Tarrant County College faculty and staff gained insight into new TCC Chancellor Eugene V. Giovannini when TCC Board of Trustee President Louise Appleman posed questions ranging from his childhood heroes to his current priorities during an “armchair chat”-style interview.
Each year, TCC hosts the Chancellor’s Employee Appreciate Day to honor faculty and staff for their dedication and commitment to TCC’s students and to the College’s institutional excellence. The 2016 Chancellor’s Award for Exemplary Teacher winners by campus are Northeast Campus Chemistry Professor Susan Patrick, Ph.D.; Northwest Campus English Instructor Wendi Pierce; South Construction Assistant Professor Orlando Bagcal, Ph.D.; Southeast Campus Developmental ESOL Instructor Mary Cinatl and Trinity River Campus Biology Assistant Professor Sophia Garcia, Ph.D.
Recipients of this year’s Chancellor’s Employee Excellence Awards are Gary Preather, associate vice chancellor for Real Estate and Facilities, for Access and Diversity; TCC Career Services Coordinators and Foundation Specialist for Forward Thinking; South Campus Starpoint Champions Team for Innovation and Creativity; Southeast Campus Accounting Associate Professor Karen Haun, Ph.D., for Service to Community; and, Paul Benero, South Campus Art associate professor, for Student Success.
Other nominees for Exemplary Teaching by campus include Northeast: Government Assistant Professor Joe Sutter and former Radio, Television and Film Assistant Professor Jerry Zumwalt, now vice president for Community Industry & Education at Northeast Campus; Northwest: Mathematics Instructor Alan Cazares and Computer Science Instructor Joan Shriver; South Campus: Biology Professor Jean H. de Schweinitz, Ph.D., and Health Physical Education Instructor Staci J. Smith; Southeast: Health Physical Education Associate Professor Melissa Evans, Ph.D., and Psychology Associate Professor Thelisa Nutt, Ph.D.; and Trinity River: Sign Language and Interpreting Instructor Sammie Sheppard and Nursing Associate Professor Tetsuya Umebayashi, Ph.D.
Additional nominees for Employee Excellence are District Executive Administrative Assistant Dora Massey and the South Campus Grounds Team for Access and Diversity; Welding Associate Professor Charles Credicott and the Innovation Forum Liaison Team for Forward Thinking; HR Chancellor’s Breakfast Team and South Campus Library Services Administrative Office Assistant Eileen Hart for Innovation and Creativity; District Physical Plant Administrative Office Assistant Lana Addington and Northeast Campus Sociology Instructor Cheryl North for Service to Community; and the NW Love Conference Team and TCC Connect Professional Development Team for Student Success.