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First, he helped bankroll a presidential campaign. Now, a college football program.

And now, after a Supreme Court ruling eased restrictions on college athletes profiting from their name, image and likeness (commonly referred to as NIL) in recent years — a ruling that’s opened the floodgates for outside groups to essentially pay players to attend their preferred school — Ellison made another splash, helping to pay for […]

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First, he helped bankroll a presidential campaign. Now, a college football program.

And now, after a Supreme Court ruling eased restrictions on college athletes profiting from their name, image and likeness (commonly referred to as NIL) in recent years — a ruling that’s opened the floodgates for outside groups to essentially pay players to attend their preferred school — Ellison made another splash, helping to pay for the deal that prompted a top high school quarterback recruit to flip his commitment from Louisiana State University to the University of Michigan.The NCAA has been working through a settlement related to a series of antitrust lawsuits that could allow schools to pay athletes directly, bringing potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in payments to athletes in house and creating a new clearinghouse to approve deals. The details are still not finalized — the settlement has received preliminary approval in court ahead of more action in the coming months, and it’s unclear how it would mesh with sometimes contradictory state laws on NIL payments — but it appears that significant change is on the horizon. “It’s pro sports. I was on the phone this morning and comparing it with an agent — essentially, it’s unrestricted free agency, every six months, with no rules. It’s just the ability for the deepest pockets to go acquire the top talent every cycle.”  “The kids deserve a piece of the pie, I’m glad the NCAA is allowing it to happen. I think the façade of NIL is baloney. Let’s just call it what it is — pay for play — let’s let them collectively bargain, let’s create a cap, let’s pay these football kids and basketball kids and let them earn some dollars because they’re bringing in hundreds of millions, right?”Jesse Hunt, a Republican strategist and former college football player, noted how the vaunted recruiting classes at Texas A&M when Jimbo Fisher was the coach didn’t pan out as expected, arguing that there are certain intangibles in both sports and politics — locker room cohesion and motivation, for example, in sports, and the winning issues in politics — that aren’t necessarily for sale. Ellison, the chairman and founder of the tech company Oracle, has an estimated net worth of almost 0 billion, according to Forbes, which pegs him the fourth richest person in the world. Over the last 12 years, he’s given more than million to federal campaigns and outside groups, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission.“The current model is not sustainable for 90% plus of these teams. It isn’t doable to lean on your donors — you’ve already asked them to build new stadiums and fund scholarships and now we’re saying, wait a minute, now we have to pay kids and we need to to do that, too,” the Power 4 conference NIL official said, calling the looming settlement “a good shift, but not a perfect shift.” In 2022, The Athletic reported that a top college football quarterback recruit had signed an million contract (while the identity of that player was not immediately clear, the reporter later said it was Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava). Two years later, a lawsuit filed by former University of Florida quarterback Jaden Rashada centered on his NIL deal and claimed he was offered .5 million to attend the University of Miami but chose Florida in part because of its .85 million offer. And the athletic director at Ohio State, which is set to face off in the college football championship game on Monday, told media outlets in 2024 that its NIL collective and the broader “ecosystem” gave its football players “around million” in NIL deals in the previous year. “Just because your opponent is outspending you by million the final week of the campaign, it doesn’t matter if the other factors are on your side. If your team plays together well, you have better coaching, better play callers, you can pull the upset.”Underwood’s high-profile decision to decommit from LSU and promise to go to Michigan instead made headlines across the sports world. And in the following days, Ellison’s involvement became clear. And Dave Portnoy, the Barstool Sports founder and podcast host, took a victory lap on a podcast, going into detail about how Ellison and his wife, a Michigan graduate, reached out to team up after Portnoy said he was willing to spend millions of his own money to “go get us a quarterback.”A statement from “Champions Circle,” the NIL collective affiliated with Michigan, pointedly thanked “Larry and his wife Jolin who were instrumental” in securing Underwood’s recruitment “by providing Champions Circle with invaluable guidance and financial resources.” His first multimillion political donation came in 2012, when he sent million to the Restore Our Future super PAC supporting then-GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney (before donating another million weeks later). That presidential campaign was the first after the Supreme Court paved the way for super PACs by allowing unlimited donations to some outside political groups, and Ellison was one of the pro-Romney super PAC’s largest donors. Shortly after the Supreme Court greenlit unlimited donations to political committees known as super PACs over a decade ago, billionaire tech CEO Larry Ellison began to cut multimillion-dollar checks aimed at influencing politics at the highest levels. “Right now, the current world of college sports is the Wild West,” he said. “Name, image and likeness, open transfer portals — it is, I think, endangering the future inviability of college athletics. I think Congress needs to step in and legislate.”While the scope of Ellison’s personal wealth is an unprecedented development in the NIL landscape, it’s the outgrowth of an explosion of NIL money in college sports in the years since the rules changes. Top college players can earn hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars through NIL deals with school collectives and other organizations. While the terms of those deals aren’t usually disclosed, there’s been a steady drip of reporting making the largess clear. Supreme Court rulings in the early 2010s reset the entire political landscape and created a brand-new playbook for how to run campaigns. Donations from both individuals and corporations used to be capped, vastly limiting the amount of political spending each election cycle. But over time, candidates and political parties have become dependent on these outside efforts aimed at boosting their campaigns, and spending has ballooned over time. In 2012, outside spending hit more than 0 million. By 2024, that number has doubled. “They have rabid