RICHMOND, Va.

Virginia's governor has reappointed the University of Virginia board member who led the failed effort to oust school president Teresa Sullivan.

Gov. Bob McDonnell reappointed university Rector Helen Dragas of Virginia Beach on Friday.

Dragas was the main force behind Sullivan's forced resignation earlier this month. After a backlash from faculty, students, alumni, donors and political leaders, the board unanimously voted Tuesday to reinstate Sullivan.

McDonnell said he was concerned that Dragas had become the sole target of criticism. He said now is the time for reconciliation, not recrimination.

The governor also reappointed Edward Miller of Baltimore and named four new board members.

In addition, he named former U.Va. administrator Leonard Sandridge and former board member and Richmond business executive William Goodwin Jr. to newly created board advisory positions.

Here is the news release from Governor McDonnell:

While normally I would not make a statement concerning board and commission appointments, the events of the last three weeks at the University of Virginia have been anything but ordinary. They compel me to offer a fuller explanation of the reasoning behind my selection of the excellent people I am appointing today to the UVa board. The university has emerged from a challenging time, and remains an extraordinary, vibrant place that is a beacon of advanced learning across the world. And I am encouraged that, after the reinstatement of Dr. Sullivan, the tone at the university changed quickly this week from one of passionate disagreement in the family to one of willing collaboration. I thank the administration, faculty, alumni and student body for their engagement and desire to have the school they love continue to grow and excel. While some still have questions about the reasons for the boards action, and others about the schools strategic direction, the recent debate puts the university in a unique and positive position for frank dialogue and progress that most organizations never encounter. UVa now has the opportunity for an honest self-assessment to refine and improve upon a long-term vision for the university, and build on its exceptional reputation with candor, clarity, and collaboration. The school is being watched by all of those interested in the future of our nations public universities. This is not the first time that Virginia has been in a position to serve as a national leader. Therefore, it is imperative that as this conversation ensues the board evaluate and improve upon its own transparency, operating procedures, and communications with the faculty, administration, students and the public. Full transparency, constant civility and open dialogue will be crucial as the university evaluates its progress in meeting the goals set by the board, president and legislature. This year I have six appointments to the University of Virginia Board of Visitors. Cognizant of the need for varied and wide-ranging voices, I have appointed competent professionals to the board who come from the fields of academia, business, law and technology, and who can, while bringing different backgrounds and philosophies to the table, work well together in finding common ground and forging a shared path for Mr. Jeffersons University. Today, I have appointed the former President of James Madison University and the former CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine to the board. I have also placed the chairwoman of the alumni association on the board. Another selection is well-known as the architect of many of the Commonwealths higher education reforms over the past several decades. Finally, I have appointed two female CEOs who are well-respected in their fields. I have also reappointed Helen Dragas to the board. Ms. Dragas was appointed to the board by my predecessor Governor Tim Kaine in 2008 and elected rector by the board's members in 2011. Prior to that appointment, she had served on the Commonwealth Transportation Board and the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia, in both cases through appointments made by Governor Mark Warner. During her four-year term on the board she has been a strong and dedicated board member, committed to advancing the mission of the university. Just as I was disappointed to see the lack of transparency and communication surrounding the request for the resignation of the first female president of UVa, I am also concerned that the first female rector seemed to become the sole target of recent criticism. While there is no doubt that the board made several mistakes in its actions, which it has publicly admitted, this is not a time for recrimination. Its a time for reconciliation. I have been heartened by recent statements made by president Sullivan, the Board of Visitors and by the faculty senate chair about their ability to work with the rector. As Faculty Senate Chairman George Cohen said to The Richmond Times-Dispatch, She (Dr. Sullivan) said she can work with the rector. I think we can work with the rector as well. That kind of commitment to unity, healing and advancement is crucial to the universitys success in maintaining itself as a pillar of higher education to pursue the growth of knowledge and advance the human condition. Todays reappointment is made in that spirit and with that purpose. I look forward to the board and administration moving forward together. The universitys tradition is the embrace of inquiry, critical thinking and change, which the rector and many others bring to the table. Ms. Dragass serious critique of the challenges facing the university is a voice that must be heard, and can help, in ensuring UVa remains one of the worlds foremost institutions of higher learning. In addition to the six official appointments I am making to the Board of Visitors, I have also asked Leonard Sandridge, a former executive vice-president of the university, and Bill Goodwin, a former board member and business leader, to serve as senior advisors to the board. Mr. Sandridge and Mr. Goodwin are very well-known and well-respected in the UVa community. Their roles will be to provide the board with wise counsel on an array of matters and to assist the university in solving strategic and communications challenges, based on their decades of institutional knowledge and understanding of the university. It is my hope that Mr. Sandridge and Mr. Goodwin will, at the boards discretion and upon request, facilitate improved dialogue and collaboration in implementing the reforms in the Top Jobs 21 legislation, unanimously approved in 2011 by the General Assembly. It is also my hope that they will provide advice to help address the pressing items of concerns outlined by the board in recent weeks, and serve as trusted, experienced voices who will help the university grow, improve, and innovate in the years ahead. Both men understand the illustrious history of UVa; both men