Outstanding Community College Awardees
Help us celebrate our 2024 Outstanding Community Colleges Award winners. The awardees will be celebrated at the 2nd Annual Convention and Tradeshow on Wednesday, December 4, 2024.
The Outstanding Community College Awards celebrate one staff and faculty members from each community college. Additionally, there are four competitive awards that Community Colleges can nominate for: Equity & Inclusion, Business & Industry Partner, Innovation, and Alumni. Nominations are reviewed by a committee and one winner is selected per award category.
Congratulations to all of our awardees!
Outstanding Equity and Inclusion Award
This award is given to a project, program, or group at one of Iowa’s community colleges that demonstrates commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Admissions Team, Hawkeye Community College
This team consistently goes above and beyond to represent the college at community events like Cedar Valley Pridefest and ¡Fiesta! A Celebration of Latino Culture, fostering connections with individuals from diverse backgrounds. They make it a priority to ensure all prospective students and their families, regardless of identity or background, feel welcomed and supported throughout the admissions process. The team’s commitment to inclusion extends to their partnerships with key areas of the college, including the U2 Center and the Adult Learning Center, where they collaborate to enhance access to education for non-traditional and underrepresented students. Their ongoing dedication to creating an inclusive environment truly reflects the values of equity and diversity, making them a deserving candidate for this award.
Outstanding Business and Industry Award
This award is given to a business or industry partner (for-profit or non-profit) of one of Iowa’s Community Colleges who has gone above and beyond to impact students and their community.
Dr. Michael Mccoy, MD & Jason Hutcheson - Southeast Iowa Medical Health/Great River Health/Foundation, southeastern Community College
The Great River Health Foundation (Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center) has committed $10M over five years in support of growing the number of nursing students at SCC. SCC has made a number of changes to the physical plant to accommodate the increase in faculty, staff and students; developed marketing materials, and made major changes to the recruitment process as well as the support systems for students. The GRHF would provide the financial support to SCC to be able to hire the faculty and staff as well as provide stipends/grants to students as they progressed through the program. The Hospital already provides clinical sites but they added to the number for the increase in the student population. SCC would provide the facilities, training/education, hire the additional faculty/staff, provide an accredited program in nursing and all the necessary support systems to help students be successful. SCC would also provide scholarships and ensure that students have financial support at the conclusion of each year to be able to take their state board exams.
Outstanding Innovation Award
This award is given to a project or program innovation at one of Iowa’s community colleges that demonstrates commitment to innovation, creativity, and continuous improvement.
Innovation workspace & Patti Hanson, North Iowa area Community College
The NIACC Innovation Workspace (IW) is a game-changer for innovation, positioning itself as a leading contender for the Community Colleges for Iowa Innovative Program Award. This dynamic hub and the programs offered foster innovation and equip Iowans with the design thinking and technology skills essential to thrive in a global economy. Offering immersive programs and non-credit certificates in cutting-edge technologies, the IW prepares students, entrepreneurs, and community members for future business and workforce needs. Its non-credit certificate programs empower participants to tackle real business challenges, collaborate with local companies, and gain hands-on experience in prototyping and problem-solving. With access to professional-grade digital manufacturing equipment, the IW supports students, entrepreneurs, and small businesses in developing new products and becoming the workforce of the future. The IW’s dedication to bridging education and industry sets it apart as a driving force for innovation and innovative programming in education.
Outstanding Alumni Award
This award is given to a graduate of any of Iowa’s Community Colleges who has shown leadership and commitment to their community.
