Illinois Central College Honors Alumni Award Winners Dr. Keith Knepp and Jona Hall at Annual Community Celebration
East Peoria, IL (10/30/2024) — The Illinois Central College (ICC) Educational Foundation announced the winners of their 2024 alumni awards at their annual Community Celebration event on Tuesday, October 29, at the Peoria Civic Center.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award was presented to Dr. Keith Knepp, President of Carle Health Greater Peoria. Dr. Knepp, who graduated from ICC in 1991, has had a distinguished career in healthcare, starting as a physician and later transitioning into leadership roles, including Chief Medical Informatics Officer and Chief Operating Officer. He remains deeply connected to ICC, frequently engaging with students and faculty, and is active in the Central Illinois community, serving on several nonprofit boards and leading multiple healthcare initiatives.
The Alumnus of the Last Decade Award was presented to Jona Hall, who graduated from ICC in 2020 and went on to earn her bachelor's degree in journalism from Pennsylvania State University. Hall now works as a paralegal at Pioletti, Pioletti, and Nichols law firm and is recognized for her commitment to community service. While at Penn State, she founded Zeta Mu Phi, a nonprofit that provides resources and scholarships to online students. She also launched Illuminate, an organization focused on combating human trafficking and domestic abuse.
"Our annual alumni awards recognize ICC graduates who have achieved outstanding success in their chosen field, shown a strong commitment to humanitarian service, and demonstrated support for higher education and Illinois Central College," said Mike Unes, Vice President of Institutional Advancement. "Dr. Keith Knepp and Jona Hall are incredibly deserving of their awards. They are helping make our community and region a better place, and we could not be prouder to call them ICC alumni."
###
Illinois Central College is a two-year community college with campuses in East Peoria, Peoria and Pekin, Illinois, providing a high-quality, affordable education to prepare students to enter the workforce or to transfer to a four-year institution. ICC is the 2020 awardee of the National Community College Charles Kennedy Equity Award from ACCT, a 2022 EDA Good Job Challenge Institution, and the Lead College for the state of Illinois' Workforce Equity Initiative. ICC also conducts original research in agricultural fields, including water quality and soil conservation. For more information, visit icc.edu.
Media Attachments