fan bases, they are very driven financially — especially in the college ranks now, where collectives have expedited what that looks like — and then you have the high-net-worth individuals wanting to play a part in this through their resources,” he said. “They are both driven by results and winning. You have very clear, defined moments when success comes about — when the clock strikes zero, and on Election Day when the polls close.” College sports appears to be facing a similar moment, after federal court rulings and subsequent NCAA rules paved the way for college athletes to receive compensation from outside groups by selling the rights to their name, image and likeness. It’s fundamentally transformed recruiting, particularly for high revenue-generating sports like football and basketball. Now, NIL collectives affiliated with college programs play a big role in the recruiting landscape, wooing student athletes with contracts that can total in the millions. The widespread agreement for more regulation is a far different reality than the campaign finance system. Despite calls from many Democrats and some Republicans to change the way political campaigns and outside groups operate — adding more disclosures or reinstating donation caps — there’s been no fundamental campaign finance reform since those court cases changed the landscape more than a decade ago, as lawmakers and operatives from both parties have benefited politically and financially from the newer landscape. One major difference in the political and NIL megadonor landscape is that more regulation is coming in college sports. “Big money is becoming very dominant, not just in American politics but all of American athletics, too. Look how much Juan Soto is signing for,” Carville said, referring to the All-Star baseball player who signed a 5 million contract with the New York Mets this offseason. “It’s hard to criticize that the only reason you wouldn’t do it yourself is you just don’t have that much money. If he [Ellison] had donated to LSU, he’d be the most popular guy in Baton Rouge.”Democrats significantly outspent President-elect Donald Trump in each of the last three elections, finishing with one win and two losses — proof that, in both sports and politics, while it’s good to be well funded, it’s not the be-all and end-all. The decision by Bryce Underwood sent shockwaves through the college football landscape.“The second you get anyone worth looking at — yoink, he’s mine,” Portnoy said about how other schools won’t be able to compete with Ellison’s wealth. “When our guy, Larry Ellison, zeroes in on somebody, it’s a done deal.” Lolli, who previously worked for former Ohio Republican Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (a college football standout and former NFL wide receiver who was one of the early advocates on Capitol Hill for NIL reform), said the similarities between politics and college sports make college sports fertile ground for political megadonors to explore. Ellison, through a spokesman at Oracle, declined to comment for this article. And there’s no public indication about whether the investment was a one-time deal or if he will continue to use his largesse to help Michigan’s recruiting. “You have Larry Ellison and these high net-worth individuals that were like, ‘Well, I know how this one world works, being politics, so why can I not do the same thing in college now?’ Collectives — I’ve been calling them super PACs for athletic departments from Day One,” Lolli said. Members of Congress from both parties have been also batting around potential legislation of their own, even though partisan differences remain. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, called reforming college athletics “a priority” on his podcast in November. James Carville, the longtime Democratic strategist and vocal LSU fan, told NBC News that while it’s clear there’s “much more money in sports and politics” than ever before, it’s hardly a new dynamic in either realm. But once Ellison’s involvement was revealed, it sent another message, too — just like in politics, megadonors have a new avenue to directly influence another arena, thanks to rules allowing for uncapped donations. Portnoy needled his colleagues on the Barstool podcast, arguing that Michigan’s newfound “unlimited” resources will change the landscape of the sport. “There are four or five premium positions in football and they cost a lot of money,” Hunt said. “That’s what you have to pay if you want to win national championships. … You don’t have to spend the most money, but you have to spend.”Deep pockets remain important for those looking to compete in sports and politics, but most agree it’s not always the end all, be all. “Democrats spent over billion,” Carville said, “and, I don’t know, there will be people on earth who try to figure out to what avail.”Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who has co-sponsored his own reforms, told NBC News he’s “more deeply concerned about the monetization of college sports and the predominance of funding, whether it’s by donors or alumni, to attract and entice athletes, and in effect, make them pawns of a system.” He added he believes lawmakers are “on the cusp of making some progress toward a bipartisan bill.”Tim Lolli, a former Republican congressional and campaign staffer who is now the director of sports strategy and growth at Causeway Solutions, told NBC News that it’s no surprise that the intersection of sports and politics will continue to grow because “the worlds just operate very similarly.”Another reason why Ellison’s involvement in Michigan’s recruiting sticks out is because the collective and its allies (mainly, Portnoy) went public. Similarly to the world of campaign finance, there are easy ways for donors to avoid public disclosure. Many collectives are nonprofits or structured like other groups that do not have to disclose individual donors, similar to how billions of dollars of political donations flow through nonprofits that don’t have to disclose their donors compared to groups that do.“Jolin, on that first phone call, she’s like, ‘I needed somebody to step up from Michigan and show that they cared as much as I did,’” Portnoy said. “In July of 2021, the NCAA thought they were doing something great for the first time. But what they didn’t know was there were a bunch of these, call them super PACs, LLCs or 501(c)(3)s, ready to find ways, legitimate ways, to funnel money to athletes,” a top NIL collective official at a Power 4 conference program, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide their candid views about the college football landscape, told NBC News. In the 2016 presidential race, Ellison donated million to a super PAC backing the GOP presidential campaign of Sen. Marco Rubio, of Florida. But the vast majority of his political donations have come since then, as he has spent the last few years helping to fill South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott’s political coffers by donating million to an outside group that supports Scott (money that was integral to the senator’s 2024 Republican presidential bid).  