Leonardo Avila, Northeast iowa Community College
In 1998, Leo Avila started his manufacturing career in his home country of Colombia before emigrating to the United States. Manufacturing employment in the Midwest brought him to the Dubuque area in 2010 and to NICC where he could upgrade his skills. Leo completed several programs at Northeast Iowa Community College from April 2014 to January 2019 including certificates in Electromechanical Technician, Intro to Maintenance Electricity, CNC, MSSC Production Technician, Electrical Maintenance training and the Welding diploma. These early certifications helped pave the way to a successful career in the advanced manufacturing sector. Leo’s skills in manufacturing, eagerness to learn, and bilingual Spanish and English talents are in-demand. Leo’s passion for the field led him to teaching credit and non-credit classes in CNC, Welding and Intro to Industrial Maintenance at the College. Teaching allows Leo to give back, share his talents and see students grow in their skills.
The Outstanding Faculty Awardees and Outstanding Staff Awardees are organized by community college regional order.
Northeast Iowa Community College
Lindsay Johansen, Outstanding faculty award
Lindsey Johansen, Health Faculty, has gone above and beyond to ensure students in her ADN-525 course are well prepared to graduate as ADNs and pass the NCLEX exam. She has initiated the preceptorship program in the Nursing program. The preceptorship is a clinical experience that provides students the opportunity to experience “real world” nursing by working one-on-one with a registered nurse in an acute care clinical setting. She also "changes up" the way she teaches to capture all types of learners.
Sherry Massman, Outstanding Staff Award
Sherry Massman has been an Enrollment Advisor in the Student Services Department for 24 years, advising agriculture, nursing, and transfer students while supporting the Financial Aid Office. Her deep knowledge of financial aid regulations has made her an invaluable resource for staff and students alike. She played a key role in launching the college’s signature “Earn While You Learn” apprenticeship with Zurich, an international insurance company, by establishing and streamlining processes, developing an online orientation, and maintaining partnerships. Her efforts contributed to nearly $475K in educational savings for students. She is also a leader in financial literacy initiatives, spearheading the national Trellis Survey of Student Financial Wellness and guiding the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) process. She developed electronic appeal forms and improved procedures to benefit students. A humble, loyal, and devoted advocate for student success, her commitment to excellence makes her a deserving candidate for this award.
North Iowa Area Community College
Rodney Zehr, Outstanding faculty award
As a developmental Mathematics instructor, Rodney’s unwavering dedication to student success and educational excellence has been consistently demonstrated. He has an innate ability to meet the diverse needs of his students, who are often underprepared and underserved. He is committed to improving student performance by ensuring every student has the tools necessary to succeed while fostering a positive and inclusive classroom where each student feels valued and supported. Rodney is also actively involved in committees throughout campus and volunteerism through his church and community. His leadership and dedication have been recognized through multiple NIACC Teacher of the Year Award nominations. His outstanding qualities—passion, commitment, compassion, and inclusiveness—make him a positive influence on students, and he truly deserves recognition for his extraordinary contributions.
Dr. Rachel McGuire, Outstanding Staff Award
Rachel began her journey as a student at NIACC and has been a dedicated employee for over 31 years. Rachel is Vice President of Student Development and Success at NIACC, overseeing all Student Services, including Academic Advising, Admissions, Disability Services, Financial Aid, Housing, Records, and TRIO. Rachel demonstrates her commitment to student success and support every day. She pursues new opportunities to ensure students access needed resources, including opening NIACC's first Wellness Hub and Food Pantry. She also integrated systems that proactively identify students' academic and social needs to support their success. Rachel's student-centric approach is a cornerstone of her leadership. She regularly engages with students on campus, attends their events, and celebrates their accomplishments. Her emphasis on putting the 'student first' is not just a mantra for her team but a guiding principle she embodies in her work and daily decision-making.
