NJC Alumni Association Honors Alumni and Contributors at 31st Hoops Luncheon

The Northeastern Junior College Alumni Association presented its Service Award to Keith and Kay Gentry and to Gordon and Jenifer Felzien at the association’s 31st annual Hoops Homecoming Awards Luncheon on Saturday, Feb. 28. Alumni Association President Noelle Corman and Secretary Dave Colburn delivered the awards at the event held as part of the college’s Hoops Homecoming activities.

The Service Award is described as “presented to an alumni who has demonstrated outstanding service toward the goals and accomplishments of the Association through significant contributions of time and work.” Alumni Association President Noelle Corman, who presented the award to Keith and Kay Gentry, said, “We are here to celebrate individuals who have made a lasting impact on our college and community. These individuals invested their time, talents and heart into strengthening this institution and supporting the students who walk these halls.”

Photographs from the luncheon by Callie Jones show Noelle Corman, left, presenting the Service Award to Keith and Kay Gentry and show Secretary Dave Colburn, left, presenting the Service Award to Gordon and Jenifer Felzien; the photo captions read, respectively, “Northeastern Junior College Alumni Association President Noelle Corman, left, presents the Service Award to Keith and Kay Gentry at the association's Hoops Homecoming Awards Luncheon Saturday, Feb. 28. (Callie Jones/Journal‑Advocate)” and “Northeastern Junior College Alumni Association Secretary Dave Colburn, left, presents the Service Award to Gordon and Jenifer Felzien at the association's Hoops Homecoming Awards Luncheon Saturday, Feb. 28. (Callie Jones/Journal‑Advocate).”

An NJC social post previewed the winners with the line, “Your 2026 Hoops Homecoming Award Winners! Northeastern Junior College and the Alumni Association invites you to honor and celebrate them at” in an Instagram caption tied to the 2026 awards announcement. The luncheon continues a longrunning pattern of Hoops Homecoming awards at NJC; earlier recipients documented on the college site include Carol Keil receiving the Service Award at the Feb. 19, 2022 luncheon and Ken Shaw receiving the Pathfinder Award at the Feb. 4, 2023 luncheon.

One event listing contained a typographical error that spelled Felzien as “Goron.” Photo captions accompanying the luncheon images consistently spell the name as Gordon Felzien; reporting here follows the photo-caption spelling. Images and captions from the event were credited to Callie Jones.

The Alumni Association held its 31st annual Hoops Homecoming Awards Luncheon to recognize longtime contributors and alumni for service to the college and regional community on Saturday, Feb. 28. Additional 2026 award categories or recipients were not listed in the materials available from the event; the Service Award recipients named here reflect the awards presented and documented at the luncheon.