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

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Neale Adams, left, is now the associate vice president of instruction at Iowa Central Community College who was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame Saturday night in recognition of his skill on the baseball diamond while a student there. College President Jesse Ulrich, right, made the presentation.

and Pam Hopper

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

Terry Hopper 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.

Pam Hopper 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.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
James Roetman, chief executive officer of Pocahontas Community Hospital and a 1992 graduate of Iowa Central Community College, speaks Saturday evening after being inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame

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

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Thomas Williams, left, receives a certificate from Iowa Central Community College President Jesse Ulrich Saturday night upon being inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame. A member of the Iowa Central Class of 1974, he worked in public schools for 41 years, with 33 of those years as a school district superintendent.

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

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Daniel Zinnel, right, receives a certificate from Iowa Central Community College President Jesse Ulrich Saturday night when he was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame. Zinnel is the chief executive officer of Proteus.

Roetman, who grew up in Gowrie, was one of 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.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Judge Brown, left, a longtime Fort Dodge educator, was inducted into the Iowa Central Community College Hall of Fame Saturday night. He received a certificate from college President Jesse Ulrich.

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’s 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.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Jesse Gunderson, right, was inducted into the Iowa Central Community College Hall of Fame Saturday night in honor of her success in shooting sports while a student. Today she is the college’s head coach for shooting sports. College President Jesse Ulrich gave her a certificate Saturday night.

-Messenger photo by Bill Shea
Iowa Central Community College President Jesse Ulrich, left, presents Dr. Hamilton Wells with a certificate Saturday night in honor of his induction into the college’s Hall of Fame.