Iowa Lakes Community College
Carol Ayres Stueven, Outstanding faculty award
Carol joined Iowa Lakes in 1988. For the last 36 years, she has served as Professor of Instrumental Music & Jazz Band. Beyond teaching a full load of classes, Carol also supports her colleagues as an online learning Mentor/Trainer. Dedicated to creating musical opportunities for students as well as the enjoyment of the Iowa Lakes communities, Carol leads the Concert, Jazz, and Pep Bands, the Handbell, Percussion, and Brass Ensembles, and directs a musical biennially. She has founded or co-founded the Iowa Collegiate Honor Band, the Iowa Lakes Reggie Schive Jazz Camp, the Community Handbell Ensemble, the Jazz Festival at ILCC, the Iowa Lakes Convocation Series, and a Circle K student chapter. She has served as the Director of the Lakes Area Community Theater and serves as Director of the First Presbyterian Church Choir and Handbell Ensemble.
tim Ireland, Outstanding Staff Award
Tim Ireland serves as the Director of the Iowa Lakes Veterans Center, following a distinguished 38-year military career with the Iowa Army and Air and National Guard, where he spent five years as a Chief Master Sergeant. In his current role, he oversees three Veterans Centers, advocates for student veterans, and manages priority enrollment, transfer of military credits, and ensuring veterans receive their earned benefits. Tim also leads the Veterans Center Mentor Program, fostering a strong and supportive community for veteran students. His unwavering dedication to the advancement of veterans in higher education earned him national recognition as a Veteran Champion of the Year by Victory Media. Known for his deep commitment to helping veterans achieve their educational and personal goals, Tim is a highly respected and valued member of the Iowa Lakes Community College team.
Northwest Iowa Community College
Chuck Ball, Outstanding faculty award
Chuck Ball is one of the Automotive & Light Duty Diesel Repair instructors for NCC. Chuck has been referred to by colleagues as one of the biggest proponents of the college. While observing Chuck in the lab he is often seen with a group of students around him taking an opportunity to teach a concept to students. Chuck is consistently greeting other staff members and students in the halls and commons and approaches his day with a positive attitude. Chuck truly takes each day to make the most out of his time with students and has become an essential part of training the next generation of automotive technicians.
Kathi Knobloch, Outstanding Staff Award
There are many reasons Kathi is receiving this award. Kathi understands many of the NCC’s processes and operations and works tirelessly to make things more efficient across departments. This includes creating automations for manual tasks, designing reports and dashboards from Colleague for data analysis, and managing projects across departments that relate to Colleague. Kathi makes the annual reporting process (both credit and non-credit) so easy because no one that has a better grasp of what is needed and required. Kathi is extremely well respected by her peers across the state and also the Department of Education staff often use her as an example of what to do correctly at statewide meetings. NCC is in a better place because of Kathi. She does her job quietly and doesn’t want recognition but she is so deserving for all that she does.
Iowa Central Community College
JOel Collins, Outstanding faculty award
Joel goes above and beyond as a faculty member. teaches credit and non-credit, face to face and hybrid. He teaches at our regional centers, main campus, in the prisons, and has provided training for multiple businesses and industries. Joel never says no and is continuously looking for ways to provide better opportunities for students, and our area workforce. He recently transformed his program into a proficiency-based opportunity - providing students with the opportunity to get paid to work while earning their degree.
Sara Scharf, Outstanding Staff Award
Sara Scharf has been a valued employee at Iowa Central Community College for over 20 years. Sara distinguishes herself as an exceptional professional. Her demeanor is consistently pleasant, and her competence and compassion are evident in all she does. One of Sara’s most notable strengths is her ability to collaborate effectively with staff, faculty, and students. She excels in creating a supportive environment where individuals feel comfortable and valued. Sara’s leadership skills are equally impressive; her warm and inviting personality allows her to quickly put others at ease, fostering a collaborative atmosphere. She is deeply committed to her role and demonstrates remarkable skill in aligning departmental goals with the needs of students and staff. Her decision-making consistently reflects her dedication to the best interests of her team and the institution. She embodies the qualities we all aspire to—honesty, commitment, care, compassion, and loyalty.
