U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Dan Rooney to speak as part of the Lake Michigan College Speaker Series on Nov. 7

BENTON HARBOR, MICH. – The Lake Michigan College Mendel Center welcomes Lt. Col. Dan Rooney as part of the LMC Speaker Series at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7. Rooney is a United States Air Force fighter pilot, Folds of Honor founder, and PGA professional. He is also the author of “Fly Into the Wind: How to Harness Faith and Fearlessness on Your Ascent to Greatness” and “A Patriot’s Calling: My Life as an F-16 Fighter Pilot.”
 
Rooney will inspire the audience during his talk, “CAVU: Live Unlimited.” CAVU is an aviation acronym for “ceiling and visibility unlimited.” Translated, it describes the perfect conditions to be a pilot. His discussion will incorporate leadership, fighter pilot lessons, Folds of Honor, unlocking talents through faith, and embracing resistance with a resilient spirit.
 
A decorated F-16 fighter pilot, Rooney is best known for founding Folds of Honor, a leading non-profit organization that provides educational scholarships for children and spouses of fallen or disabled military service members and first responders. Since its inception in 2007, the foundation has provided nearly 52,000 life-changing scholarships totaling approximately $244 million.
 
Rooney’s life calling of “inspiring people to help people'' is made obvious by his variety of roles. A USA Today bestselling author, he is a highly sought-after motivational speaker who has addressed over 1,000 corporations and groups across America.
 
As a Class A Member of the PGA, he founded two nationally ranked golf clubs, The Patriot Golf Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and American Dunes Golf Club in Grand Haven, Michigan, in collaboration with Jack Nicklaus. He is a frequent guest on national media, including podcasts, radio, and network television, such as Fox News. Rooney has been recognized as one of People Magazine’s “Heroes of the Year,” Money Magazine’s “Hero of the Year,” and ABC World News Tonight’s “Persons of the Year.”
 
Rooney has continued his military service after three combat tours in Iraq, where he flew the F-16 Viper. He currently is stationed at Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service Detachment 1 at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, where he has been given the unique position to act as a U.S. Air Force ambassador with the task of inspiring the next generation of service members to give the same devotion to the country he has so proudly demonstrated throughout his career.
 
Rooney is a two-time recipient of the Top Gun award and has received the Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Medal, Anti-terrorism Medal, Combat Readiness Medal, and Air Expeditionary Medal. For his service and patriotism, he was presented the White House’s “Presidential Volunteer Service Award'' by President George W. Bush, as well as the Air National Guard’s “Distinguished Service Medal,” the “Directors Service Award,” and the Ellis Island “Medal of Honor.”
 
Tickets for Rooney’s presentation are available now at www.TheMendelCenter.com/events.
 
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Mendel Center 2024-2025 Season Sponsors
Stage Side Sponsors: Sturgis Bank, TPC Technologies, White Space Events
Platinum Sponsor: CK Catering, Forte Coffee
Media Partners: 97.5 Y Country, 98.3 The Coast, The Herald Palladium, The Lake 95.7, MailMax, News/Talk 94.9 WSJM, Rock 107 WIRX, SuperHits 103.7
Preferred Partner Hotels: The Boulevard Inn & Bistro, Hilton Garden Inn Benton Harbor/St. Joseph
Artistic Partners: Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Twin City Players
 
 
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About the Lake Michigan College Mendel Center
The Lake Michigan College Mendel Center raised the curtain on its first Mendel Center season performance in the fall of 1992. Since then, it has presented performances and guest speakers to more than half a million patrons in the 1,489-seat Mendel Center Jenkins Theatre. Grand Upton Hall, first opened in 1979 and fully renovated in 2019, is a 13,700-square-foot venue serving the community as the host site for meetings, banquets, trade shows, weddings, and other celebrations. The 229-seat Hanson Theatre, renovated in 2020, hosts numerous Lake Michigan College Visual & Performing Arts Department performances, as well as a variety of Mendel Center and community events.
 
The Mendel Center is 30 minutes from Niles and 40 minutes from the Kalamazoo and South Bend areas. It is located on the Lake Michigan College campus at 2755 E. Napier Avenue, Benton Harbor, Michigan, one mile east of I-94 (Exit 30) and one mile west of the US 31 Bypass (exit 24). Its GPS mapping address is 1100 Yore Avenue, Benton Harbor, MI.
 
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