Parkland College Foundation

What an incredible evening celebrating entrepreneurship, innovation, and community impact at the 2026 Parkland College Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year Banquet presented by Cozad Asset Management, Inc.!

Congratulations to Linda Davis Ballard and Courtney McKay, owners of Art Mart, on being named this year's V. Dale Cozad Entrepreneur of the Year recipients. Their vision, leadership, and commitment to our community continue to inspire and strengthen Central Illinois.

We were also honored to recognize Marc Chagnon for his outstanding dedication to Parkland's CobraVenture program. Through his leadership, countless students have gained valuable entrepreneurial experience, confidence, and the opportunity to turn ideas into action.

For 15 years, the Entrepreneur of the Year program has celebrated exceptional business leaders while supporting entrepreneurship education at Parkland College. Because of our generous sponsors, donors, and attendees, programs like CobraVenture continue to prepare the next generation of innovators and community leaders.

A special thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Cozad Asset Management, and all of our sponsors for making this event possible.

We are less than a week away from the 2026 Parkland College Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year Banquet, presented by Cozad Asset Management, Inc., and we are incredibly grateful for the generous sponsors helping make this special evening possible as we honor Courtney McKay and Linda Davis Ballard, owners of Art Mart, with the V. Dale Cozad Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

Please join us in recognizing and thanking our Venture Capital, Enterprise, Vision and Start Up Sponsors for their continued investment in future leaders and in strengthening our community:

Robert & Sondra Libman
Hickory Point Bank
Rick & Jeanene Stephens
Champaign Ford City & Illini Nissan
Busey Bank
Tom & Erin Tracy Family
MH CPA PLLC
BankChampaign, NA
Bodine Electric Company
Old National Bank
The Atkins Group
Taylor Studios
Carl R. Meyer Family

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible sponsors for supporting the 2026 Parkland College Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year Banquet presented by Cozad Asset Management, Inc. as we present the V. Dale Cozad Entrepreneur of the Year Award to Courtney McKay and Linda Davis Ballard, Owners of Art Mart.

Your partnership helps celebrate innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship while supporting opportunities for Parkland College students and programs. We are grateful for your commitment to strengthening our community and investing in future leaders.

Please join us in recognizing and thanking our incredibly generous Presenting and Premier Sponsors:

Cozad Asset Management, Inc.
Gibson Area Hospital
Mid Illinois Concrete & Excavation, Inc.
Illinois American Water
U of I Community Credit Union
Black & Company Industrial and Safety
FedEx
Meyer Capel, A Professional Corporation
Heartland Coca-Cola

🎟️ Tickets are still available to the Entrepreneur of the Year Banquet on June 3 at www.parkland.edu/EOTY

Join us for an inspiring evening of connection, generosity, and impact at the Parkland College Foundation Women of Impact event on June 16!

Women of Impact brings our community together to support scholarships that help Parkland College students pursue their goals and dreams — creating a ripple effect that strengthens families, workplaces, and our entire community.

🎟️ Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available now: www.parkland.edu/WomenofImpact

🎥 Watch how Women of Impact is changing lives through education: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDy7bBAnilk

Women of Impact - Parkland College Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

Congratulations Parkland College Class of 2026! We'll be celebrating your success all day. 🐍🎓Watch each ceremony LIVE on Parkland's Facebook, YouTube, or visit parkland.edu/commencement. 🟢 👀

Congratulations Parkland College Class of 2026! We'll be celebrating your success all day. 🐍🎓Watch each ceremony LIVE on Parkland's Facebook, YouTube, or visit parkland.edu/commencement. 🟢 👀

🎓 Announcing our Parkland College Class of 2026 Commencement Candidates and Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient, Justin Kirby!

A Parkland business administration alum (’94), Justin Kirby is the founder and CEO of Kirby Wealth Management Group, leading a firm that manages over $1 billion in client assets while giving back to communities across Illinois and beyond.