Iowa Valley Community College District
Danielle Kness, Outstanding faculty award
Danielle Kness DVM became a full-time Professor of Biology in 2015. She became a leader for the Marshalltown Community College and IVCCD. Danielle has a vision for MCC to be the best it can be. She spearheaded the design for the remodeling for biology and physics labs recently completed and supported the development for the upcoming chem lab remodel. She has recently taken on a three-year project to reclaim a pond on the MCC campus to provide a safe, usable recreational space for our students and the community…that also provides for field work for Biology students. She is a leader with MCC students and developed/coordinates the Honors Program, developed Pair-a-docs Pre-Vet Student Club, works with STEM club, and helps with logistics for a local Math Competition. She has also made time to reach out to local high school students about careers in STEM.
Tracy Crippin Haake, Outstanding Staff Award
Tracy Crippin Haake serves as our Director of Student Success/Registrar at Ellsworth Community College. Tracy is truly a leader as she works with her team and the students on our campus. She has partnered with our IT department and developed an early alert/cohort report that gives advisors a holistic view of student progress. The report includes grades, attendance, outstanding balances, housing information, and the last time student's logged into the learning management system each week. Tracy has also demonstrated her leadership on our campus with our current COMMS+ initiative where she has been working with multiple departments and complex processes to provide better ways to use our technology to communicate with students. Tracy is a servant leader and always looking for ways to support her team and improve the student experience.
Hawkeye Community College
Lisa Munoz, Outstanding faculty award
Every college has outstanding faculty members. At Hawkeye Community College, Lisa Munoz is one of our standouts both inside the classroom and within the community. A professor of Sociology and the faculty chair of Social Sciences and Humanities, she chairs the Liberal Arts Mini-Con, which showcases liberal arts programs, celebrates current students work and honors its graduates. Lisa also manages the college’s Liberal Arts Advisory Board. A mentor for new faculty, she’s also well respected by veteran instructors. Additionally, she has been a part of the Hawkeye Reads Committee choosing the college’s common read along with being a lead on the Diversity and Inclusion Council. Despite her college commitments, Lisa’s community engagement in the Cedar Valley is just as impressive. She has been an active leader on the Waterloo Human Rights Commission, the Cedar Valley Advocates for Immigration and Refugee Rights and the League of Women Voters of Black Hawk and Bremer counties.
Nadine torsrud, Outstanding Staff Award
Since 2016, Nadine has played a critical role in overseeing all FA grants and the ERP system, while also coordinating verification and Return to Title IV processes. In 2023-24, she was both significantly impacted and instrumental in managing the monumental changes in financial aid, drawing on her directly related expertise to ensure a smooth transition. Nadine’s calm, compassionate demeanor and exceptional professionalism make her an invaluable asset to the team. She is always the first to step up, assisting students and colleagues alike with dedication and care. Her tireless commitment to student success is evident, and she continually seeks opportunities to expand her knowledge to better support the team and student success. Nadine’s proactive approach, her willingness to go above and beyond, combined with her skillful navigation of complex changes and unwavering support for students and colleagues truly set her apart, making her highly deserving of this recognition.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges
Gina Bielski, Outstanding faculty award
Gina is an exemplary instructor and an active community member. As a Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) advisor at Clinton Community College, she has secured a grant for a new student lounge. Under her guidance, the PTK chapter has attended numerous national conferences and since 2010 the chapter has sent more than 1,500 holiday cards to military troops. Gina promotes the same kind, supportive climate for the faculty team that she does for students. She was a founding member of the New Faculty Development Course and Faculty Mentor Program and facilitated the Great Teachers Workshop for a number of years. Additionally, she chairs the Council for Teaching Excellence. She is highly respected by faculty, staff and students alike. EICC has established a Distinguished Faculty program to recognize those faculty members who demonstrate significant contribution to the student success and goals of the District, a title she has earned three times. Gina’s invaluable contributions demonstrate that she is executing EICC’s vision "Changing lives and building communities."
