Fall Semester Awards Program
Students, faculty, staff, friends and family celebrate after the Fall Semester awards and certificate ceremony Feb. 7 in Ferguson Auditorium. More than 300 students were named to the President's and Dean's Lists.
Staff Profile: Glenna Gunter
Glenna Gunter, secretary for the Division of Allied Health and Public Service Education, works on the fall semester schedule for her division, one of the many tasks she takes on in her position.
Glenna Gunter, secretary for the Division of Allied Health and Public Service Education, has pretty much been at A-B Tech since she graduated from high school.
Her senior year in high school was spent working at French Broad Electric with Florence Ramsey, the wife of Liston Ramsey, the longest-serving member of the N.C. House of Representatives. "I also worked part-time as an assistant tax collector for Madison County and decided it wasn't for me," she said.
Gunter entered A-B Tech to earn an Office Systems Technology degree and started working as a secretary part time in the Nursing department. The following year, in 1993, she moved to her current position.
"I like my job. I like the people here. It's like family a second home," Gunter said. She helps schedule classes for upcoming semesters, handles adjunct contracts, creates affiliation agreements for clinical sites and maintains travel budgets for the 16 departments in the division.
She also fills in around the campus as needed. "I like being part of the team, helping others out," she said.
"I'm working on a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Franklin University's online program," Gunter said. She hopes to be finished by 2008 as she takes one class a semester.
"I spend a majority of the time doing coursework outside of work," she said. "I've always wanted to further my education. It's been my own goal for self-improvement."
Her involvement with Franklin University led to an agreement with A-B Tech. "Glenna located information about the on-line programs at Franklin University and as a result of her research and application for admission, A-B Tech now has an articulation agreement that allows our graduates to pursue 100 percent on-line Baccalaureate Degrees at Franklin at tuition rates similar to in-state universities," said Ned Fowler, dean of Allied Health and Public Service Education.
"Since assuming the role of dean for Allied Health and Public Service, Glenna's knowledge and understanding of the functions of the division have been invaluable to me," he said. "She truly understands how and why the division functions in the way it does and how this division interrelates to the other units of the college. She has kept me informed of information that I need to know and has anticipated things that I would have never thought to ask. She has provided outstanding assistance and guidance in my efforts to orient to a new position."
Vice President of Continuing Education Max Queen also worked with Gunter as dean. "Glenna has always demonstrated good judgment, a high level of expertise in her job, dependability, a strong work ethic, and an eagerness to contribute toward the overall benefit of the college," he said. "I recall her serving on special projects for Dr. Olin Wood and Dr. Sharon Morrissey and she is always willing to fill in for other division secretaries in times of need. She makes herself accessible and maintains an excellent rapport with the entire Allied Health and Public Service faculty. She is recognized by Continuing Education as the 'go to' person who can be depended upon to assist with locating available space for classes."
Welcome New Employees
The College welcomes three full-time employees who have accepted staff and faculty positions over the past month.
Copper Coggins, Organizational and Professional Development director, earned a B.A. in French from Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass., an M.A. in Applied Social Psychology from Goddard College, Cambridge, Mass., an M.S. in Human Resources Development and Community Psychology and a Ph.D. in Psychology from N.C. State University. She has been a consultant for organization and staff development for 33 years, a mediation trainer for the Mediation Center of Asheville for five years, and a management trainer for Huff Associates of Asheville for five years.
Lisa Lankford, associate director of Business Services, received her B.S. in Business Administration from UNC-Greensboro and her M.B.A. from Montreat College. She served first as an Admissions counselor, then as dean of Financial Aid for Montreat College for more than 16 years. She was also a loan officer for the State Employees Credit Union for five years.
Meredith Richards, evening Admissions clerk, earned a B.S. degree in Psychology from the University of Florida, Gainesville. She has been an eighth-grade English teacher in Lake City, Fla., and has served as a Youth minister in Florida and Sydney, Australia.