CPCC Celebrated 2010 Spring Graduates and Award Recipients at Commencement

last modified May 24, 2010 02:31 PM

 

Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) held two commencement ceremonies May 18 at Bojangles’ Coliseum, with 275 students participating in the Adult High School/GED ceremony during the afternoon and 545 students participating in the college ceremony at night. The Adult High School/GED group was the largest in ten years for the College.
 
Mecklenburg County Commissioner Karen Bentley gave the commencement address at the Adult High School Graduation and the Honorable Anthony Foxx, mayor of Charlotte, spoke at the College’s traditional commencement celebration.
 
During the evening ceremony, Thomas J. Hall, Charlotte entrepreneur and CPCC Foundation Board of Directors member, received the College’s Distinguished Service to the College Award; James “Jim” Taylor Jr., president of the Military Housing division of Balfour Beatty Construction, received the Richard H. Hagemeyer Educational Advancement Award; and Dr. William “Keith” Shannon, an instructor in the Paralegal Technology department, received the Ed O’Herron Fellows Award for teaching excellence. 
 
Thomas J. Hall, president of the Hall Group in Charlotte, N.C., is the 2010 recipient of the College’s Distinguished Service Award. CPCC presents this annual award to an individual who has provided strong support to the institution over the past year. Mr. Hall is a member of the CPCC Foundation Board of Directors whose monetary support over the years has helped fund programs and scholarships related to entrepreneurialism at CPCC. In recognition of his many years of generosity, the College named its Professional Development Building in his honor in 2009. The Hall Professional Development Building, located on the College’s Central Campus, is used for CPCC staff development and business training. It also houses the College’s Institute for Entrepreneurship.
 
James “Jim” Taylor Jr., president of the Military Housing division of Balfour Beatty Construction, is the 2010 recipient of the prestigious Richard H. Hagemeyer Educational Advancement Award. The award recognizes a former CPCC student who has significantly benefited from experiences at the College and whose efforts have helped the community. Mr. Taylor, a Garinger High School alumnus, served in the Navy and later graduated from CPCC. He began his career with J.A. Jones Construction Company and progressed to the role of senior vice president/chief operating officer. Taylor moved to Atlanta in 2001 to establish an office for Balfour Beatty Construction and in 2008 the company named him president of the newly-formed, Atlanta-based Military Housing division.
 
Dr. William “Keith” Shannon is the recipient of the Ed O’Herron Fellows Award, which recognizes teaching excellence. A CPCC teacher since 2002, Dr. Shannon is an instructor in the Paralegal Technology department. He is highly regarded by his students, faculty colleagues, Program Chair, Division Director and Dean for his conscientious commitment to students. He is also recognized for reaching out to other faculty both in the Paralegal Technology Division and across the College. Dr. Shannon received both his Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor (J.D.) degrees from the University of Kentucky. In 1988, Dr. Shannon received his Master of Arts degree in Journalism from Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. He is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, South Carolina Bar and North Carolina State Bar.
 
Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in North Carolina, offering close to 300 academic degree, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically, financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers through innovative educational and training strategies.
 
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This release prepared by Mallory Benz, 704.330.6613. An archive of CPCC news releases is at http://www.cpcc.edu/college-news.