Speakers

Community Foundation of Elkhart County President Dr. Pete McCown and Elkhart Greater Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Levon Johnson present the planning work they have been co-leading related to the future of the Tolson Center and Park.

Inspired to act by the alarming dropout rates, drug use, and gang involvement throughout schools in his community, Seth Maust co-founded Five Star Life, a not-for-profit organization (in Elkhart, Indiana) with a mission to change the face of education by changing the mindsets of students. Five Star Life’s academic, character, mental health, and leadership programming focuses on reaching students from 5th-12th grade through afterschool programs, a proprietary Video Curriculum, and experiential learning opportunities at its 300-acre training facility in Union, Michigan.

Five Star Life was started fifteen years ago with fifty students and a handful of dedicated volunteers. Although the dream started small, it has grown exponentially to reaching more than 10,000 students last year with nearly 600 volunteers.

Seth has over twenty years of experience teaching and training students, educators, and volunteers. Five Star Life’s curriculum is based on the five Core Values of respect, responsibility, integrity, sacrifice, and courage. By injecting these values into students’ lives through intentional mentoring and teaching, their mindsets change. As mindsets change, their grades begin to rise. As their grades continue to rise, their entire future opens up and the possibilities are endless. 

As President and Executive Director, Seth, along with the Five Star Life staff and a host of volunteers, is on a mission to help students throughout the country build the necessary mindsets to live a Five Star life!

Five Star Life is now growing substantially through the development of Five Star Life Video Curriculum. Classrooms across the nation are beginning to implement this program to develop students’ mindsets, academics, character, mental health, and leadership skills.

Matt Rudkin is the chief meteorologist at WSBT 22 News. Growing up in Warsaw, he is no stranger to our area. Matt delivers the forecast on WSBT 22 News at 5:30, 6, 10 and 11. Matt is also the host of Weather 101, which airs daily on WSBT 22 News First at 4.

In addition to his on-air presence, you can also see Matt's forecasts in the South Bend Tribune and hear them on Sunny 101.5, News Radio 960 WSBT, Live 99.9 and Z94.3. Matt is a certified Meteorologist with a Bachelors Degree in Atmospheric Science from Purdue University. His career began at the National Weather Service. From there, he worked at WLFI-TV in West Lafayette, IN as well as WSIL-TV in Carterville, IL.

Matt is a member of the American Meteorological Society and holds the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist certification, the highest distinction given to a broadcast meteorologist.

Steven Van Scoik is a Rotary Past District Governor of District 6540, a member of the Concord Rotary Club (and past President!) and the Principal agent at Holmes Insurance Agency, one of the few remaining independent agencies in Elkhart, Indiana, established 1964. Steve has 37 years of insurance experience and is a Certified Insurance Consultant (CIC). 

As well as being highly involved with Rotary International and his home club, Steven is highly involved in his community, serving on numerous boards including Faith Mission (NFP food kitchen), Boy Scouts of America, National Association of Insurance and Financial Planners, National Association of Health Insurance, First Baptist Church of Elkhart, and Twin Lakes Camp and Conference Center. The agency also sponsors soccer leagues, baseball leagues and the band program thru Concord High School, as well as sports programs with other area schools.