are committed to building an even more illustrious future. Their wisdom, counsel and advice will prove invaluable to the board. I am confident that in the years ahead the board, president, administration, donors, faculty, staff and students, and the larger UVa family across this Commonwealth, country and globe will work together with a renewed spirit of cooperation to develop solutions to the challenges facing UVa and, in fact, facing all public higher education institutions across America. The University of Virginia will lead this nation into the future, just as it has led it through the past. University of Virginia Board of Visitors Appointments Frank B. Atkinson of Hanover is the Chairman of McGuire Woods Consulting and previously served in state government as counselor and director of policy for Governor George Allen. He has served on a number of boards and commissions and assisted the Governors Higher Ed Commission on behalf of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council. He graduated from the University of Virginia law school in 1982. Frank brings an in-depth knowledge of the workings of higher education and has worked on many of the higher education reforms in Virginia over the past three decades, including the design and implementation of the Grow By Degrees initiative which helped propel the Top Jobs Higher Education Act of 2011. Helen E. Dragas of Virginia Beach is the president and chief executive officer of The Dragas Companies, a leading diversified real estate company in the Tidewater region of Virginia, and has served as the rector of the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia since July 2011. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a bachelors degree in foreign affairs, a bachelors degree in economics, and an masters in business administration from The Darden School. Dragas has received several awards and honors, including First Citizen of Virginia Beach in 2009, the 2011 Humanitarian Award from the Center for Inclusive Communities of Virginia, and the Lee Evans Award for Building Management Excellence by the National Association of Homebuilders and Builder Magazine in 1999 and 2009. Victoria Harker of McLean was recently announced as the new CFO for Gannett Company, Inc., a Fortune 500 global print and broadcast media company. She formerly served at AES Corp., a global power company, where she was chief financial officer and president of global business services. Prior to AES, Harker was acting CFO and treasurer at MCI. In addition to her new position at Gannett, Harker also served on the corporate board of directors for Darden Restaurants (DRI) and Xylem (formerly ITT). Harker received her bachelors degree from the University of Virginia in 1986 and holds a masters in business administration degree from American University. As chair of the UVA Alumni Association, Victoria will bring an important and critical perspective to the board, and her senior level background in finance will also be an asset. Bobbie Kilberg of McLean is president and CEO of the Northern Virginia Technology Council. She was a White House Fellow, an attorney with the law firm of Arnold and Porter, vice president for academic affairs at Mount Vernon College, director of the Aspen Institutes Project on the Future of Private Philanthropy, and a senior member of the White House staff under three administrations. Bobbie served on the U.S. Naval Academy Board of Visitors and recently completed 11 years of service on the George Washington University Board of Trustees. She is a graduate of Yale Law School, Columbia University and Vassar College. Among her children and their spouses, there are four degrees from the University of Virginia, and a son is presently a student at the school of law. Dr. Edward Miller of Baltimore, Maryland was named chief executive officer of Johns Hopkins Medicine, the 13th dean of The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and vice president for medicine of The Johns Hopkins University in January 1997. Under his leadership, both The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine continue to be ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and the school continues to rank at the top in NIH research funding. Miller was asked to serve in an ex-officio capacity last year by the governor due to his knowledge and background in healthcare administration. The General Assembly in the 2012 session added a seat to the board for a member with an extensive academic medical background. Dr. Linwood Rose of Harrisonburg served for 14 years as the president of James Madison University. He is retiring on June 30. Under Rose's tenure as president, James Madison experienced immense growth in size and quality, with enrollment growing by 37 percent. As president, he served on the Governors Higher Education Advisory Committee and the Governors Higher Education Commission. He recently served as chairman of the Council of Presidents for Virginia. He earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Virginia Tech, his master's degree in educational administration and supervision from the University of Tennessee, and his doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Virginia. Senior Advisors to the Board Mr. William H. Goodwin, Jr. of Richmond is a former member of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors. Goodwin is currently chairman of the board of CCA Industries Inc, a holding company whose assets include several hospitality businesses including The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee-all of which are five-star properties-Sea Pines Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina and Keswick Hall in Keswick, Virginia. In addition, CCA owns and operates several other businesses, real estate holdings and investments. Goodwin holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech and a masters degree in business from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Mr. Leonard W. Sandridge, Jr. of Charlottesville retired from the University of Virginia in June 2011, after serving for 44 years. He previously served executive vice president and chief operating officer for UVA president John Casteen. He began his service to the university on the staff of the internal auditor. He served as an assistant to university comptroller, treasurer and director of budget. In 1986, Sandridge was appointed to the post of executive assistant to the president, a position he held simultaneously with director of budget. In 1989, he was named vice president for business and finance, and then was named senior vice president and chief financial officer. In 1993, Sandridges position was expanded to executive vice president and chief financial officer, where he served until his promotion to executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Original post:
UVA rector Dragas reappointed to Board of Visitors by Governor McDonnell

