The Executive Vice President’s Expanded Council met on Tuesday, June 16^th for their final meeting of the year and used the opportunity to give several major awards to council members for outstanding service to the college over the past year. Much deliberation occurred over the selection of individuals and prizes. Those receiving these prestigious awards were as follows:

 

Because Elena Randolph and Sandra Sleet of the Budget Department keep getting one more state mandate, one more reporting change, one more reorganization, and are always having to come up with an answer, a new solution or an effective outcome, they were this year’s recipients of the renowned “Magic 8 Ball Award” (and an actual 8 Ball) so that they can always be ready with a quick and effective answer for CPCC employees (such as, Not Possible at this Time.)

 

Because Paul Santos, Kelly Natoli, Kim Heffernan, Ashley Linder, and  Sue Mulligan have made an executive order seem easy, were fast on the furlough, made payroll on time, all while professionally jumping through multiple hoops imposed by the state, they are this year’s                 recipients of the esteemed “Hula Hoop Award” (and given hula hoops so they could practice).

 

Jeff Hill, Lewis Jefferies and Niem Le are in their offices morning, noon and night to help that student through questions about payments, fees, refunds, car decals, and financial issues. They were the recipients of the celebrated “Ring My Bell for Customer Service Award” (and given a new bell because the old one was worn out!)

 

 

Michael Horn, Heather Parusel, Janice Burkes, and Tracy Pham spend every hour of every day researching, reviewing, listening and compiling the details to identify resources to move the College forward. The hours spent squinting while reading the fine print on grant RFPs, applications, and implementation plans reaps great rewards for the college. They are this year’s winners of the impressive “Sherlock  Holmes Magnifying Glass Award” (and given a magnifying glass to save their eyes in future research.)

 

Bob Anderson keeps the college faculty, staff and students in food, drinks and snacks. As individual tastes change, Bob is on the move to contract the right service to provide the right product. Because of his sensitivity and rapid response, Bob was the recipient of the major “Gum Ball Vending Award” (and received a nice gum ball machine for his desk.)

 

Pat Emch, Marie Coffey, David Baker, Richard Griffin, Diep Tong, and Mark Clifton work in various units at the college but they all must keep many tasks and process in order. Whether they are getting things

ordered, delivered and paid for (while persevering through constant

change), or printing and copying while keeping the machine humming,

or crossing all the “T’s” and dotting all the “I’s”, these staff members

seem to make it look simple and can explain it all while keeping their customers in mind. For this reason, these individuals received the “Keeping Your Ducks in a Row Award” (and received some nice rubber duckies to go on their desk.)

 

 

Dr. Mel Gay was recognized forhis leadership and guidance of the Care Team. This team implements strategies for preventing, responding, and managing student behavior.  Students learn self-control, responsibility, and respect. However, there are some students who do not respond to the compassionate and caring ways of Dr. Gay. For this reason, he was present with the prominent “Managing Unmanageable Students Award” (and received a nice plastic police action set to aid him in his work).

 

 

Mark Helms helped CPCC receive the National President’s Award for Service Learning for the second consecutive year. He leads by example and has planned, implemented, and assessed student projects-from tree planting, working on houses for Habitat for Humanity, participating in America Reads, creek clean-up and many other projects. Service Learning students contributed over 21, 000 volunteer hours.  It is with great appreciation that Mark was presented with the “Under Construction-Tools Award” to help him continue to do a great job (and received a construction helmet and tool set).

 

 

With Rita Dawkins, failure is not an option. CPCC students will realize this as her team sets the standard and strategies for raising student achievement through the Student Academic Progress program (SAP). Rita and her counselors help students make a clean sweep and achieve optimal opportunity for success. They are helping students clean up their act by improvements in motivation, learning, and achievement. It is for this reason that Rita was presented with the “Sweep Clean and Smarties Award” (and received a broom, dustpan and a pack of Smarties).

This year Winston Edmonds has juggled his time with EEO and Disabilities Services.  Both areas required a “Director of Champions”. The college relied on his experience, strength, and capabilities as he forged forward to meet new challenges each day. It is for this reason, Winston was awarded the prestigious “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil Award” (and received duct tape, eye glasses and ear plugs to facilitate action).

 

This year has been very intense for the college as faculty and staff cope with the economy and job market declines. Pat Nash stepped up with job searching tips, tricks, and tactics for landing a job and Career Services created and implemented one day seminars for community job seekers. Because of her quick action to assist a community in need, Pat Nash was the recipient of the “Rapid Response Award” (and received a mega-horn).

