A-B Tech Honors Three Of Its Own

Kelly Randolph has been named the 2002 Instructor of the Year. She has been an instructor in Accounting in the Business Administration Department for the past four years. According to Joseph Franklin, Dean of Business and Hospitality Division, she "maintains high expectations of her students while making the study of accounting fun and engaging." Tonya Garrison, a student of Kelly's, says "Kelly Randolph reminds me of my dream and has motivated me to continue striving to reach it." Not only a dedicated teacher during classroom hours, she is also committed to helping her students after hours. This is evident in her involvement with the local chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) which she co-founded at A-B Tech to help link students with prospective employers, and the numerous hours spent after class tutoring and counseling her students. "I care about each one of my students and want each one to succeed. This is why I teach!" Kelly says. "My objective is to discover what motivates students and how I can bring out the best in them... It is truly an honor to be rewarded for something I love".

Martha McLean has been named the 2002 Staff Person of the Year. She was formerly a librarian in the Learning Resource Center and is now Director of Enrollment Management in the Student Services Division. In this capacity, she manages two complex departments, Records and Registration and Admissions. Because of her attention to detail, the college has enjoyed three years of error-free FTE audits. She instigated the first Student Services web page with an on-line application form, and instructed teachers on how to input their grades on-line. She is also very involved with the International Student Organization and is dedicated to helping foreign born students make the transition between continuing education and curriculum classes. "My basic philosophy of life is really a very simple one: Whatever you do, do it with kindness, respect, encouragement and joy," Martha says. "In my current position, I help students, staff and faculty...no matter what I am doing, I still follow my basic values...Who I am fits perfectly with what I do at A-B Tech."

Dr. Rock Doddridge has been named the 2002 Adjunct Instructor of the Year. He has been an instructor in Sociology and Psychology for the past two years in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department. A dedicated teacher, he conducts his classroom with integrity and imagination, forever changing the lives of his students. Doddridge inspired a woman named Ali to quit her job on an assembly line and go back to school full time to become a high school history teacher. He spent numerous hours after class counseling another student, Tony, to help him get off drugs and find direction in his life. Tony has now been clean for almost a year, and was one of the students who nominated Doddridge for the award. "Teaching [has] the power to change lives for good," Doddridge says. "In teaching resides the power to alter destinies by encouraging others toward their highest aspirations." Return to top

Mission St. Joseph's Health System Pledges $35,000 to North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation

Mission St. Joseph's Health System has pledged $35,000 to the Health Care Initiative of the North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation.

The announcement came from Dwight Allen, chair of the Board of Directors of the Foundation, and Robert F. Burgin, President and CEO of Mission St. Joseph's. The donation was made through the health system's Community Benefit program.

Allen, who is executive vice president of the North Carolina Telephone Cooperative Coalition, said in accepting the contribution, "Mission St. Joseph's is one of North Carolina's top providers of quality health care and has a history of enthusiastic support for community college education. This gift to the statewide foundation is a vote of support and approval for the crucial role all our community colleges play in meeting the growing need for skilled employees in health care."

"Community colleges in Western North Carolina have been crucial in preparing professionals for work at Mission St. Joseph's and in community hospitals in the western region," said Burgin. "Without them, we would not be able to staff our hospital and provide the life-saving services we do. We recognize how important the Community College System is to our organization and to our community, and we are proud to be able to support these institutions of learning and professional education."

Mission St. Joseph's, an the 800-bed regional referral center for Western North Carolina, provides both a state-designated neonatal intensive care unit and Level II Trauma Center, as well as virtually all medical specialties. Mission St. Joseph's employs more than 5,000 people, about half of whom must complete the type of professional preparation available through North Carolina's Community College System.

Mission St. Joseph's and A-B Tech recently partnered to expand the college's nursing program by adding a night and weekend option. The expansion is designed to help stem a critical shortage of RNs. MSJ and the college also are working together on a new program to train surgical technicians.

"Without the North Carolina Community College System, hospitals in our state literally could not operate," said Burgin. "They also provide the people of North Carolina with skills they need to be successful in a changing economy. It's truly a win-win partnership.

The North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation was formed in 1986 to help sustain the mission and programs of the North Carolina Community College System. After several dormant years, the Foundation was reorganized in 1998 under the leadership of H. Martin Lancaster, President of the North Carolina Community College System. The board members now include top leadership from business and industry, philanthropy, education and government.