Sabrina shoemaker, Outstanding Staff Award
Sabrina Shoemaker has been a PACE advisor and student advocate at EICC for 36 years. Sabrina supports students in HiSET or credit programs from the moment they arrive to their time of graduation. She moves her services to where our students are to make herself accessible, e.g. the nursing students take classes in the Career Advancement Center and Sabrina offers office hours in that building regularly. This allows the students to ""happen"" upon her and she can create an organic system of support. Sabrina is my ""go-to"" advisor for any students who want to pursue the HiSET. She celebrates our HiSET graduates by attending their ceremonies and encourages them to take the next step in their education. A recent example is a student named “Andy.” He reached out to me to inquire about HiSET and I referred him to Sabrina. She contacted him and opened up an appointment the next day. Unfortunately, he did not keep his initial appointment but Sabrina was undeterred and reached out to invite him again. It’s this dedication to our students, particularly at-risk students, which makes Sabrina worthy of this award. Sabrina chairs the student emergency committee, where she advocates for treating the student as a whole and helping wherever we can.
Kirkwood Community College
Arbe Bareis-Moyyad, Outstanding faculty award
Arbe Bareis-Moyyad is Associate Professor of Art and oversees Art Acquisitions at Kirkwood. In response to the shift online and decreased enrollment during the pandemic Arbe piloted mirroring credit studio-arts courses with continuing education. Community members enrolled in the studio courses through continuing education provided wonderful mentorship opportunities to the credit students, and credit students were able to experience the community engaging in lifelong learning and passion for the arts. Because of this success, Kirkwood has kept and scaled this model to other studio arts courses. In efforts to increase student retention and completion, Arbe led the art faculty in an effort to create and propose, and successfully get approved an Associate of Applied Arts (AAA) program in Visual Arts. Currently, Arbe is part a collaborative effort to engage students in designing artwork for Kirkwood’s Iowa Hall Student Center. He truly embodies the Kirkwood spirit of innovation.
Caitlyn Miller, Outstanding Staff Award
Caitlyn Miller, Associate Director of Student Assistance & Outreach in the Dean of Students Office, has been a dedicated leader at Kirkwood Community College for 11 years. Her work in organizing guided pathway support teams and expanding violence prevention efforts has significantly enhanced student success and well-being. Caitlyn's strong communication and collaboration skills have fostered an inclusive campus environment, while her leadership in violence prevention includes organizing events with other institutions and serving on the Linn County Sexual Assault Response Team. Colleagues frequently seek her guidance for her expertise, teamwork, and dependable, high-quality work. She is an exemplary student advocate, colleague and leader who embodies excellence in student service.
Des Moines Area Community College
Julie hartzler, Outstanding faculty award
Julie Hartzler, Professor of Mathematics is in her 12th year of full-time employment with Des Moines Area Community College and worked as an adjunct before that while teaching High School. Julie is exceptional in the classroom. She uses a variety of manipulatives during class time to engage students while making math more accessible to her students. Last semester, a student wrote “Literally the best math teacher I have ever had in my life. I came into the class saying I’m terrible at math and I feel with her I actually learn how math works and what I am doing and how to do it. The best teacher and has SUCH a skill to teach. Truly intelligent and a very fun teacher to talk to with a great personality.” Her colleague described her as a dedicated teacher who cares for all – a consummate professional.
Kay Ruggiero, Outstanding Staff Award
Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) proudly submits a nomination for former Director of Payroll Services and current Director of Payroll Special Projects, Kay Ruggiero, for the Outstanding Staff award. Kay has been a humble servant leader, providing superior customer service, to the employees of DMACC for more than 38 years. Day after day, Kay goes above and beyond to ensure our employees are paid timely and accurately and that they understand their compensation. Payroll Services at DMACC is one of the highest rated HR functions from an employee satisfaction perspective and we owe that to the consistent and excellent leadership provided throughout her career by Kay. Kay has been an innovative leader in Payroll, committing years to process improvement with payroll functions to ensure efficiency and accuracy for DMACC and its employees. Kay retires in 2025 after nearly 40 years of service to DMACC and she’ll be greatly missed!
