Published on November 25, 2025

Lisa Earp, Lake Land College Business Instructor/Program Coordinator of Office Professionals/Director of Court Reporting & Captioning, was recently named the Illinois Business Education Association (IBEA) Post-Secondary Educator of the Year. Earp was recognized for the honor at the 2025 IBEA Fall Conference in Springfield.

In more than 22 years at Lake Land College, Earp has instructed a wide range of business courses, including Business Communications, Advanced Software Applications, Business Career Development, Web Page Design and many more. She also helped develop Lake Land’s Court Reporting & Captioning program, which was the College’s first program to implement a competency-based learning style.

Earp consistently demonstrates remarkable care and devotion to her students, ensuring they are equipped to succeed both at Lake Land and beyond. She integrates unique assignments such as mock interviews into her courses to help students prepare for future careers, and she regularly holds field trips to formal restaurants to help students practice dining etiquette. Earp also launched Lake Land’s career closet, which provides students with free business and dress attire for interviews, internships and more.

Earp also secured funding to implement Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certifications into the curriculum of two of her courses, allowing her students to earn industry-recognized credentials and demonstrate to employers their proficiency in Microsoft software such as Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook. The MOS certifications also create strong resume-building opportunities for students who master the Microsoft Office suite. In 2022, one of Earp’s students placed third in Illinois in the MOS exams and accepted an invitation to the Microsoft Office Specialist U.S. National Championship. In June that year, the student competed in the national competition in Grapevine, Texas, with Earp in attendance to support.

“Lisa is an exceptionally gifted educator whose classroom is a model of organization, care and purpose,” said Lake Land College President Josh Bullock. “She not only delivers high-quality instruction but also goes above and beyond to ensure her students are prepared for the professional world.”

In addition to her work as an instructor, Earp demonstrates her commitment to her students and colleagues through her extensive committee service at Lake Land College. She currently serves on Lake Land’s curriculum committee, which approves all changes to the College’s courses and programs, the employee development committee, which plans professional development opportunities for faculty and staff, and the strategic planning committee, which helps develop and advance the strategic direction for the College. In addition, she regularly volunteers to serve on hiring committees, actively supporting the future of Lake Land College.

Beyond her roles at Lake Land College, Earp has been an active member of both the IBEA and the Eastern Illinois Business Education Association (EIBEA) for more than 20 years. During this time, she has regularly attended IBEA conferences to help invest in business education throughout the region and has served as a presenter and as a session chair. During the 2024-2025 academic year, Earp received the EIBEA Teacher of the Year award.

Fellow Lake Land College instructor Marcy Satterwhite, Business Instructor/Program Coordinator of Desktop Publishing/Graphic Design, said of Earp, “Lisa and I have been colleagues in EIBEA and IBEA and have taught together at Lake Land College for over 22 years now, and I continue to be impressed with the care and effort she puts into everything she does.”

Earp also goes above and beyond her professional responsibilities to serve her community and support students. She is an active member of First Baptist Church, where she serves on the audit committee, and has been a parent volunteer for her children’s athletic activities for the last 10 years. Earp’s care and devotion has also led to lasting relationships with many students she’s instructed during her career at Lake Land College. Every year, she hosts the men’s basketball team to her house for a back-to-school cookout as well as for Thanksgiving dinner. She also has welcomed international students to spend Christmas Day with her family, ensuring these students have a place to spend the holidays when they are unable to travel home.

“I have known Lisa first as my instructor and teaching assistant supervisor, and now as my colleague at Lake Land College,” said Administrative Assistant to Academic Services Erin Miller. “I can say with confidence that she exemplifies the very best in post-secondary education.”

Earp is the second consecutive Lake Land College instructor to receive the IBEA Post- Secondary Educator of the Year Award. The award was presented in 2024 to Earp’s former colleague Cindy Phipps, who retired in Summer 2025 as Business Instructor/Program Coordinator of Accounting.

Phipps was among five former or current colleagues who wrote letters of recommendation for Earp for the 2025 award. Of Earp, Phipps said, “Lisa’s impact is far-reaching, and her dedication, creativity and service embody the spirit of this award.”

The IBEA promotes business education throughout Illinois through professional development for educators, scholarships for students and advocacy for business education. To learn more, visit the IBEA website at ibea.org.

For more information about Lake Land College business programs, visit the Lake Land College website at LakeLandCollege.edu/guided-pathways/area-of-study-business/?key=3&minor=BUS-2.