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) The New Jersey Legislature approved a bill overhauling the public university system on Thursday, capping weeks of intense behind-the-scenes negotiations and making numerous changes to the legislation to bring aboard hesitant lawmakers, labor leaders and academics by the governor's self-imposed June 30 deadline.

The bill disbands the University of Medicine and Dentistry and redistributes it to Rutgers and Rowan universities. Rowan, which was already preparing to open a medical school this year, would be given research-university status by the state and expected to start more intense health/science collaborations with Rutgers-Camden.

The measure now heads to Gov. Chris Christie, who proposed a version of the reorganization in January. Christie said he still supports the bill through its many revisions.

"I absolutely believe it should be done," he said on Townsquare Media's "Ask the Governor" radio program Thursday night. "It will be an enormous step forward for the state and the potential for Rutgers to get from good to great."

Rutgers' main governing body conditionally backed the revised plan earlier Thursday, after receiving assurances that it would retain authority over all of its campuses. Earlier versions of the bill diluted the board's academic and financial authority over its campuses in Camden and Newark; the new bill has only health sciences curriculum and projects at Camden and Rowan falling under oversight of a new board.

The board's backing helped ease passage of the consolidation bill.

The university's trustee board, which is mainly advisory, remains divided and did not take action Thursday. It has retained a lawyer and is threatening to sue.

Sen. Donald Norcross, a Democrat from Camden and one of the architects of the compromise plan, said he expects the trustees to agree once they know the details.

He said Rutgers will now stop treating its campuses in Newark and Camden as money-making operations and start funding them more fully. He said the Camden campus could take up three times as much space in a decade as a result of more state funding and better access to outside grants.

His brother Democratic powerbroker George Norcross III is also a supporter. George Norcross is chairman of the board of Cooper University Hospital, which has partnered with Rowan on the new medical school. The bill gives UMDNJ's osteopathic school to Rowan.