The Foundation is conducting a capital campaign to raise at least $5 million for an endowment to fund statewide efforts on behalf of community colleges. The pledge from Mission St. Joseph's Health System will go into an endowment to support a focused effort to project workforce needs in North Carolina's health-related industries and match education and training programs to those needs. Return to top

A-B Tech PBL Dominates The Nationals

A-B Tech students dominated the 2002 Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) National Leadership Conference in Nashville, in June, bringing home awards in every category including first place in 'Partnership with Business' and third in 'Local Chapter Annual Business Report.'

"We placed in every event we competed in ... that is just unheard of. Phenomenal!" said Kathy Toler, the chapter's 22-year adviser.

For nine years, the local chapter has taken first place nationally in the 'Partnership with Business' category. Toler attributes this to "good projects and business partnerships and the students' diligence to carry them out effectively." For six years, the chapter has placed nationally for their annual business report, which is "organized, comprehensive, detailed and even interesting," says Toler, adding, "It has graphics and pictures and really helps you see what PBL life is like at A-B Tech."

The first place in the 'Partnership with Business' category was awarded to A-B Tech business students Jamie Hamlin, Ty McLean and Nancy Goodhue, recognized their 'Dickens in the Village' project with the Biltmore Village Association, area schools and local entertainers. The students were responsible for organizing all entertainment based on a defined budget. "They had to find them, negotiate with them, schedule them and even coordinate them on the day of the event," Toler said, adding they were very industrious and creative, even approaching the schools to perform and finding other free entertainers. "They also manned the check-in and check-out booth for entertainers and coordinated payment with the Biltmore Village Association."

The Dickens Christmas is held at Biltmore Village the first week in December with street jugglers, singers, magicians and other various performers and takes the students about three months to organize. In addition to completing this partnership project, to compete, the students must prepare written, oral and slide presentations that are delivered at the national conference. Toler said the students were well polished, the project diverse and the presentations engaging.

"I think one of the reasons we did so well in competing against other two- and four-year colleges was the strong group and team effort. These students worked well together as a team and have great leadership skills," Toler said, adding that A-B Tech's progressive business curriculum helps students compete well in all categories, including business law, marketing and hospitality management for which they received ninth-place awards. "That really speaks to the caliber of education at A-B Tech. Our business curriculum is top-notch."

Toler said last year's PBL projects were "extremely complex" requiring a wide range of planning and organizational skills. From business law and small enterprise to slide presentations and graphic design, the students learned far more than basic business skills. "It was a tremendous learning experience beyond what is learned in the classroom. One group had to learn the software to design a report using graphics," explains Toler.

The chapter itself was awarded the Gold Seal Award of Merit for its diverse group of activities and strong leadership. Additionally, three students - Matt Elsea, Ty McLean and Josh Shriner - graduated with honors from the 2002 Institute for Leaders. Phil Leftwich (15 years) and Kathie Doole (5 years) were recognized for their years of service.

A local Asheville businessman, Greg Gilsdorf, of Gilsdorf Embroidery, was named PBL's national 'Business Person of the Year for volunteering his time, products and expertise to the local chapter during fundraisers to help raise money to send students to the national conference.

Other awards were given as follows: Third Place, Local Chapter Annual Business Report, Jamie Hamlin; Ninth Place, American Enterprise Project, Heather Hensley, Ty McLean and Josh Shriner; Ninth Place, Business Law, Ty McLean; Ninth Place, Hospitality Management, Jackie Searcy; Ninth Place, Marketing, Heather Hensley; and Tenth Place, Business Law, Nancy Goodhue. Return to top

National PBL names former A-B Tech Student 'Buisness Person of the Year'

Asheville businessman Greg Gilsdorf, vice president of Gilsdorf Embroidery Company, was recently named 'Business Person of the Year' by the national chapter of Phi Beta Lambda (PBL).

Nominated by the A-B Tech PBL chapter, Gilsdorf was recognized at PBL's National Leadership Conference in Nashville in June for his volunteer efforts to help student raise money and offer business expertise.

A former marketing student at A-B Tech, Gilsdorf offers programs to the local PBL chapter members on entrepreneurship, inventory control and American enterprise. He has also conducted training sessions on fundraising and donated several weekends to man a concession booth to raise money for the students' trip to the national conference. He has worked with A-B Tech's PBL chapter for the past seven years and has even attended the state and national conferences with the students.

"I love working with them. It's a great head start for anyone who wants to get into a business career," Gilsdorf said, adding he gives students a realistic pictureof what it takes to make it as a business owner. "Work real hard when you first start out. I put in 80 to 100 hours a week for two years. That's what it took. My favorite saying is, 'Make hay while the sun shines 'cuz it don't always shine."

Return to top