Jesse Ulrich, president of Iowa Central Community College, presents Dr. Terry and Pam Hopper with a certificate Saturday evening acknowledging their induction into the college’s Hall of Fame.

FORT DODGE — Lives of service and dedication with links to Iowa Central Community College were honored Saturday evening as the school inducted the newest members of its Hall of Fame.

The inductees included a retired oral surgeon and his wife who both have a long history of supporting the community and college.

The group enshrined Saturday also included alumni who made significant impacts in their careers, plus some athletic standouts.

About 300 people attended the dinner and ceremony in the Triton Cafe on the Fort Dodge campus.

Dr. Terry and Pam Hopper

The Hoppers, of Fort Dodge, received the Triton Humanitarian Award.

He was an oral surgeon who served on the boards of the American Red Cross, Trinity Regional Hospital (today’s UnityPoint Health -Trinity Regional Medical Center), and the Iowa Oral Surgery Society.

She was a member of the Almost Home Humane Society of North Central Iowa board and various women’s groups such as PEO.

Together, they taught adult Sunday school classes at their church.

They also provide scholarships to Iowa Central students.

“Pam and I are just stunned to be selected for this honor,” Terry Hopper said. “We can only say thank you.”

He said they want students to succeed. He added that students learn best when they can do so with less stress. He said they provide scholarships with the belief that students will be able to focus on their studies better when there is less financial stress.

“Living is really the gift of giving,” he said.

Judge Brown

Brown, a longtime educator in Fort Dodge, received the Distinguished Faculty and Staff Award.

The native of North Carolina taught at Fort Dodge Senior High School for nine years, was the director of Fort Dodge Urban Ministry for five years, worked for the Iowa Department of Education then returned to Fort Dodge to serve as equity coordinator and part-time instructor at Iowa Central for nine years before retiring.

He volunteers at Friendship Haven. He was a grand marshal of the Frontier Days 2025 celebration.

“His students didn’t just learn from him – they grew,” said Jennifer Dutcher, a professor of humanities and art coordinator who introduced Brown Saturday evening.

James Roetman

Roetman, who grew up in Gowrie, was one the first graduates of Iowa Central’s radiological technician program when he graduated in 1992.

He got a job at Pocahontas Community Hospital and stayed there, gradually taking on more and more responsible positions. In 2004, he became chief executive officer of the hospital

In 2018, he took on the additional duties of a rural hospital liaison. In that role he works with small hospitals throughout north central Iowa.

He also led the creation of a new daycare facility in Pocahontas.

“James is not just a hospital administrator, he is a visionary,” Dutcher said in introducing him.

He received the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Thomas Williams

Williams, of Scottsdale, Arizona, received the Distinguished Alumni Award.

He graduated from Iowa Central in 1974. He served as co-captain of the football team during the 1972 and 1973 seasons.

He earned Bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees. Williams worked in public schools in Iowa and Missouri for 41 years, with 33 of those years as a school district superintendent. He served as the interim superintendent of the Algona Community School District before retiring.

Daniel Zinnel

Zinnel, a member of the Iowa Central Class of 2006, is the chief executive officer of Proteus, a multi-state organization that provides agricultural workers and their families with affordable health care, education assistance and job training.

He has also been recognized as a leader in health equity, organizing a LGBTQ health and wellness summit.

He serves on the boards of Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, UnityPoint Health – Des Moines, the Primary Care Association and One Iowa Action.

He received the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Neale Adams

Adams, of Fort Dodge, received the Triton Athletic Award.

He is from New South Wales, Australia, and was recruited to play baseball at Iowa Central. He was a catcher on baseball teams that went to the NJCAA World Series in 1996 and 1997. He completed his Iowa Central baseball career with a .439 batting average, 14 home runs and 69 runs batted in.

Adams was an assistant baseball coach at the college for 10 years. He is now the associate vice president of instruction.

Jessica Gunderson

Gunderson received the Triton Athletic Award.

As an Iowa Central student, she won the women’ state, regional and national trap shooting titles.

She was named the Iowa Central Female Athlete of the Year.

The Fort Dodge resident is now the head shooting sports coach at Iowa Central.

“It’s unreal to be standing here tonight,” Gunderson told the gathering. “I couldn’t be more honored.”

She said she learned to shoot as a girl in order to spend more time with her father. She thanked all those who helped her hone her shooting skills over the years.

“I could not hit the broad side of a barn when I started,” she said.

Hamilton Wells

Wells, of Wilmington, North Carolina, played linebacker for the Tritons, and led the team in tackles for two seasons.

Today, he is an emergency room physician who also volunteers to provide medical care in impoverished areas of Central and South America.

He received the Triton Athletic Award.

2015 Women’s Soccer Team

The team went 19-1 and won the national championship.

It was the first Iowa Central soccer team to win a national championship.

It received the Triton Athletic Team Award.