College Sports

President Donald Trump considering executive order for NIL after meeting with Nick Saban, per report

Getty Images President Donald Trump is considering an executive order aimed at greater scrutiny towards name, image and likeness (NIL) deals in college athletics following a meeting with former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, according to the Wall Street Journal. Saban, a vocal critic of NIL’s impact on college athletics, reportedly proposed NIL “reform” rather than […]

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President Trump Addresses University Of Alabama Graduating Class
Getty Images

President Donald Trump is considering an executive order aimed at greater scrutiny towards name, image and likeness (NIL) deals in college athletics following a meeting with former Alabama football coach Nick Saban, according to the Wall Street Journal. Saban, a vocal critic of NIL’s impact on college athletics, reportedly proposed NIL “reform” rather than elimination, according to the Journal. 

Trump was in Tuscaloosa during the week to give the university’s commencement address. 

An executive order would likely still need congressional action, NCAA president Charlie Baker told Dennis Dodd in April. A potential order comes on the heels of a landmark case (House v. NCAA); however, there are details to be ironed out. Judge Claudia Wilken threatened to reject the settlement last month citing roster limits.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, who previously had stints as the coach at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati, also said he spoke with the Trump administration about NIL. 

“College football is the heart and soul of America — but it’s in danger if we don’t level the playing field,” Tuberville posted on X.





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UCLA

IRVINE, Calif.  – In a heart-pounding rivalry showdown, No. 14 UCLA edged USC, 7-6, in Friday night’s series opener at Great Park.   With the bases loaded and two outs in a nail-biting ninth inning, freshman right-hander Easton Hawk rose to the occasion by fanning the final USC batter to preserve the victory for UCLA (34-11, 17-5 Big […]

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IRVINE, Calif.  – In a heart-pounding rivalry showdown, No. 14 UCLA edged USC, 7-6, in Friday night’s series opener at Great Park.
 
