OCTC Honors Employee Excellence

by Bernie Hale

Owensboro, KY (01/25/2021) — Owensboro Community & Technical College's (OCTC) employee awards program was held on December 10, 2020 as a virtual event. There are two categories the Awards of Excellence and the Peer Awards.

The Awards of Excellence are the pinnacle award, winners are selected from nominations submitted by faculty and staff that are reviewed by a panel of past recipients. The award includes a $1,500 stipend to be used for professional development.

This year's panel of judges requested an additional award to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of Dr. Scott Williams during the pandemic.

The nominees for the Faculty Award of Excellence included All Faculty-for their extraordinary work during the year, Bethany Ebelhar-nursing faculty, and Al Wallace-accounting/business faculty.

Al Wallace, accounting professor, was the winner of the Faculty Award of Excellence. As noted in his nomination, Al epitomizes the word, "gentleman."

Wallace is known for constantly updating his courses, even over the summer. He is always exploring what works for students, embracing the newest technologies, and engaging his students to help them succeed. "He is known to be a professional in his relationships with his colleagues and cares deeply for the College, his students, and his co-workers," added Matt Alschbach. It was noted that while serving on a committee with Wallace, he is sure to complete every task assigned throughly and on time. Al has been at OCTC since August 1, 1984.

The nominees for the 2020 Staff Award of Excellence were Amee Payne, SkillTrain success coach, and Jan Goldman, success coach for the Allied Health programs. This year's recipient of the OCTC Staff Award is Crystal "Amee" Payne, academic program facilitator for SkillTrain, adult education. Payne began her career at OCTC as a student. After earning her GED, she went on to earn her associate degree at OCTC and was a student worker with the Ready to Work program. Her compassion and enthusiasm for working with students was evident, and she was hired in October of 2016 as a full-time employee.

Payne "consistently stands out because of her genuine care for students, her programmatic aptitude, and her commitment to finding a way to make things work." She "is the epitome of the KCTCS "You've Got This" motto." She began as a work-study student in the SkillTrain area. Not long after her start as a work-study student, "it was clear that she had a passion to work with students and consistently sets out to be the cheerleader that SkillTrain students need." She is known as "The Person Who Knows Every Single SkillTrain Student by Name --But Also by History, Current Situation, and Future Goals."

Payne went on to earn her Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership from Western Kentucky University.

The OCTC Peer Awards are nominated by the employees of the College, and the winners are selected by a committee of peers. All of the honors include an award of professional development funds to be used within the next calendar year.

The Quiet Hero Award was established to recognize employees who have had an impact on others and who exemplify a servant's heart. Nominations included: Penni Conrad from the Business Office and Mason Lanham from Workforce Solutions.

This year's recipient, Penni Conrad, business operations specialist, will receive a $750 stipend for professional development. She has been described as having a servant's heart, working with a positive attitude and a willingness to help others. Her colleagues note that one of her most admirable qualities is her genuine concern for students.

Due to the nature of her responsibilities, Conrad is able to recognize when students struggle financially. When she sees a student struggling, she raises the concern so that OCTC can investigate ways to assist. Rhonda Logsdon added, "Penni is disciplined, reliable, and respectful to others. She takes pride in her work and she does not give up when the work gets tough."

"Penni has an exceptional combination of traits. She is ultra reliable, meticulous, and caring. She is thorough, persistent, and professional. She has earned the respect of her peers both here and at the system level, and she clearly believes in our college and its students," commented Dr. Kevin Beardmore, vice president of student affairs.

Conrad has been at OCTC since July of 1992.

The OCTC Pillar Awards were named to coincide with the college ideals of Community Service, Workforce Education and Readiness, Fostering an Approachable Learning Environment, and Student Advocacy. Each award includes $750 in professional development funds. Nominations for the 2020 OCTC Pillar Award for Student Advocacy included: Dr. Andrea Borregard and Crystal "Amee" Payne.

This year's recipient, Dr. Andrea Borregard, dean of student affairs, works tirelessly in her role at OCTC as the student affairs dean, den leader, and cheerleader for all students. She understands the frustrations students can face as they navigate new situations and seeks to actively address their concerns.

Dr. Meredith Skaggs commented, "Andrea monitors the heartbeat of our student population and does not hesitate to reach out to students and offer solutions to any student concern. While many people happily serve our students, so much of the culture for advocacy in the Pathfinder Den is inspired by the leadership of Dr. Andrea Borregard."

