LCC Alumni Association Announces 2025 Van Meter Outstanding Alumni Award Recipient

Parsons, KS - The Labette Community College (LCC) Alumni Association is pleased to announce that Melissa Kipp has been named the recipient of the 25th Annual William & Allene Guthrie Van Meter Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award. This award recognizes LCC graduates who have made significant contributions both in their professional careers and through community service.

Kipp, a 2004 graduate of Labette Community College, exemplifies the spirit of the Van Meter Award through her dedication to her students, professional excellence, and steadfast service to the college and community.

Kipp began her LCC journey as a non-traditional student, encouraged by her parents, Robert and Susan MacDevitt, to pursue her passion for graphic design. After completing her Associate in Applied Science in Graphic Design and Communication degree at LCC, where she served as President of the Graphic Design Club and was recognized as a Top 10 Non-Traditional Student, she continued her education at Pittsburg State University. In 2006, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Technology degree with an emphasis in Commercial Graphics and a Minor in Marketing & Photography, and in 2014, she earned a Master of Arts in Communication degree.

Since joining the LCC faculty in 2008, Kipp has made an indelible mark on the college community. She is a Professor of Graphic Design Technology and serves as the LCC Webmaster. Kipp is known for her tireless work ethic and collaborative spirit. “She goes above and beyond to help all college departments with maintaining attractive, user-friendly, and accurate webpages,” wrote her nominator. “Many times, her excellent work goes unnoticed by most, but her passion to do things to the best of her ability and to continue promoting the vital services LCC provides consistently shines through.”

She is deeply involved in campus life and leadership, serving on multiple college committees including the Institutional Assessment Committee, Hendershot Gallery Committee, and Faculty Senate. Beyond the classroom, Kipp’s dedication to students extends across the college and community. She serves as Sponsor of the LCC Graphic Design Club and Co-Sponsor of the annual LCC High School Art Competition, inspiring creativity and mentorship among current and future Cardinals. In addition, she generously lends her artistic talents to numerous college initiatives—providing design, photography, and branding expertise that enhance LCC’s visual identity and promotional efforts across campus.

Her leadership was especially evident during the college’s recent 100-Year Celebration, where she chaired the 100-Year Logo Design Subcommittee. The winning logo, designed by one of her Graphic Design Technology graduates, Peyton Simpson, became the cornerstone of the yearlong celebration—featured on all marketing materials, promotional items, and merchandise. Coursework taught by Kipp, provided Simpson with design and branding knowledge that helped him perfectly capture the strong history of LCC and its proud look to the future in his logo submission.

Kipp also led student projects that produced the LCC 100-Year Commemorative Coloring and Activity Book, distributed to elementary students across Labette County. She further lent her creative and technical expertise in compiling and designing the 100-Year Celebration website, which earned a Silver Award in the 2023 Collegiate Advertising Awards—placing her work among the top 12% of higher education websites nationwide for creativity, functionality, and design excellence.

Other honors include the Elaine Guy Award of Distinction for Advising (2015), Distinguished Faculty Awards (2016–17 and 2020–21), and recognition for national design excellence in 2009 when she won the Duran Duran Music International Poster Design Contest, meeting the band and later having her work published in Beautiful Colors: The Posters of Duran Duran (Golub 2021).

Beyond her professional achievements, Kipp has given generously of her time as a 4-H photography judge, community design collaborator, and mentor to countless students. She has contributed her creative talents to numerous college projects including the Donor Recognition Signage for the Zetmeir Family Athletic Complex, LCC Commencement Banners, and the Evolution of the Cardinal Wall Mural in the LCC Library.

“Melissa is an incredibly deserving recipient of the Van Meter Award,” said Lindi Forbes, Executive Director of the LCC Foundation & Alumni Association. “Her tireless dedication to students, her creative excellence, and her commitment to LCC’s mission serves as an inspiration to all of us.”

Kipp resides in Parsons and is the proud mother of Malina Sparks, also an LCC graduate who previously served as an adjunct instructor and tutor in the college’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program.

In November, Kipp will be formally honored at LCC’s Donor Appreciation Luncheon, where she will join an esteemed group of past honorees. The award is named in memory of William and Allene Guthrie Van Meter, whose generous estate gift funded the renovation of LCC’s Thiebaud Theatre. William Van Meter was a 1929 graduate of LCC, and Allene Van Meter taught at the college from 1929 to 1935—leaving a legacy of commitment to education that continues to inspire future generations.

A complete list of past honorees is available at www.labette.edu/foundation/vanmeter. For more information on the Van Meter Alumni Award, please contact Forbes by email at lindif@labette.edu or by calling 620-820-1212.