See the rest here:
Legislature passes NJ university overhaul

Awards/honors

Andrew Napier, an Eastern Kentucky University senior from Richmond, has been named one of 59 Tillman Military Scholars nationwide. Napier, a biology/pre-medical science major who served six years in the Army National Guard after graduating from Madison Central High School in 2006, will use the $9,000 scholarship to finish his studies at EKU this fall and prepare for medical school.

EKU is one of only 14 higher education institutions nationwide selected as a Tillman Military Scholar University for the 2012-13 academic year. College and university partners are chosen on the basis of their innovative services for military veterans and proven culture of community for military families.

Napier, who grew up in Somerset before moving to Richmond before his junior year of high school, served as a combat medic in eastern Afghanistan in 2008-09, providing primary medical care for a platoon of combat engineers who cleared routes of explosives. After combat missions were completed, he worked with a forward surgical team in a trauma hospital. Napier achieved the rank of sergeant (E-5).

The Tillman Military Scholars Program honors Pat Tillman, who left a successful professional football career to join the Army and who later died in combat in Afghanistan.

During the past four years, the Pat Tillman Foundation has awarded more than $3.2 million in scholarship funds to 231 Tillman Military Scholars pursuing education at every level, from freshmen undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates. Overall, Tillman Military Scholars represent 71 institutions across 34 states.

The Madison County Council for Elder Maltreatment Prevention recently announced the student winners of its billboard art contest, designed to encourage awareness and prevention of elder abuse.

Nearly 30 B. Michael Caudill Middle School students participated in the project under the direction of art teacher Heather Cooksey.

Sidney King won first place, and her artwork is featured on a billboard on the Eastern Bypass in Richmond near the middle school. In addition to having her work displayed, Sidney won $100.

Taylor Bonham won $75 for second place; Zach Hardin won $50 for third place; and Austin Lauterbach won $25 for fourth place. An additional 14 students received $10 and will have their artwork featured in the 2013 CEMP calendar: Brooke Smith, Chyanne Rasnick, Jamey VanDyke, Dylan Mays, Karlie Sizemore, Ben Hughes, Amya White, Austin Venable, Lily Roberts, Julia Field, Hunter Hazelwood, Justin Eversole, Chelsea Smith and Austin Franklin.

See the original post:
Education notes

Four scholars with Stanford affiliations are among the 30 people who recently received Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans.

One of the Soros fellows is a student at Stanford Medical School. Of the two Stanford alumni who received fellowships, one is pursuing a law degree at Yale University and the other is pursuing a master of fine arts degree in fiction writing at the University of Michigan. The fourth scholar will begin a joint degree program this fall at Stanford, where he is pursuing an MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and an MA at the Stanford School of Education.

Each fellow receives tuition and living expenses of up to $90,000 over two academic years. The fellowships were established for the children of immigrants. Soros scholars are selected on the basis of merit the specific criteria emphasize creativity, originality, initiative and sustained accomplishment. They may study in any degree-granting program in any field at any U.S. university.

Paul and Daisy Soros, Hungarian immigrants and American philanthropists, established the program in 1997 and awarded the first fellowships the following year. The couple wanted to "give back" to the country that had given so much to them and their children, to address an unmet need by assisting "young New Americans at critical points in their educations" and to call attention to the extensive and diverse contributions of immigrants to the quality of life in the United States.

Currently, 61 Soros Fellows are studying at 22 universities in 27 fields of study.

Following are the 2012 Soros Fellows with Stanford affiliations.

Jasmeet Ahuja

Jasmeet Ahuja, a third-year student at Yale Law School,was born in California to Punjabi Sikh parents who immigrated to the United States in the 1970s. Her family's harrowing experience with religious intolerance in India continues to energize her fight for the American constitutional promise of equal protection under the law. She earned a bachelor's degree, with honors, in management science and engineering at Stanford in 2003. She also was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Ahuja earned a master's degree in management science and engineering at Stanford in 2004. After graduating, she accepted an appointment as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Office of the Secretary of Defense in the Pentagon. Later, Ahuja served as director of South Asia in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at the Department of State and as a professional staff member on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. As a committee staff member, she helped craft foreign policy legislation on aid to Pakistan, negotiate the civil-nuclear deal with India and lobby for Sikh Americans to be allowed to wear turbans while serving in the U.S. military. She also served as the chair of the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership, a non-profit organization dedicated to building leadership within the Asian American community. After graduating from Yale, Ahuja plans to continue her work in foreign affairs to ensure that the rule of law guides national security decisions.