Western Iowa Tech Community College
James garvey, Outstanding faculty award
James Garvey is in his seventh year as an instructor in the Mechanical Engineering program at Western Iowa Tech. During this time, he has transformed the program with the integration of new technologies in a constantly changing field. He monitors students’ needs and develops resources to assist students in their learning, including developing you-tube videos to take students step by step through challenging assignments. This past year, James worked on a project, in cooperation with the IT department, to provide for a completely new lab configuration with mobile technology that allows students to work from anywhere, anytime to complete course work. James creates an engaging project-based learning environment preparing his students for the workforce. As a result, students in his program are in high demand from area employers. Students comment that they appreciate Mr. Garvey being more than just a teacher. He is a mentor who inspires them to excel and believe in themselves.
Andrea Rohlena, Outstanding Staff Award
Andrea Rohlena has played a pivotal role in leading numerous large-scale institutional initiatives since assuming the position as Director of Marketing and Publication eight years ago. Under her leadership, the college successfully introduced a new brand, college logo, athletic logo, significantly elevating its visual identity. She also enhanced student communications, overseeing the creation of over 200 new print, email, and text communication pieces. Andrea contributed to the development of a new mission statement and was instrumental in shaping the College’s inaugural vision statement. Her ability to foster collaboration across departments has been important in gaining widespread support and perspective. These strategic efforts have enhanced the student focused culture at WITCC.
Iowa Western Community College
Mackenzie shinbara, Outstanding faculty award
Mackenzie Shinbara joined Iowa Western Community College in 2011 as an Instructor of Music. Today she serves as the Department Chair and Professor of Music. Mackenzie has consistently demonstrated excellence as a department chair, faculty member, mentor, and community member in her twelve-year tenure at the college. She demonstrates character and strength as an organized, detail-oriented faculty leader, a positive source of motivation for students and staff, and an innovative problem solver for student and faculty concerns. Her students often express their gratitude for her commitment to their education. They have cited her as being enthusiastic, creative, and caring during the learning process. They add that she goes above and beyond to help them succeed. Mackenzie was awarded Iowa Western Community College’s 2023 Distinguished Faculty Award, and the 2015 John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award by the League of Innovation in the Community College.
Jason Hannah, Outstanding Staff Award
Jason is dedicated and impacts Iowa Western in positive and caring ways with his knowledge, integrity and grace. He assists new employees with learning and insights gained during his long tenure. Jason has an extensive understanding of IT concepts and is available at a moment's notice to provide reports and data needed for decision making. Additionally, he takes the time to explain complex technical concepts in ways non-technical colleagues can understand. He shows innovation and creativity in finding solutions to unique situations. Jason supports his team and the College and goes beyond expectations to foster a caring workplace, treating everyone with dignity, appreciation and value.
Southwestern Community College
Regina Long, Outstanding faculty award
Mrs. Long has served as a full-time business and information technology instructor for the college since August 1999. With a dedication to the teaching profession and a cheerful personality, she routinely goes out of her way to assist students and has also earned the trust and respect of her peers. As both the co-chair of the faculty assessment and the institutional effectiveness and assessment committees, Mrs. Long has been instrumental in developing assessment processes at Southwestern and in communicating their importance to her colleagues. She regularly attends the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) conference and has served as a faculty representative for Iowa Department of Education accreditation visits. Furthermore, she has contributed as a member of Southwestern’s quality faculty plan committee and has often represented the college on the statewide faculty advisory committee. In the current academic year, Mrs. Long and the other members of the faculty assessment committee launched a series of professional development sessions designed to help faculty develop better assessment practices while assisting in preparations for Southwestern’s HLC accreditation visit in the upcoming academic year. She is dedicated to improving assessment for the faculty and the college, and her importance to Southwestern’s assessment process cannot be overstated.