We’re so of our students and alumni and can’t wait to celebrate with our Cobra Community on Thursday, May 14, at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

🎉➡️ Read More: https://www.parkland.edu/.../Newsroom/Parkland-News...

🎓 Announcing our Parkland College Class of 2026 Commencement Candidates and Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient, Justin Kirby!

A Parkland business administration alum (’94), Justin Kirby is the founder and CEO of Kirby Wealth Management Group, leading a firm that manages over $1 billion in client assets while giving back to communities across Illinois and beyond.

We’re so of our students and alumni and can’t wait to celebrate with our Cobra Community on Thursday, May 14, at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

🎉➡️ Read More: https://www.parkland.edu/Main/About-Parkland/Newsroom/Parkland-News?ArtMID=1721&ArticleID=1352

We were honored to gather this week for the Women of Impact Scholarship Luncheon—bringing together a small group of students and the donors who make their success possible.

Hearing stories—and seeing the impact firsthand—is a powerful reminder that there is nothing more meaningful than helping our students succeed.

Thank you to all of our Women of Impact supporters and scholarship recipients. 💚

Women of Impact Scholarship Celebration & Selection
Tuesday, June 16 from 5-7 pm
Shapland Student Commons, Parkland College Student Union
Tickets and sponsorships are available now at www.parkland.edu/WomenofImpact

The Parkland College Career Room will be named the Dr. Joseph M. Sutton Career Exploration Center at Parkland College. This generous gift is a powerful example of how philanthropy can honor a legacy while also creating opportunities for future students.

Read more here:

Parkland College Career Room Renamed Dr. Joseph M. Sutton Career Exploration Center The Career Exploration room at Parkland College, part of Career and Community Engagement, will now be named the Dr. Joseph M. Sutton Career Exploration Center, thanks to a generous gift to the Parkland College Foundation in his memory. A 1985 Southern Illinois University School of Medicine graduate...

Please join us for the 2026 Parkland College Foundation Entrepreneur of the Year Banquet presenting the V. Dale Cozad Entrepreneur of the Year Award to Courtney McKay and Linda Davis Ballard, Owners of Art Mart

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at 5pm
I-Hotel and Conference Center

To learn more about Courtney and Linda, purchase tickets or sponsor the event please visit www.parkland.edu/EOTY

Attention Illinois Artists! The call for entries for the Illinois All-State Juried Art Exhibition is now open.

To apply, visit: parkland.edu/ILart. Deadline is April 21.

Misa Jeffereis, Associate Curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis will be serving as the show juror.

The All-State exhibition opens on June 8 followed by a reception on Thursday, June 11, from 5:30 to 7 pm and run through August 23.

We encourage you to submit your work and share this post with any artists who may be interested!

To make a gift to support the Giertz Gallery at Parkland College please visit www.parkland.edu/give

The call for entries for the Illinois All-State Juried Art Exhibition is now open! We invite you to apply through Submittable at parkland.edu/ILart. The online submission deadline is April 21.

We are excited to have Misa Jeffereis, Associate Curator at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, serving as the show juror. Previously, she served as curatorial associate at the Walker Art Center. Jeffereis has juried exhibitions for Apexart, the Association of Art Museum Curators, the Bemis Center for the Arts, the Center for Maine Contemporary Art Biennial, New American Paintings, Socrates Sculpture Park, the South Bend Museum of Art Biennial, and the Springfield Art Museum, among others. She also serves on the boards of Gallery 210 at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and Midwest Artist Project Services, which supports artists, collectives, and arts organizations across the Midwest.

The All-State exhibition will open on Monday, June 8, with a reception on Thursday, June 11, from 5:30 to 7 pm. The show will run until August 23, with a closing reception from 5:30 to 7 pm. The exhibition is open to all artists based in Illinois. We encourage you to submit your work and share this post with any artists who may be interested!

For more information, sign up for our emails at parkland.edu/gallerymail