JJ McEachern, always revved up and ready to go,continues to motivate and make significant progress with the ESS unit. He has a reputation for outstanding performance and exceptional student services. His staff has increased the number of high school visits and turn good defense into good offense when things get tough. It is for this reason that JJ was presented with the much coveted “Speedy and Power House Award” (and received Speedstick Deodorant and a Power bar to assist his mission).

 

For raising funds, recruiting students, reviewing a million FASFAS, complying with two hundred endowment restrictions, issuing award letters, counseling students and ultimately providing over 1,200 student scholarships, the “Show Me The Money Award” was presented to Dr. Kevin McCarthy, Brenda Lea, Vivian Hailey, Jeff Hill, Debbie Brooks, April Jones, and Lewis Jeffries (recipients received packets of play money which Michael Moss immediately wanted back to balance next year’s budget.)

 

 

The “Everything But The Kitchen Sink Award” was given to Wanda Towler, Jeff Friar; Bill Jordan; Adam Garside; Malik Rahman: Kathy Watkins and David Rhew for sifting through umpteen bidders and contractors, “locking down” a state-of-the-art security dispatch center, giving the college the ability to keep an eye on everyone from the yellow poles, whipping up an opportunity for college staff to be “TV Stars,” knowing the scoop on how to keep the college safe, staying strong while sending emails at 3am, staying on top of new technologies, serving on national committees , and tracking down equipment orders and cutting a major power line during a construction project.  (Recipients were given one of the following: a sifter, toy handcuffs, a camera, an ice cream scoop, a whisk, some Geratol, and a knife.)

 

 

Dr. Brenda Leonard, Al Hunter, Richard Redman, Janice Hill, and Bob Patterson worktireless for the college in compliance roles. They search through 10,000 class rosters down to the last FTE, have the foresight to assist minor students on their way to a GED, envision a solution for every audit concern, “clairvoyantly” anticipate risk and danger wherever it may lurk, track and submit hundreds of reports accurately and on time and repair all discovered errors. Because of excellent perseverance, these individuals received the coveted “Enabling The College to Have 20/20 Vision Award” (and received miniature glasses repair kits.)

 

For meeting impossible schedules and budgets, for simultaneously juggling

the demands of architects, planning committees , inspectors, Cabinet and

contractors, for coming through it all on-time and with beautiful buildings

for CPCC students, the “If You Build It They Will Come Award” went to: Rich Rosenthal, Dan Spinicci; Dr. Maha Gingrich; Keith Beam; Ian Brice (recipients received building block sets).

 

David Kim, Ken Ingle, Larry Bjorson, Linda McComb, and Laura Temples are some of the brightest bulbs at CPCC.   For having the bright idea and leading the way through technology to improve efficiency with such developments as footprints, on-line transcripts, on-line attendance and on-line tutoring, they were awarded the highly sought after “Bright Idea Award.” (Winners received a flashlight – including batteries).

For spending time with faculty and staff trying to help the college become more entrepreneurial, for spending hours facilitating brown-bag lunches with potential Einsteins, for netting all the potential you can find, the “Catching New Ideas Award” went to Steve Brennan, Director of the Services Corp (he received a butterfly net to help catch ideas).

 

 

Administrative Assistants make order from chaos, balance budgets with

a single stroke, make graduation look easy and generate great parties

with no money. For this reason Diane Lambert, Missy Bizzaro, Connie

Laliberte, Madeline Schuler, Nichole Patterson and Maria Harrell were awarded the highly renowned “Abra Kadabra Award.” (They received crowns and magic wands to assist them with their continuous magic.)

 

 

Mary-Lynn Mitchell has spent much time and energy putting 85% of college departments through the Service Excellence Standards training, and chasing down everything from maps and building directories to incorrect college phone numbers for the phonebook. For this reason, she was the recipient of the “Cleaning Up Our Act Award” (and received some Purrell hand sanitizer to keep her act clean.)

 

 

Periodically the College asks new students “how registration, enrollment and the first few days of class went?” Because Denise Wells and Dr. Clint McElroy worked hard on the student intake survey again this year, wrote a detailed report that helped the College “draw conclusions” and refrain from “blowing things out of proportion”, they receive the highly esteemed “Tell It Like It Is Award” (and received some coloring

books and water balloons).

 

 

Dr. Terri Manning is a woman in perpetual motion, managing dozens of research projects, being on every committee and team known to man, Achieving Every Dream and doing this all from 6,000 feet or from 200 different hotel rooms in constant travel. She was awarded with the coveted “Frequent and Always Flying Award” (and given a toy airplane.)

And lastly….