Henry W. Leung

Henry W. Leung, an MFA student at the University of Michigan,was born in a village in Guangdong, China, as an illegal second child under China's One-Child Policy. Shortly thereafter, his parents received permission to emigrate to the United States. His father suddenly died, leaving his mother alone to raise two small children, first in Honolulu, then in California. At 16, Leung was accepted to a writing program in New York hosted by the National Book Foundation. He graduated in 2010 with a bachelor's degree from Stanford, where he majored in English and creative writing and minored in East Asian Studies. At Stanford, he led the university's first Asian American writers' workshop. His poetry, short fiction and essays have appeared in several respected literary publications, and he has served as a consulting editor to the Stanford Journal of Asian American Studies; as a columnist for the Lantern Review: A Journal of Asian American Poetry; and as an editor for The Best American Nonrequired Reading. Currently, he is completing a book of poetry and writing his first novel, which he said "engages with the martial arts as an American anachronism of spiritualism and tradition."

Read the original post:
Four scholars with Stanford affiliations awarded 2012 Soros Fellowships

A couple of the speakers at the Concussions 101 conference in Hamilton on the weekend were graduates from the school of hard knocks.

Both head athletic therapist Chris Puskas of the McMaster Marauders and Scotty Martin, a member of the Vanier Cup-winning Mac football team of 2011, say they still suffer post-concussion symptoms. Their advice is to take injuries to the brain very seriously.

Held at McMaster Innovation Park, Concussions 101 was hosted by the alumni associations of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Canadian Football League. It was billed as a what you need to know as an athlete, trainer, coach or administrator.

Before coming to Mac, Puskas was the head therapist of the CFLs Hamilton Ticats for 14 seasons. He also worked for the Toronto Argonauts for three seasons. Playing sports in the Sudbury area while growing up, he estimates by todays standards he probably had nearly a dozen concussions. He was hospitalized twice and knocked unconscious on another occasion.

RELATED: Concussions 101 takes heads to heart

We didnt know then what we know now, Puskas said in an interview after the four-hour information session attended by about 50 people. When I look back on it and think of all the bell-ringers that Ive had and played through

Im not sure I would treat my athletes any differently, but experiencing it yourself certainly makes you aware of how severe the consequences can be. Its kind of scary.

According to 41-year-old Puskas, he was feeling rough for about four days recently after diving for a ball while playing soccer with his children. He says he regularly experiences the cumulative effects of his concussions.

Little things every day, he said, like bending down to tie my shoes or looking up over my head. I cant lay flat. My head has to be elevated if Im lying on my back. Or, if I was even to get hit lightly by the kids when theyre having a pillow fight, I would be off for a period of time.

RELATED: New technology battles concussions

See the original post:
Conference at McMaster discusses serious issue of concussions

Grant Holz has received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School.

He is a 2003 graduate of Stevenson School and is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Walter Holz of Monterey.

Christopher Hardee has graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

Hardee is a 2007 graduate of Pacific Grove High School and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Hardee of Pacific Grove.

The Pacific Grove High School Alumni Association awarded scholarships to the following: Lauren Dykman, Cyril Ilagan, Julie Kim, Skylar Lewis, Emily Long, Cassie McClenaghan, Aubrie Odell, David Oh, Krista Ross, Robyn Bursch, $1,000 each; Jackie Kerrigan-Prew, Christina Taschner, $500 each; Rebecca Long, $300.