With the bases loaded and two outs in a nail-biting ninth inning, freshman right-hander Easton Hawk rose to the occasion by fanning the final USC batter to preserve the victory for UCLA (34-11, 17-5 Big Ten) and secure his second save of the season.
 
Mulivai Levu delivered a masterful performance at the plate, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs to power the Bruins’ offense. His pivotal bases-clearing double in the fourth inning gave UCLA a lead they did not relinquish.

AJ Salgado homered for the fourth time in the last five games, bringing his season total to 11. The Glendora, Calif. native went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.

 

Payton Brennan also enjoyed a multi-hit game for UCLA.

 

Dean West led off the contest by slapping a single through the left side of a shifted infield to give the Bruins an early base runner. He later scored on Levu’s RBI single, giving UCLA an early 1-0 lead.

 

AJ Salgado doubled the Bruins’ advantage in their next trip to the plate when he launched a 408-foot home run over the centerfield wall.

 

USC answered in the bottom of the third by scoring twice to tie the game.

 

The Bruins quickly stormed back into the lead by rallying for four runs in the top of the fourth. Brennan led off the frame by legging out an infield single and scampered to second base on a wild pitch. Jarrod Hocking promptly bunted him over to third before Cashel Dugger smashed an RBI base hit off the third baseman to plate the first run of the inning.

 

After Phoenix Call worked a walk, USC elected to intentionally walk Roch Cholowsky, loading the bases for Levu. UCLA’s first baseman made the Trojans pay, ripping a bases-clearing double to left field to give his team a four-run lead.

 

The Trojans plated two more runs in the bottom half to cut the deficit in half. This chased starting pitcher Ian May out of the game, bringing freshman Wylan Moss on for his first appearance since April 18.

 

Moss was solid in his 2.1 innings of work, allowing just two hits and a run during his relief outing. He went on to earn his second win of the campaign.

 

Levu got himself into scoring position by hitting his second double of the game to lead off the seventh for UCLA. After advancing to third on Roman Martin’s fly out, Salgado delivered a two-out, two-strike RBI single to extend the Bruins’ lead to three.

 

USC tacked on a run in the seventh to make it a two-run game. Chris Grothues limited further damage in the inning by stranding a pair of runners in scoring position with a strikeout to end the threat.

 

August Souza was the next Bruin pitcher to come up clutch in a crucial moment, fanning back-to-back hitters to leave two runners on base in the eighth.

 

In the ninth, Head Coach John Savage turned to Hawk to get the last three outs. USC’s Adrian Lopez led things off with a double down the left field line, immediately creating some drama. Hawk got a strikeout for the first out of the inning, then induced a ground ball to bring the Trojans down to their final out. 

 

A base hit scored Lopez to bring USC within one while placing the tying run on base. After back-to-back walks, Hawk had no-room for error with the bases loaded and the tying run just 90 feet away. 

 

The freshman delivered in the biggest moment of his young career, punching out the final batter of the game to allow UCLA to escape with the 7-6 win in the series opener.

 

The Bruins will take on USC for the second game of the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. Michael Barnett is scheduled to get the start on the mound for UCLA. The game will be available to watch on B1G+.

 



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Dr. Curtiss Joins Gastroenterology Professional Services at North Adams Regional Hospital / iBerkshires.com

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems has announced the appointment of James Curtiss, MD, to Gastroenterology Professional Services, practicing in the North Adams Regional Hospital office and providing gastroenterology and endoscopy services for North Berkshire patients.    Dr. Curtiss is accepting new patients.   Dr. […]

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems has announced the appointment of James Curtiss, MD, to Gastroenterology Professional Services, practicing in the North Adams Regional Hospital office and providing gastroenterology and endoscopy services for North Berkshire patients. 


 


Dr. Curtiss is accepting new patients.


 


Dr. Curtiss received his medical degree and completed a Fellowship in Gastroenterology from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine from the University of Virginia School of Medicine.  Dr. Curtiss has over 20 years’ experience as a gastroenterologist.  He has practiced the last seven years at Gastroenterology Associates of Central Virginia.  