Kim Oaks, Outstanding Staff Award
Kim has served at Southwestern for over 40 years in the business and community development division, and throughout her time, she has been an ambitious and dedicated employee, colleague, mentor, and leader. Prior to her career at Southwestern, Kim was a student at Southwestern herself, earning an office occupations secretarial certificate. She began her career at Southwestern as a secretary in adult education in 1984. Kim then moved into an adult education secretary and coordinator position in 2002, and after a short-time, she was promoted to adult education business coordinator in 2004. She continued her higher education by graduating from Bellevue University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Leadership and Management in 2010. Later, in 2019, Kim moved into the adult education director position. In this position, Kim has been responsible for establishing training classes for employers and the general public, coordinating state mandated and state recognized programs, and overseeing non-credit registration and the data management system, among many other duties. Throughout her career at Southwestern, Kim has become the go-to-person both locally and across the state for business and industry training programs, as well as reporting. Perhaps the most incredible attribute is Kim’s willingness to take on new challenges for the greater good. This past academic year, Kim worked diligently with college administrators to prepare to launch a CDL training program. From playing a lead role in preparing a CDL grant application, hiring instructors, preparing curriculum, securing equipment, among many other duties, Kim’s impact on training has been felt by many across southwest and south-central Iowa.
Indian Hills Community College
Heather Davison, Outstanding faculty award
Heather Davison is a Professor of History, serving IHCC full time since 2010. Heather is a team player and is always willing to help students and colleagues. She has been instrumental in the success of our How to be Successful course both face to face and online. She is student-centered and strives for student success in all that she does. Heather is always a pleasure to work with – she looks for ways to incorporate innovative activities and lessons for her students and works to ensure learning as a top priority. Heather helps lead the effort for the annual History Day competition, bringing students, parents and teachers to campus to share their learning and passion for historical events and figures. She is organized, thoughtful, and puts her students first! There is no ego in her work. Heather is a stellar instructor who is guided by a heart for service.
Clay winn, Outstanding Staff Award
Clay Winn has served IHCC for many years as an independent contractor, Project Manager, and now serves as IHCC’s Director, Physical Facilities. Clay’s leadership of maintenance and custodians at Indian Hills Community College has continuously improved IHCC’s buildings and grounds on all three campuses. Clay has worked closely with IHCC leadership to plan and execute 4 major capital projects totaling $50 million over the last three years. His work-ethic and interest in doing what is best for the college and our students is unparalleled. Clay can always be counted on to get the job done and it is fun working alongside someone with great common sense and construction expertise.
Southeastern Community College
Jim Steffen, Outstanding faculty award
Jim Steffen is the EMS Program Coordinator and Instructor who has demonstrated unwavering commitment to excellence in the field of Emergency Medical Services. Jim has over 30 years of experience and holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Emergency Medical Services from SCC and a Bachelor of Science in Adult Education degree from Bellevue University with additional coursework completed at the University of Iowa. Jim has demonstrated significant contributions which promotes student success, district and community outreach, and professional development and continuing education for EMT’s, Paramedics, and community first responders. He works diligently to advocate for rural and volunteer emergency services education and finds creative ways to fulfill these service areas needs. Jim serves as a faculty mentor, on multiple committees and councils, and continues to work part-time for Lee County EMS ambulance service. Jim’s calm demeanor makes him an outstanding leader, educator and faculty member who is well-deserving of recognition.
Michelle Brown, Outstanding Staff Award
Michelle Brown served for many years as the Director of High School Relations at SCC but over the past two years, she has transitioned to the Director of SCC’s Title III Guided Pathways grant. Michelle understands the big picture of Student Affairs and utilizes the grant to support faculty and staff in their efforts to help students be more successful. Training provided by Michelle through the grant allows various team members to be better prepared to assist students who might be having difficulties. Another example using the grant funds is the purchase of translation earbuds for various departments within Student Affairs, so her colleagues can better assist international students and other non-native speakers. Michelle understands that this kind of support improves student retention, and that is a big focus of this grant. She is also very instrumental in guiding the Student Success Teams towards improved recruiting, retention, and student support.