Pueblo Community College Fremont Hall of Fame 2019

There must be something in the water in Canon City, because every year the outstanding citizens inducted into the PCC Fremont Hall of Fame have an almost superhuman list of accomplishments and community milestones.

The 12^th annual Fremont Hall of Fame induction ceremony this year was no exception.  Three citizens whose civic commitment has greatly enriched the Fremont and Custer County communities were honored:

Dr. Lana Carter is dean emeritus of PCC’s Fremont campus. Prior to beginning her PCC career, Carter worked as an expert advisor to the U.S. Departments of Defense and Justice concerning their studies about the psychological impact of terrorism. Her career in higher education began in 1999 as a psychology faculty member and department chair at PCC’s Pueblo campus. In addition, she served as dean of arts and sciences, executive dean and chief academic officer before becoming leader of the Fremont campus in 2013. During Dr. Carter’s tenure, the campus saw several major renovations and developed strong community partnerships.

Char Lindner taught middle school physical education in Canon City for 32 years. Through the Rotary Club, Lindner used her love of photography to create the Let There Be Light Scholarship for first-generation Canon City High School graduates, raising tens of thousands of dollars. She is active in church and many community activities. As her son and daughter fondly noted in introducing her, Char has friends and acquaintances across the nation and people remember her as someone who has made a special difference in their lives. Her efforts have resulted in more than $124,000 in scholarship funds.

Brendan Pardue started his career as a coach and teacher in the 1980s, then had a distinguished 25-year career with the Department of Corrections, where he worked in housing, security, education and recreation. He also taught psychology, history and philosophy classes at PCC from 1993-1995 and spent several years working in the mental health field. Over the past 36 years, Pardue has restored 12 historic properties, most recently the Gibson Mansion in Cañon City. He has offered free use of the property to nonprofit organizations for fundraisers and other events. He also provides accommodations for visiting dignitaries, artists and athletes. He is involved in many community civic- and art-related activities and is an actor and board member of the Fremont Civic Theater.

And it’s all to benefit the students of PCC, who also have extraordinary accomplishments to their credit. Jessica Tracy (who gave a heartfelt speech about her journey to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse) and other Newmont Mining scholars Michelle Bauer, Rachel Bauer, Stacy Sanders and Paul Wilde were recognized. Other scholarship recipients benefiting from the Fremont Hall of Fame proceeds include Tiffany Clements, Christian Lesea and Karah Pruvost. They are the next generation who will undoubtedly some day be at the podium bringing their own superhuman accomplishments.