The American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) annual Awards of Excellence underscore the association’s priorities and bring national visibility to promising practices among its member colleges.
Winners will be announced at the Awards of Excellence Gala during the AACC Annual April 10-14 in Seattle. (Be sure to register for the convention.)
This year’s Awards of Excellence categories and finalists are:
Advancing Institutional Equity and Belonging
- Hudson County Community College (New Jersey)
- MiraCosta College (California)
- Patrick & Henry Community College (Virginia)
Exemplary CEO-Board Relationship
- Finger Lakes Community College (New York)
- Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (North Carolina)
- William Rainey Harper College (Illinois)
Faculty Innovation
- Kimberly Coffman, Miami Dade College (Florida)
- Joseph Gallo, Hudson County Community College (New Jersey)
- Jessica Krowka, Cuyahoga Community College (Ohio)
Outstanding College Corporate Partnership
- Hudson County Community College (New Jersey) and New Jersey Reentry Corporation
- Joliet Junior College (Illinois) and Constellation Energy
- Mercer County Community College (California) and Johnson & Johnson
- Mid-State Technical College (Wisconsin) and Bushman Electric, Crane & Sign
- Piedmont Virginia Community College and the University of Virginia Health
- Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (North Carolina) and Okuma America
Student Success
- Miami Dade College (Florida)
- Reading Area Community College (Pennsylvania)
Rising Star – Manager
- Carmen Concepcion, Miami Dade College (Florida)
- Brittany Freilberg, Rock Valley College (Illinois)
- Amaalah Ogburn, Hudson County Community College (New Jersey)
- Amanda Vargas, Klamath Community College (Oregon)
Rising Star – Executive
- Nahomi Carlisle, Bunker Hill Community College (Massachusetts)
- Heather DeVries, Hudson County Community College (New Jersey)
- Matt Franz, Clark State College (Ohio)
- Erika Hackman, Orange County Community College (SUNY Orange) (New York)
Faculty Member of the Year
- Lisa Fozio-Thielk, Waubonsee Community College (Illinois)
- Karen Hostick, Hudson County Community College (New Jersey)
- Ernesto Lee, Miami Dade College (Florida)
- James Smisek, Seminole State College of Florida
Trustee of the Year
- Roberto Alonzo, Miami Dade College (Florida)
- Karen Moore, Tallahassee State College (Florida)
CEO of the Year
- Jay Allen, Itawamba Community College (Mississippi)
- Susan Looney, Reading Area Community College (Pennsylvania)
- Jim Murdaugh, Tallahassee State College (Florida)
- Avis Proctor, William Rainey Harper College (Illinois)
- Howard Spearman, Rock Valley College (Illinois)
