Adrian, MI – When Kory Petterle and Matt Tomaszewski were students at the LISD TECH Center, they were beginning to explore careers that would eventually become a big part of their lives.
Petterle found his path in law enforcement through the Public Safety program, while Tomaszewski developed his interest in engineering through Engineering, Design & CAD. In the years since, both have built successful careers in their fields while maintaining a connection to the LISD TECH Center and finding ways to support the students who have followed them.
That combination of professional success and continued commitment to students has earned Petterle and Tomaszewski recognition as the LISD TECH Center's 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.
Petterle attended the LISD TECH Center's Public Safety program from 2005 to 2007, where he was recognized as an Excellence Award recipient before continuing as a graduate co-op student.
Today, he is a lieutenant with the Ann Arbor Police Department, where his career has included patrol, crash reconstruction, specialized training and leadership. Following his promotion to lieutenant, Petterle joined the department's Special Services Division, helping oversee police operations for major community events, including University of Michigan athletics, concerts and the Ann Arbor Art Fair.
Looking back, Petterle credits his experience at the LISD TECH Center with helping him discover where he wanted to go professionally.
"The TECH Center program really helped solidify my passion for law enforcement and for service to others," Petterle said. "It let me explore different opportunities within the field and really set me on this path. It laid the foundation for everything that followed."
Even as his career has grown, Petterle has continued to make time for the program where his own journey began. He has returned to work with Law Enforcement/Corrections students, sharing his experience and giving them a firsthand look at how technology and techniques used in today's law enforcement field connect to what they are learning in the classroom.
His advice to students is to make the most of those opportunities, even when they push them outside their comfort zones.
"Be open. Look for any opportunity to grow, to learn, to challenge yourself," Petterle said. "The TECH Center programs offer you that hands-on experience, that opportunity to push yourself into new directions and new fields. Just be open for any challenge that faces you and step into it."
Tomaszewski has maintained a similar connection to the LISD TECH Center since attending the Engineering, Design & CAD program from 2009 to 2011 under instructor Kim Benson.
After graduating, he earned a Civil Engineering degree from Michigan Technological University and returned to Lenawee County to begin his career with the City of Adrian. By 2015, he was also back at the LISD TECH Center, this time as a member of the Engineering, Design & CAD advisory committee.
Over the past 11 years, Tomaszewski has become a consistent presence and resource for the program. He has helped create engineering-related field trip opportunities, mentored students through bridge design competitions, reviewed and judged their work, and traveled alongside teams competing in events sponsored by MDOT and AASHTO.
For Tomaszewski, receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award is especially meaningful because of the role the program played in his own life.
"This is a great honor," Tomaszewski said. "Being able to take the class at a young age helped me jumpstart my career in engineering. Just being able to give back to the kids and the classroom that helped me have success in life is a great honor."
He remembers entering the program without a clear understanding of what engineering even involved. It was Benson who helped him recognize a career path he hadn't previously considered.
"When I was a student, I didn't even know what engineering was," Tomaszewski said. "My instructor, Ms. Benson, was there every step of the way. She's the one who had me focus on engineering in general. She laid the groundwork for me to take the next step."
That experience has shaped the advice he now shares with students.
"Listen to your instructors. They're here for a reason. They're here to help you," Tomaszewski said. "Pay attention, take notes, and they'll help you out."
The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes former students for what they have accomplished professionally, but Petterle and Tomaszewski also represent something just as important: the lasting connections that can grow from a student's time at the LISD TECH Center.
Both took experiences that began in a high school classroom and turned them into successful careers. Years later, they continue to share what they have learned with the students coming behind them.
The LISD TECH Center is proud to recognize Lieutenant Kory Petterle and Matt Tomaszewski as its 2026 Distinguished Alumni.