Coast-Tel Federal Credit Union awarded $500 scholarships to the following: Michelle Crocker, Freddie Frumkin, Veda Frimkin, Lauren Hampson, Henry Mirassou and Brooklyn Titus.

Military briefs

Air National Guard Airman 1st Class Matthew C. Lopez graduated from basic military training, earning distinction as an honor graduate at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Lopez is a 2009 graduate of Palma High School and is the son of Richard and Gloria Lopez of Gonzales.

Class Notes, Military Briefs and Births appear weekly on a space-available basis. Verification is required for Class Notes and Military briefs. Mail items to Class Notes, The Herald, P.O. Box 271, Monterey 93942, or fax to 372-8401. For information, call

Follow this link:
Class Notes, Military Briefs

Paul Joseph Feeley, a former Baltimore County public defender and a Towson attorney, suffered a fall at his Timonium home and died June 15 at St. Joseph Medical Center. He was 86.

Born in Baltimore and raised on West Fayette Street and on Guilford Avenue, he was a 1942 Loyola High School graduate.

He attended Loyola College for two years, joined the Army's Air Corps and trained as a bombardier. He spent most of wartime in Walla Walla, Wash., in training, family members said.

After the war, he resumed his studies at Loyola College and earned a degree in 1948. He was junior class president and played varsity basketball. Mr. Feeley remained active in the school's alumni group and was the college's alumni association president in 1960.

Mr. Feeley earned a degree at the University of Maryland School of Law in 1952 and began his private law practice, including criminal law, in 1958. He was named an assistant state's attorney for Baltimore County in 1959 and held the post until 1962. He then became assistant county solicitor.

"He was outgoing and an effervescent kind of person," said former Baltimore County Councilman Francis "Frank" Barrett of Mays Chapel. "Whether in school, in the law courts or playing ball, he was methodical."

In late 1971, Alan H. Murrell, the Maryland Public Defender, named Mr. Feeley to the post of Baltimore County Public Defender, then a newly created position.

"At the time it was a controversial concept to provide counsel to the accused and alleged criminals who could not afford a lawyer," said a friend, Tom Toporovich, former secretary to the Baltimore County Council who lives in Dundalk. "Paul was conscientious in his new and exciting task. He was low-key and believed in getting the job done without fanfare. He was a remarkable guy in a family of remarkable public service."

In 1984, he stepped down from the post. In a Baltimore Sun interview at the time, he recalled that some of those he defended "had an absolute lack of remorse for anything they've done." He continued, "They are so callous, so young, incredibly so, and they talk about murder the way other people talk about shoplifting."

He married Anna Barthelme, a longtime friend, in 1972, and became a stepfather to her children. They celebrated 25 years of marriage before her death in 1997.

See the rest here:
Paul J. Feeley, public defender

DANBURY -- Anthony Rizzo Jr., president of the Rizzo companies, is the new chairman of the Immaculate High School Advisory Board, as of July 1.

Rizzo, who has been on the board since 2003, succeeds Gerard Robilotti, who will become vice chairman.

"This is an honor," Rizzo said Thursday. "I believe Immaculate is an incredible school and I am honored to follow the previous chairmen, Nancy Dolan, Ted LaBonne and Gerry Robilotti. We have an incredible number of professionals who have lent their expertise to the school."

Rizzo said making sure technology and the facilities continue to be upgraded and that the enrollment continues to grow will be key issues for the board to focus on going forward. Immaculate is a Catholic college prep high school that serves nearly 400 students from about 23 towns in the Danbury area.

Rizzo, 46, is the chief executive officer for both A.M. Rizzo Electrical Contractors, Inc., and the Rizzo Corporation. He and his wife, Patty Rizzo, have a son, Anthony III, and daughter, Chelsie, who graduated from Immaculate and a son, Ryan, who will be a senior in the fall. Patty Rizzo helps run the school's gala benefit.

"This is about the kids," Rizzo said. "They benefit from our time and they are our future. By doing things for the students, you are helping them to develop."

Kathleen Casey, president of Immaculate High School, said Rizzo has been a wonderful member of the board in leading the development committee.

