PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: The award ceremony begins at 1:00, starting with the I.E. Ready Awards

RALEIGH:  Each year the State Board of Community Colleges celebrates outstanding service to the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) by honoring individuals who have made important local, statewide or national contributions to the community college movement.  On Friday, November 15 three distinguished individuals will be honored as I. E. Ready Award recipients at the annual Day of Recognition Luncheon at the RBC Center (Formerly ESA) in Raleigh.

The I.E. Ready Award is the highest honor the State Board bestows and is presented to individuals who have contributed significantly to the establishment and growth of North Carolina’s community colleges.  It will be the first award presented at the luncheon.

The three 2002 I.E. Ready recipients are: Cleveland County native and former community college president Dr. H. Edwin Beam; the late Meigs C. Golden, who served as a member of the State Board of Community Colleges; and J. Gregory Poole, Jr., Raleigh businessman and former North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation Chair.

Four other individuals will receive special honors at the luncheon.

Dr. Anthony Zeiss, Central Piedmont Community College President, will be recognized as the NCCCS President of the Year. This award is endowed by Wachovia.

Stephanie C. Hunt, an English instructor at Johnston Community College, will receive the Excellence in Teaching (EIT) Award, which is endowed by R. J. Reynolds.

Dr. Kathryn Baker Smith, Vice President for Educational Support Services at Guilford Technical Community College, will receive the System Staff Award, endowed by BB&T.

Sharon Wright-Watson is past president of the North Carolina Community College Comprehensive Student Government Association. She was selected by NCCCS President H. Martin Lancaster to receive the President’s Leadership Award.

The State Board will also recognize the four Excellence in Teaching finalists and 2001-02 retirees from the 58 community colleges, the North Carolina Center for Applied Textile Technology, and the North Carolina Community College System Office.

-NCCCS-

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