 



He is a General Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist who does general and advanced endoscopic procedures.


 


“I enjoy the teaching aspect of medicine both to those still in training and particularly to my patients as I feel if they have a better understanding of their issues and the rationale for treatments it helps my patients take a more active part in their health and happiness,” said Dr. Curtiss.


 


He enjoys physical fitness and exercise and likes to play ice hockey.  He and his wife look forward to moving to the area and to enjoy its many offerings.

Tags: BHS,   BMC,   





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Golden Wolves Eliminated From MAC Commonwealth Championship

Grantham, Pa. (May 2, 2025) – Alvernia Softball’s (23-17) 2025 season came to a close on Friday evening with the Golden Wolves falling to #3 Hood College (23-17), 5-4, in the first elimination game of the 2025 MAC Commonwealth Championship tournament at Messiah University.  The game was back and forth through […]

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Grantham, Pa. (May 2, 2025) – Alvernia Softball’s (23-17) 2025 season came to a close on Friday evening with the Golden Wolves falling to #3 Hood College (23-17), 5-4, in the first elimination game of the 2025 MAC Commonwealth Championship tournament at Messiah University. 

The game was back and forth through the middle innings, with Alvernia holding a slight 3-2 lead entering the fourth. But, the Blazers put up a three spot in the home half of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead into the back half of the game. The Golden Wolves threatened in the top of the seventh, but could not convert.

After a scoreless first inning, the Blazers scored two runs on a two-run single down the right field line to take a 2-0 lead. 

Alvernia answered in the top of the third. After Summer Montgomery walked to leadoff the inning and advanced to second on a Brooke Hauck walk, Montgomery scored on an Angelina Sponheimer single through the left side. The Golden Wolves then took the lead, 3-2, on a Meryn Bellacima single to center field to score Hauck. 

The Alvernia lead did not last long as the Blazers retook it in the bottom of the fourth. The Blazers plated three runs on two hits to the outfield to take the 5-3 lead.

The Golden Wolves stranded a runner on base in both the fifth and sixth, but threatened in the seventh. Montgomery singled down the right field line and advanced to second on a single by Taylor McClain. Montgomery then scored on a single to right by Bellancima to bring Alvernia within one with two outs. Ryann Healey then stepped up to the plate to pinch hit and ripped a ball to left field. But, the Hood left fielder got a great read and jump on the ball and was able to secure the catch for the 5-4 win.

Ashlyn Hillanbrand got the start in the circle for Alvernia and went four and a third with five hits and three earned runs. Kelsey Racine pitched one and two thirds in relief and did not allow a hit or a run.

Meryn Bellacima led Alvernia’s offensive efforts, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Summer Montgomery also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Messiah and Eastern will face off on Saturday for the MAC Commonwealth title.

The Golden Wolves finish the season with a 23-17 record overall. 



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Kansas State University

MANHATTAN, Kan. – A day after being named to the All-Big 12 Team, Kansas State senior Sophie Bert capped her honors from the league as she was named the Big 12 Women’s Golfer of the Month for May, the conference office announced Thursday.   It is Bert’s first Big 12 Golfer of the Month honor […]

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MANHATTAN, Kan. – A day after being named to the All-Big 12 Team, Kansas State senior Sophie Bert capped her honors from the league as she was named the Big 12 Women’s Golfer of the Month for May, the conference office announced Thursday.
 
It is Bert’s first Big 12 Golfer of the Month honor and the second in as many years for the Wildcats as Carla Bernat picked up the accolade last March. K-State has now had six Big 12 Golfers of the Month in program history, while it is the first time ever the Wildcats had an honor in consecutive years.
 
Bert’s monthly award comes after she became the first player in program history to win an individual conference championship as she turned in a 54-hole score of 2-under par 211 to capture the 2025 Big 12 Championship individual title. She was the only player to finish under par, while her score of 211 was the best three-round total in K-State’s conference championship history.
 
A native of Deurle, Belgium, Bert began the final round in a tie for 14th place and five shots back of the lead, but she rose to the top spot thanks to a performance of 5-under par 66 over the final 18 holes. It was the best round ever by a Wildcat in the conference championship and tied for the sixth-lowest round overall.
 