"Tony brings his business experience to the board, and has been a phenomenal steward for the school," Casey said. "Tony is committed to Immaculate, and has been a great role model for the kids as a successful businessman and someone who gives back to the community."

Casey and Rizzo said the four new board members this year each bring individual strengths to the panel.

Thomas Saadi, an Immaculate graduate from 1988 and a member of Danbury's City Council, will aid in the mission in reconnecting alumni to the school, Casey said.

See the original post:
Immaculate High announces new leaders

Tulsa Community College honors select alumni for their professional and personal successes, as well as their significant contributions to business, industry and the community.

This year's honorees were from Tulsa, Sapulpa, Sand Springs, New York City, Russia and more.

One honoree, Gulnara Taragachova, traveled from Russia's Sakhalin Island to attend this year's event. As part of her work with Parker Drilling, and now Baker-Hughes, she has traveled the globe - from major European cities to exotic locations including Galapagos, Tanzania and South Africa.

After a video showcasing the honorees, TCC President Tom McKeon presented awards to this year's Best of TCC including Amanda Bargas, clinical resource nurse at Saint Francis Health System; Rhyan Barlow, manager in training of Capital One; Angela Brown, prevention education coordinator of DVIS/Call Rape; Sarah Dicks, youth minister with Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Parish; Maja Djukic, assistant professor at New York University College of Nursing; Kimberly Glynn, director of ministries at Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Parish; and Isaac Hiriart, director of TCC's Education Outreach Center.

Also: Britton Howerton, an interior designer with Selser Schaefer Architects; Linda Jack, a charge nurse with Select Specialty Hospital; Karen Johnson, a risk associate with Capital One; Chauncey Kila, a masonry instructor at TulsaTech; Angela Lawrence, co-owner and managing director of AcrobatAnt; Gail L. McPherran, charge nurse at St. John Urgent Care Centers, Inc.; Christina Morrison, fiscal officer/HR director of Tulsa County Sheriff's Office; and Kristin Pearson, inside sales specialist at Hilti.

Also: Travis "T.J." Potts, a firefighter and paramedic with the Tulsa Fire Department; Ronald Randle, a manager of Biomed/Safety/Security at Cancer Treatment Centers of America; Nick Rhoades, an architectural intern at Selser Schaefer Architects; Rick Rumsey, the police chief of Sapulpa; Jackie Selph, a family support worker with Parent Child Center of Tulsa; Amy Smith, an interactive designer with AcrobatAnt; Shannon Robbins, director of professional services with Visiting Nurses Association of Tulsa; Samara Stephenson, resource and referral specialist with Community Service Council/Child Care Resource Center; Teresa Stiles, lead respiratory therapist at Select Medical; Gulnara Taragachova, a quality control manager at Baker-Hughes; Fontella Vail, a utility billing supervisor for the city of Jenks; Kristy Wellstead, an advantage case manager at Life Senior Services; Paul Wheeler, president of Accent Realtors; and Trena Zickefoose, office manager of the Sand Springs Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Signature Quartet and Rick Fortner provided the evening's entertainment.

Other special guests attending the event included Larry Leonard and Ron Looney of the TCC Board Regents; Mary Shaw, TCC Foundation Board chairwoman; and Foundation board trustees Teresa Burkett, former state Sen. Ted Fisher and Steve Turnbo.

Also there were members of the TCC administrative cabinet including Peggy Dyer, John Gibson, Flo Potts and Sean Weins as well as Tulsa Tech Board President Tim Bradley, Tulsa County Commissioner Karen Keith and Saint Bernard's Parish Pastor the Rev. Msgr. Patrick Gaalaas.

Corporate table sponsors for the 2012 Best of TCC Awards Dinner were Accent Realtors, AcrobatAnt, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Capital One Auto Finance, Karen Keith and Pat Malloy, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Parish, Selser Schaefer Architects, Tulsa Community College, and TulsaTech.

See original here:
People & Places: Tulsa Community College honors Best of TCC alumni