State Board Recognizes Several VGCC Employees at Awards Luncheon

RALEIGH – The State Board of Community Colleges recognized several Vance-Granville Community College employees at its Day of Recognition Awards on Nov. 21. The luncheon was held at the RBC Center in Raleigh.

Maria Orsini of Butner, an instructor for the Associate Degree Nursing program at VGCC, was a finalist for the 2008 R. J. Reynolds Excellence in Teaching Award. The Excellence in Teaching Award was established in 1985 by the State Board of Community Colleges to provide recognition for full-time teachers who exemplify the highest standards of instruction and professionalism in the classroom and who consistently demonstrate excellence in service to their colleges and communities. The award is sponsored by the State Board of Community Colleges and endowed by R.J. Reynolds. As a finalist, Orsini received $500 and a plaque. VGCC also received a plaque.

Retirees from the state’s 58 colleges and the Community College System Office were also recognized for their contributions to education. This year, 356 persons retired during the period from July 2, 2007 through July 1, 2008. They have contributed more than 9,000 combined years of dedicated service to education. Many of the retirees, including retired VGCC Office Systems Technology instructor Gloria Boone of Bullock, attended the luncheon and received a certificate of appreciation from Dr. Linwood Powell, vice chair of the State Board of Community Colleges and Dr. Scott Ralls, president of the NC Community Colleges. Other retirees from VGCC during the period from July 2, 2007 through July 1, 2008 were Delores Critcher, Daniel DeKock, Elton L. Dillard, Jane Jackson, Marsha Nelson and Murtha Richardson.

Also at the luncheon, NC Community Colleges President Emeritus H. Martin Lancaster was honored by the State Board of Community Colleges with its most prestigious award, the I.E. Ready. Lancaster became system president in July 1997 and retired in May 2008.

Above, left: Maria Orsini of Butner, Instructor for Associate Degree Nursing at VGCC and a finalist for the 2008 R. J. Reynolds Excellence in Teaching Award, received $500 and a plaque at a luncheon in Raleigh on Friday, Nov. 21. Pictured, from left: State Board of Community Colleges Vice Chair Dr. Linwood Powell, Orsini, Steve Strawsburg of R. J. Reynolds, VGCC President Randy Parker.
Above, right: Recent retirees from North Carolina community colleges were honored at a luncheon in Raleigh on Friday, Nov. 21. Pictured, from left: State Board of Community Colleges Vice Chair Dr. Linwood Powell, VGCC retiree Gloria Boone of Bullock, and President of the NC Community Colleges Dr. Scott Ralls.