Bert holds a 72.75 scoring average this season – which currently ranks third in school history – while she has produced seven top-10 finishes in her 11 starts with a pair of top-five showings.
 
Bert and the Wildcats compete in the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional, next Monday through Wednesday, at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

 



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Bemidji fire chief receives Northwest Technical College’s inaugural IMPACT Award

BEMIDJI — When Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood started his career more than 20 years ago, he considered himself “just a guy who loved the fire service.” Since then, his role has blossomed into much more. On Thursday, he returned to the institution that helped kickstart his career to receive Northwest Technical College’s inaugural Innovation, […]

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BEMIDJI — When Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood started his career more than 20 years ago, he considered himself “just a guy who loved the fire service.”

Since then, his role has blossomed into much more.

On Thursday, he returned to the institution that helped kickstart his career to receive Northwest Technical College’s inaugural Innovation, Mastery, Progress, Achievement, Community and Technology (IMPACT) Award.

“(This award) is presented to a truly remarkable leader in both industries and public service,” NTC Executive Vice President Ketmani Kouanchao noted during the program. “(Sherwood) has dedicated his career to advancing fire service technology, transforming challenges into opportunities and inspiring the next generation of first responders and innovators … His dedication to excellence, leadership and service embodies the very spirit of this award.”

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Ketmani Kouanchao, Northwest Technical College’s executive vice president, speaks during an IMPACT Award presentation on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at NTC.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Sherwood was

named fire chief in 2021;

at the time, he had 18 years of fire service under his belt. He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Bemidji State, a fire service technology certificate from NTC, an associate of applied science degree in fire service technology from the College of Western Idaho and is pursuing a master’s degree in public safety leadership and administration at Arizona State.

He also earned a chief fire officer certification from the Center for Public Safety Excellence, is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Managing Officer Program, and serves as the Region 2 northern representative for the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association.

In addition to his accolades, Sherwood is a writer with work published in the Minnesota Fire Chief and Firehouse magazines. Much of his writing focuses on the importance of mental health practices and work-life balance, values that play a huge factor in Sherwood’s role as a leader and mentor.

“I love the way that Justin’s story ties to what we try to do here at NTC of career expertise, the technical, the work that (he has) done and learned in those spaces,” BSU and NTC President John Hoffman said, “but also the commitments to mental health and holistic health and life beyond the workplace.”

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John Hoffman, president of Bemidji State and Northwest Technical College, speaks during an IMPACT Award presentation on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at NTC.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

During his acceptance speech, Sherwood took a moment to note the stigma surrounding mental health in the fire service.

“This job is incredibly hard and I guess I get emotional because we put a lot of time into it,” he said. “…Here I am being vulnerable because fire chiefs aren’t supposed to be criers, but I’m probably the most emotional fire chief in the country. But I own it.”

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Attendees clap for a speaker during a Northwest Technical College IMPACT Award presentation on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at NTC.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Sherwood recalled the day he was notified that he would receive the award, expressing feelings of gratitude and relief. Looking out into the audience filled with his family, friends and colleagues, he credited his support system for getting him where he is today.

“Regardless of the impostor syndrome, it isn’t about my individual accomplishments or … the types of awards I’m getting, but it is truly about those who support me,” he said. “So I want to say thanks to my mentors and supporters in this room, my colleagues from the city … but most importantly, my family.

“You guys have really supported me even in those seasons that were really hard. So your love, and, I have to note, extreme patience, is what got me here.”

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Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood speaks during a Northwest Technical College IMPACT Award presentation on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at NTC.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

In closing, Sherwood thanked NTC for choosing him as the first-ever recipient of the IMPACT award and noted the symbolism of the item, which he plans to display at his office in the fire hall.

“(This award) will always serve as a strong reminder for me and a powerful motivation to continue leading with purpose, integrity, motivation and dedication, because all we can do is give our best effort,” he said. “When I started this path, (I) wanted to help people, but ultimately be a dreamer and do my best and try to always use my position to advocate for those who couldn’t.”

Madelyn Haasken

Madelyn Haasken is the multimedia editor at the Bemidji Pioneer. She is a 2020 graduate of Bemidji State University with a degree in Mass Communication, with minors in writing and design. In her free time, she likes watching hockey, doing crossword puzzles and being outside.





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