and published of the Zionsville Times Sentinel in Zionsville, Ind. from 1993 to 1998, Director of Development for the Leavenworth Catholic School System in Kansas from 1988 to 1993 and Director of Alumni Relations for Benedictine College in Atchison, Kans. from 1985 to 1988.
She has served on the Board of Directors of the Hoosier State Press Association, as President of the P. H.
Sullivan Foundation Board, and as a member of the Boone County Leadership Board of Directors.
IVCC is her first exposure to school board membership, but her journalism experience has provided some preparation.
“I don’t know how many different types of boards I’ve covered since journalists cover so many,” she said. “You gain experience and perspective covering boards as well as serving on them.”
Having been through her first board meeting, Endress has discovered that parking without fear of being towed is one of the perks of being on the board.
“I still have vivid memories of the ‘happy hooker’ towing service from my days at IV, so up front parking is definitely appreciated,” she said with a grin.
Returning to her serious commitment to the college, Endress said, “The interest that IVCCs professors show in their students’ careers, combined with an exceptional education, is the difference that distinguishes IVCC as an educational leader.”