Judge Hettel named first alumnus of the month

           Newly appointed La Salle County resident Circuit Judge Joseph P. Hettel, a 1987 Illinois Valley Community College graduate, is the first “Alumnus of the Month” for the IVCC alumni Web site alumni.ivcc.edu.

          Hettel, the featured alumnus for March, was a National Junior College Athletic Association All-American linebacker for IVCC in the fall of 1987.

          “For me, the best parts of attending IVCC were the great connections students had with faculty – they cared about you as a student – and at that time in my life, 18 or 19 years old, IVCC provided the structure I needed to be successful in college,” said Hettel.

          Last December, Hettel was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to fill the vacancy created by the appellate assignment of former Chief Judge Robert L. Carter.

          Prior to his appointment, Hettel, 39, was twice elected La Salle County State’s Attorney (2000 and 2004) and chaired the county’s Children’s Advocacy Center and Juvenile Justice Council.

          He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Illinois State University and his juris doctorate from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He served as assistant La Salle County State’s Attorney before going into private practice from 1996 to 2000.

          Alumni.ivcc.edu is the online registry for IVCC and La Salle-Peru-Oglesby Junior College alumni. All alumni, parents and current or former IVCC employees are encouraged to register on the interactive site.

The site features alumni news and events and offers alumni the opportunity to create personal pages and reconnect with former classmates. Nominations for future alumni of the month are encouraged. Call Fran Brolley, director of development, at (815) 224-0524.