NJC Alumni Association board member Andrea Anderson presents Paul Rodarmar with the Pathfinder Award. (Callie Jones/Journal-Advocate)

STERLING -- Northeastern Junior College recognized alumni and contributors to the college and its Alumni Association during a luncheon for the Association's annual Awards Luncheon on Saturday.

The event started with an address from interim president Scott Stump, who welcomed the alumni back "home" to NJC.

Those honored included Pathfinder Award recipients Paul Rodarmar and Irene Stute, Service Award recipient Jim Read and President's Award recipients Francis "Rock" Roche and Dr. Curtis and Judy Kimball.

Additionally, Judy Giacomini and Kent Wright were recognized as honorary members.

The Pathfinder Award honors alumni or former students who have made outstanding contributions in their field of endeavor wherein training or education began at NJC.

Recipient Paul Rodarmar was born in Grand Rapids, Mich. His father was a sales and marketing manager for Texaco, Inc., a company that no longer exists. His positions with the company resulted in the family relocating many times.

In the middle of Rodarmar's sophomore year of high school his father was promoted and his family moved to Denver, where Rodarmer entered Thomas Jefferson High School.

His first job was working at a Texaco station.

After graduating high school in 1970, college was not in his plans but after much persuading he agreed to attend NJC.

Rodarmar graduated with an associate of arts degree with a major in business in 1972. He planned to attend the University of Colorado, but his dad was promoted to work at headquarters in New York and moved to Connecticut. Rodarmar decided to go with his family and attended the University of Western Connecticut while working part time in a Chrysler Plymouth dealership.

He graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1974.

In 1975, Rodarmar was hired by Chevrolet as a dealer representative in New Jersey, where he also joined the volunteer fire department.

For four years, he was an entry-level manager working in the Chevrolet Zone Office in Connecticut. Then he moved to Detroit, where he worked in the sales technology department. After four years, he was promoted to manage Chevrolet Service Operations in North Texas and Oklahoma from the Dallas office.

Again, after four years he was Boston-bound to manage the product distribution function for all of the Chevrolet Dealers in New England and later was the regional service manager.

Then four years later he returned to Detroit to be the national warranty manager for all of the United States.

Rodarmar returned to Dallas and for the past 13 years has been manager of the Regional Customer Activities and Training Department for 14

Bob Carpio, NJC Alumni Association board member, presents Irene Stute with the Pathfinder Award. (Callie Jones/Journal-Advocate)

states. He hopes this will be his final career location after 38 years.

He lives on a small farm near Tioga, Texas, and has a 17-year-old daughter.

Rodarmar has remained active in the volunteer fire service and is currently the fire chief in Tioga. He has many hours of training with FEMA and is an incident commander, helping direct regional disasters such as tornadoes and hurricanes.

Additionally, he has served on the local school board for 10 years and as chairman of the local planning and zoning commission for several years.

"NJC has made me what I am today," Rodarmar said upon receiving the award.

The other award recipient, Irene Stute was born in Wels, Austria. Her father, Ray Howard, who was in the U.S. Army, met her mother, Ingelborg Burndorfer, while stationed in Austria.

When Ray was discharged from the service they returned to his home in St. Francis, Kan. Later the family moved to Denver for a short time and then relocated in Wray.

Stute attended Wray schools for 12 years and graduated from Wray High School in 1973. Upon graduating from high school, she enrolled in the clerk typist program at NJC and graduated with a certificate in 1974.

She utilized her degree working with a lawyer in Wray and then with Colorado Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services and Dresser Oilfield Products, both in Denver.

Stute met her husband, LeRoy, in October 1977 on a blind date and they were married on Aug. 25, 1979. They reside in Westminster and have three children, Phronsie, Elysia and Justin, and three grandchildren.

She was involved in many forms of community service while her children were growing up.

Stute worked with the Girl Scout program for 15 years, serving as a leader, school organizer, unit coordinator, unit program adviser, council craft trainer, council delegate, outdoor craft trainer, and day camp first aide provider, camp director/adviser. Plus, she served the Girl Scouts of Colorado as director for statewide registration for three years.

For her work with the Girl Scout program Stute has received the Outstanding Leader Award, Elizabeth Hayden Award, Trefoil Award and an Honor Pin.

Additionally, she volunteered as a Cub Scout leader and Tiger Cub Coach for four years and a Boy Scout secretary, troop recruiter and troop committee member for five years.

Plus, she served for seven years as promoter of hospitality and guardian secretary, with Jobs Daughters.

For 10 years Stute volunteered with Pamona High School band activities. She served as a bus and trip sponsor, bus sponsor chairperson, color guard mom in charge of bingo, flags and uniforms for three years.

Stute served on the school accountability committee for seven years on the elementary, middle school and high school levels, and volunteered as a Teacher's Helper for 12 years.

She is a member of the St. Andrew Lutheran Church and has been in charge of Sunday school bulletin boards, director of the senior high youth group, the director of the Christmas program for three years and a craft trainer for two Sunday school teacher trainings.

Stute is presently working for Covenant Care at Home as an office assistant.

"I made a lot of friendships at NJC and really enjoyed my time at NJC," she said upon receiving the award.

To learn more about the President's Award recipients see Wednesday's Journal-Advocate.com.

Callie Jones: (970) 526-9286; cjones@journal-advocate.com

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2 NJC alumni honored as Pathfinders