Borregard is gifted at connecting with students where they are and matching them with the resources and services available at OCTC and within our community. She also approaches life with a great sense of humor which can make work fun for everyone. Borregard has been at OCTC since November of 2007.

This year's honoree for the 2020 OCTC Pillar Award for Workforce Education & Readiness is Tyler Ashton, director of external education programs for Workforce Solutions. Mason Lanham commented, "Tyler displays an energy and passion when working with industry partners on workforce issues that is unwaveringly evident during each conversation and through each act."

Ashton successfully facilitated a large PLC training for team members at Kimberly Clark. Despite barriers that COVID-19 pandemic presented, he worked diligently with other Workforce Solutions colleagues to host the training on-campus to scale up the skills of nearly twenty individuals. He is also an excellent instructor for students in the GO-Females cohort, a NSF initiative. "Tyler is a great influence on students in the program, and on the program itself by patiently and diligently working through their personal and school related issues with consistent determination while providing outstanding instruction/training. He is truly a 'renaissance' man who can do it all," added Sheri Plain. Ashton's genuine, easy-going personality is a perfect match for empowering students to persist. When COVID threatened to derail the GO Females cohort, he created innovative solutions to adhere to the Healthy at OCTC guidelines and keep the students on track.

Ashton graduated from OCTC in 2017, with an AAS degree, he participated in the GO FAME program, and was on the OCTC Rover Team. He returned to work at OCTC in 2019 after working at Amazon, citing his desire to return to Owensboro.

The 2020 OCTC Pillar Award-Fostering an Encouraging & Approachable Learning Environment winner is Rhonda Logsdon, associate dean of business affairs. It has been noted that Logsdon's work ethic promotes an environment that is respectful, collegial, and supportive. She demonstrates a sincere cooperation, a positive attitude, and an exceptional willingness to assist others daily.

A specific example is in relation to the Perkins Grant, which has undergone many changes and created many frustrating situations over the years as it is an ever-changing process. Dr. Stacy Edds-Ellis commented, "Rhonda has gone above and beyond to work with Academic Affairs and Grants to help streamline the process, create a timeline for administering the grant, implement a training program for coordinators on Perkins budget processes, and contributed countless emails/paperwork regarding reallocations." Additionally, Logsdon has been instrumental in helping program coordinators navigate the Perkins process by obtaining quotes and assisting with forms.

Logsdon is also well respected by her peers within KCTCS. "Although Perkins administration has been challenging and frustrating, there is no problem we have not been able to tackle successfully together due to her willingness to dig in and find the best approach. I appreciate her "can do" attitude and her willingness to have a good laugh at factors that are often out of our control," added Edds-Ellis. Additionally, Logsdon always takes the time to make sure students, parents, and community members are served with stellar customer service. She effectively manages her administrative role, while keeping students her first priority.

Logsdon started at KY Tech in 1988;

The President's Award for Adjunct Teaching, receives a $1,500 award for professional development. The nominations for the 2020 OCTC President's Award for Adjunct Teaching included: Jamie Atwell-medical assisting Instructor, Jacob Bryant-communications Instructor, Jacqui Epley-English instructor, Barbara Martin-history instructor, and Nicole Ralph-political science instructor.

This year's honoree is Barbara Martin. She has taught for nearly 50 years, 32 of those at DCMS. Barbara started teaching at OCTC in the fall of 1998. She has taught at USI for 15 years and currently also teaches at KWC. She has a reputation as a devoted and impassioned educator.

Martin is also a scholar and published author of "Upon this Land: A History of the Daviess County Middle School Property" and "Social Studies Activities for the Gifted." During her teaching career, she was active in Daviess County Education Association and the Second District Education Association, serving two terms as president. Martin also served as the National Education Association (NEA) delegate and the Mid-Atlantic Coordinator of the NEA Women's Caucus.

Martin is known to always be available for her students; her legacy is one of service and integrity. Dr. Angela Ash noted, "She has been a faithful friend and colleague, offering words of encouragement and support to myself and others. I can think of nothing more fitting for her final semester than to honor her with the President's Award for Adjunct Instruction." A native of Lexington, Kentucky, Martin received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Concord University in West Virgina and a Master's degree in History/Education and a Rank I in Secondary Supervision from Western Kentucky University. Her hopes upon retirement include traveling.

Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.

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