Mary Fair Dechow has come full circle with Glen Oaks Community College, from a young student honing her writing skills to a Glen Oaks Foundation board member who chairs the committee responsible for communicating with alumni.
Dechow’s parents were strong supporters of having a community college in St. Joseph County. As owner of a tool and die shop, her father saw firsthand the need for a place for people to learn skilled trades. Her brother Charley also attended Glen Oaks, and taught shop classes for a time.
Mary began at Glen Oaks as a high school senior in 1970, only three years after the college opened and one year after its move to Centreville.
“Our Glen Oaks classes were small, so we had a lot of personal attention,” she said. “I thrived in that atmosphere. Instructors like Ron Miazga and Tom Soper helped me develop my writing skills and my analytical skills.
“I edited the student newspaper, Voice of the Viking. The combination prepared me well for transferring to Western Michigan University, but the skills also helped me immensely in my years of newspaper work and especially when I worked later on as a lobbyist.”
After receiving her bachelor of arts from WMU, Dechow worked in newspapers for three years and radio for a couple years. Employment in the grocery industry followed. She rounded out her career with a decade of legislative and regulatory work.
Dechow and her husband Dave moved to Three Rivers in 2006, coming from Grand Rapids where they lived for three decades.
Many locally may know her for her cancer-fighting efforts through Relay for Life of St. Joseph County.
“I’ve been involved in the American Cancer Society since 1993 when I had breast cancer,” she said. “If I’m going to get involved in something – especially in fundraising – I need to be 100 percent sure that they’re making good use of the money raised. ACS has a solid track record and the research they’re funding is making a difference in treatments and outcomes for cancer patients.”
She has found the same kind of outcomes from the Glen Oaks Foundation, on whose board she has served since 2014.
“The scholarships we give are important for the students; they make a difference,” she said. “But it’s bigger than that. The Foundation has made a difference for the college. We’re an arm of Glen Oaks that can make use of volunteers to do things the school may not be able to do.”
“For instance, the school does not have a formal Alumni Association. I see our Foundation Alumni Committee as the first step in reconnecting alumni with the school. Right now our committee is trying to update information for the thousands of students who have attended GOCC since the late 60s, and then providing them with information on what their school is doing now, and giving them opportunities to reconnect.”
Dechow describes herself as a “roll up your sleeves and do it kind of person,” so her participation on the Foundation Board suits her well.
“I love chairing this alumni committee and think we’re starting to fill a need for the school and the Foundation,” she said.
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The Glen Oaks Foundation Alumni Committee, chaired by Mary Fair Dechow, has as its mission to reconnect with alumni, keeping them aware of current happenings at the college and giving them opportunities to engage with GOCC.
“It’s a great school,” Dechow said. “We’re fortunate to have Dr. David Devier as our President. He is recognized as a leader in his field. Dr. Devier has done a wonderful job updating the facility and adding housing. The instructors are awesome and the programs are highly respected. The school is responsive to community needs, and we’re local – if a business needs something, they’re lucky they can get it right here in the community.”
The committee has already increased efforts to update the college’s alumni database.
To facilitate this data gathering, Glen Oaks representatives set up tables at several community festivals, offering alumni who provided them with current information a chance to enter a drawing for a basket of Glen Oaks swag and a $250 gift card. They will continue to do this during the winter at sporting events.
This new electronic newsletter featuring alumni stories is the next step in remaining connected.
“We have many successes in our communities, and we need to get that information out so people understand how important this school is to the county and the people here,” Dechow said. “Our efforts will augment the work being done by Dr. Devier and the staff at GOCC, including Val Juergens and the communications folks. By sharing information in multiple ways, we’ll be giving alumni and their families a reason to stop back at the school and see what’s happening, and a better understanding of why they should consider attending Glen Oaks.”
The Foundation’s alumni committee also will take on the responsibility of presenting the Distinguished Alumni awards.
Dechow said she was “thrilled” for this opportunity, with a goal of reaching more potential nominees. “We have many very successful alumni … people who have made a difference in their field, their community or with the college. We hope to find new ways to identify more candidates and recognize those alumni who are making a difference.”
Long range plans? Dechow says the committee has discussed future possibilities, such as a mentorship program or alumni participation in more classroom events, such as guest speakers.
Anyone interested in becoming more involved with the Alumni Committee efforts is encouraged to contact Mary at MaryDechow@Gmail.com.