A group of Blackhawk Technical College employees accepted the Best of the Best award on behalf of the college. They included (l. to r.): Tracy Pierner, Ph.D.; Elisa Colson; Cassie Hartje; Katie Lange, Ed.D.; Tiffany Garrison; Peter Dettmer; Moira Lafayette, Ed.D.; Jon Mladic; Joel Schleusner; and Angie Kablar.

Blackhawk Technical College received the 2026 Best of the Best Local College award on Aug. 27 at Janesville Gazette’s 6th Annual Community Choice Awards dinner. This is the sixth year in a row the college has received this honor.

Blackhawk was a finalist for the Local College category along with Beloit College and UW-Whitewater at Rock County.

"It’s a wonderful honor to receive recognition for the unwavering commitment of our staff and faculty at Blackhawk as well as the hard work and dedication of our students," said Blackhawk President Tracy Pierner, Ph.D. "We are grateful for the continued support of our workforce partners, our community, and for this distinct honor from the Janesville Gazette. Together, we continue to pursue excellence in serving our students, local employers, and the community."

Thousands of nominations and votes in more than 125 categories were cast by people throughout the Janesville area for these awards, which celebrate and recognize the best the community has to offer. The winners were announced during a dinner held at the Holiday Inn in Janesville.