Laker Nation News

Lake Land College will present the 2019 Alumnus Achievement Award to Greg Sapp, Effingham, during commencement ceremony on Friday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m.

The Alumnus Achievement Award acknowledges an individual who has attained outstanding success and distinction in his or her field of endeavor; has gained favorable statewide or national recognition; or has performed service, which has proven beneficial in society.

Sapp graduated from Lake Land in 1976 and currently works as the station manager at Premier Broadcasting in Effingham, home to 97.9FM/KJ Country 102.3. At Premier Broadcasting, Sapp also works as a news/sports director.

Since graduating from Lake Land in 1976, Sapp has worked for many stations as a stations manager and news director at WCRA for 19 years, and station manager WXEF and WKJG for a combined 25 years.

Bill Hollada, a retired instructor from Lake Land spoke on Sapp’s dedication and success in his nomination for the Alumnus Achievement Award, “Greg is a shining example for the quality of the Lake Land College Radio/TV Program.”

In more than 40 years of radio announcing, he has interviewed hundreds of people and announced more than 4,000 games. Sapp’s outstanding achievements are skills he began honing as a student at Lake Land College. He worked hard and focused on obtaining all the program information for preparing quality news stories and broadcasting techniques. Sapp would later be known for these skills throughout the college district.

Today, Sapp uses these skills to give back to the Effingham community. He is an active member at Calvary Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon and choir leader. He also helps with many school and civic activities, church events and has served MC for the Memorial Day program at the Effingham Performing Art Center and events at Lake Land College.

Dave Storm, chair of the Lake Land College Board of Trustees, spoke of Sapp’s success in his nomination to the Illinois Community College Trustees Association. “For more than 40 years Mr. Sapp has kept East Central Illinois up to date, entertained and informed with his knowledge and insight and smooth delivery that was fine-tuned as a student in the Radio/TV Broadcasting program at Lake Land College.”

Sapp’s hard work has been recognized by his peers across Illinois. He is a member of the media wing of the Illinois State High School Association’s Hall of Fame. He lives up to his status as a hall of fame broadcaster by serving on the advisory board for Lake Land’s Radio/TV program and supporting the next generation of broadcasters.