[View ALL News Press Releases] Two of Elizabethtown Community and Technical College's finest were among the faculty and staff honored at the Kentucky Community and Technical College System New Horizons Awards banquet on May 19, recognizing quality and excellence in teaching and service. Associate Professor Anthony Slone, Elizabethtown, received the faculty award, and Math Instructional Specialist Susan Berry, Vine Grove, received the staff award. The two were among 33 KCTCS faculty and staff members recognized at the New Horizons (an annual conference for KCTCS faculty and staff) awards banquet. Each of the 16 KCTCS colleges selected an outstanding staff member and outstanding faculty member for 2008. One staff member from the KCTCS System Office in Versailles was also honored. "I am very proud of the dedication, accomplishments and capabilities of Anthony Slone and Susan Berry," said ECTC President Dr. Thelma White. "They have demonstrated leadership in every aspect of their lives, including community involvement, student outreach, professional development, and support for their college. Their contributions are invaluable."

Anthony Slone, an associate professor of business, uses his knowledge of the business world to demonstrate to his students the importance of working in an internationally connected business world. In both the classroom and in the student organizations SIFE/TA SHARE and Rotaract, Slone emphasizes the connection between public and private organizations and their role in the American and international economies. Slone's real life approach incorporates business ethics and keeps his students engaged in real community business projects, which have included working with the News-Enterprise newspaper and a local business, Flowers and Teas.

Through SIFE, Students in Free Enterprise, Slone has given his students the opportunity to compete at the regional level to bring their ingenuity and education into a challenging spotlight. He also challenges his students to bring their skills out of the classroom, educate the community, and work with local business leaders through an annual ECTC/SIFE Community Forum, which has approached tough issues such as entrepreneurship and home ownership. Slone also works with the local Rotary to recognize highly achieving business students, giving students the opportunity to network with community business leaders.

Slone worked with the Trans Atlantic (TA) SHARE program to organize and implement a unique exchange program with a college in Wetzlar, Germany to allow students from both countries to learn about each other's business practices, experience classroom activities in a new environment, and realize the challenges that will be faced in an international business community. They are working on a joint project to design and build an eco-friendly home.

As a Math Instructional Specialist, Susan Berry works with individual students to help them overcome their apprehension towards Math education and finds ways to help students work with their strengths. Berry counsels students on how to overcome their educational fears, and developed a Learning Styles Assessment that helps students and instructors better understand how to tailor their educational strategies to maximize learning. Ms. Berry has converted her assessment to a web version that is available online and can be accessed by all faculty and students. Berry has made numerous presentations on this topic throughout Kentucky and beyond in order to share the successes earned as a result of using learning strategies based on an individual's learning styles.

Beyond working in the Math Lab, Ms. Berry is active in extracurricular activities at ECTC and serves as the main advisor to the Phoenix Club, a student organization dedicated to enhancing awareness and ending domestic violence. Berry works with local shelters and organizations, serves as a speaker within ECTC and the community, and is a contact person for victims. She serves a vital role at ECTC increasing awareness and making presentations to students, faculty, staff, and community and providing information and resources as needed. As a part of Women's History Month, Berry collects essays that are published as a history of local women and spreads to word of these successes through information boards, newspaper articles, and presentations inside and outside of the classroom. A list of all faculty and staff honorees follows, alphabetically by college.

Ashland Community and Technical College Staff Award: Ms. Diana J. Opell, Office Support Associate, Office of Lifelong Learning Faculty Award: Ms. Warren H. Howard, Assistant Professor of English

Big Sandy Community and Technical College Staff Award: Ms. Denese S. Atkinson, Interim Director of Institutional Effectiveness Faculty Award: Ms. Carla A. Reynolds, Coordinator of Business Administration, Medical Technology, and Office Systems Technology

Bluegrass Community and Technical College Staff Award: Ms. Linda L. Faul, Senior Administrative Assistant, Student Services Faculty Award: Ms. Tracy L. Knowles, Associate Professor, Natural Sciences Division Bowling Green Technical College Staff Award: Mr. Mark Brooks, Director of Public Relations Faculty Award: Ms. Carmen C. Gaskins, Associate Professor, Computer Literacy

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Staff Award: Ms. Susan T. Berry, Instructional Specialist, Mathematics Faculty Award: Mr. Anthony Slone, Associate Professor, Business Administration Gateway Community and Technical College Staff Award: Ms. Dale A. Meyer, Director of Grants Faculty Award: Ms. Teri VonHandorf, Instructor, Developmental Math and Division Chair for Interdisciplinary Studies

Hazard Community and Technical College Staff Award: Mr. Elbert E. Hagans, Business Affairs Specialist Faculty Award: Mr. Tony Back, Assistant Professor, CAD Henderson Community College Staff Award: Mr. Greg M. Tope, Facilities Management Team Leader Faculty Award: Ms. Bridget L. Murray, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Hopkinsville Community College Staff Award: Mr. Marc A. Barker, Campus/Education Center Director, Fort Campbell Campus Site Faculty Award: Mr. Gregory W. Bridgeman, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator, Criminal Justice

Jefferson Community and Technical College Staff Award: Ms. Mary Warford, Administrative Assistant to the Chair of Allied Health Division Faculty Award: Mr. Morgan R. Broadhead, Professor of History

Madisonville Community College Staff Award: Mr. Brad K. Downall, Director, Glema Mahr Center for the Arts Faculty Award: Mr. Greg Jewell, Professor of English

Maysville Community and Technical College Staff Award: Ms. Billie P. Barbour, Admissions Faculty Award: Ms. Sharon G. Wilson, Professor of Biology

Owensboro Community and Technical College Staff Award: Ms. Stacy R. Edds-Ellis, Director, Discover College Faculty Award: Dr. Scott Williams, Associate Professor of Agriculture

Somerset Community College Staff Award: Mr. Sean Ayers, Student Affairs Recruiter Faculty Award: Dr. Ron Meade, Assistant Professor of Health

Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College Staff Award: Ms. Lisa Ahlstedt, Librarian Faculty Award: Ms. Sandy Holbrook, Associate Professor of Humanities

West Kentucky Community and Technical College Staff Award: Ms. Bettie U. Bean, Software Training Specialist Faculty Award: Ms. Renea Akin, Dean of Institutional Effectiveness

KCTCS System Office System Office Award: Ms. Terri Giltner, System Director of Marketing and Communications