Gaston College Honors Faculty and Staff
Gaston College Honors Faculty and Staff
Gaston College recognized faculty and staff members for outstanding contributions and service to the College community in a virtual Employee Appreciation event held on Thursday, May 6, 2021. Awards were given in appreciation for work done in the 2020-2021 school year.
Dr. John Hauser, President of Gaston College, opened the event with remarks about the resiliency and dedication displayed by the College’s faculty and staff during a year that was made especially difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the following award presentations, the College recognized the 13 employees who retired in 2020 and 78 employees who reached milestone years of service.
Altrusa Award for Excellence
This award recognizes a full-time employee of Gaston College who personifies the mission of the College and the ideal of lifelong learning. The recipient and nominees for the award were:
- Leonard Martineau, Instructor for Health Promotions (Recipient)
- Savonne McNeill, Chief Information Officer (Nominee)
- Mark Shellman, Chair of Information Technology (Nominee)
- Cassey Wright, Advising Specialist, Lincoln Campus (Nominee)
In 10 years at Gaston College, Dr. Martineau has taught over 20 different courses in four different Health Science Programs. His current courses include Personal Training, Group Fitness Instruction, Yoga, and Lifestyle Changes & Wellness.
Staff Excellence Award
This award recognizes outstanding performance by a Gaston College full-time staff member. The recipient of the award will also be the College’s nominee for the North Carolina Community College System Staff Award. The recipient and nominees for this year were:
- Savonne McNeill, Chief Information Officer (Recipient)
- Karen Jenkins, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Career and Technical Education (Nominee)
- Jennifer Phillips, Administrative Assistant to the VP for Finance, Operations and Facilities (Nominee)
- Shelton Watson, Project Advisor for the Upward Bound Program and Student Success and Retention (Nominee)
Savonne McNeill has been the Chief Information Officer since 2005 and was instrumental this year in supporting the needs of the College, faculty, staff, and students through COVID.
Instructors of the Year
Instructors of the Year are nominated by their peers in their respective divisions. The recipient of the overall Instructor of the Year Award will be Gaston College’s nominee for the North Carolina Community College Excellence in Teaching Award. The divisional winners were:
- Brian Bookout, Arts and Sciences
- Scotty Brooks, Career and Technical Education
- Debbie Grayson, Health and Human Services
Brian Bookout was the recipient of the Gaston College Instructor of the Year award. An Instructor of History and Sociology, he has been at Gaston College since 2001, and has consistently been an early adopter of new technologies that impact teaching. His favorite part of being an Instructor at Gaston College is “mentoring students and expanding their knowledge.”
In his closing remarks, Dr. Hauser once again thanked the faculty and staff for their hard work during the 2020-2021 academic year.
