In celebration of the extraordinary successes of Greenfield Community College students, GCC will confer the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award to one distinguished alumna/us. This individual will join the 50 Distinguished Alumni who have been previously honored, representing the college’s first half century of providing access and excellence in education to all who seek to learn.

Nominate an alum

The annual Distinguished Alumni Award was established by the Greenfield Community College Alumni Association to recognize and honor an alumna/us of GCC who has achieved substantial public recognition for his/her accomplishments or success. To be eligible for nomination, the nominee should have:

• Earned 15 credit hours at Greenfield Community College or earned a degree or certificate and
• Earned the respect and trust of his/her associates in his/her chosen field, and/or

• Made substantial contributions to the good of his/her fellow human beings or be recognized as an outstanding practitioner of his/her profession or vocation, and/or
• Served as a motivational force for others in a positive manner.

All nominations will be reviewed and Awardee will be selected by a diverse group of GCC faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. The Distinguished Alum will be honored at the GCC Scholarship Awards Ceremony on May 5th at the College. To nominate someone, visit www.gcc.mass.edu/alumaward and fill out the online form or contact Andrea Carlin at acarlin@gcc.mass.edu or (413) 775-1600. Nominations must be received by March 1st.

Deb Klein ’79 of Greenfield, Co-Chair of the Distinguished Alumni Award Committee said, “Selecting recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award is always both exciting and challenging. I look forward to reading about nominees from a wide range of fields and all of the past five decades. We are seeking nominees who have excelled in their professions as well as those who are exemplary in their contributions to their communities. GCC’s alumni are a talented, caring, and diverse group and we hope the pool of nominees reflects that diversity and talent.”

Klein is joined on the review committee by additional members of the college and larger communities, namely: Alden Booth, Jeanne Dodge ‘07, Bill Fitzpatrick ‘84, Sandra Lively ’93, ‘02 and Pete Ruggeri. A complete list of previous Distinguished Alumni winners can be found on the Distinguished Alumni nomination page at www.gcc.mass.edu/alumaward.

Regina Curtis ’86, President of the GCC Alumni Association and staff to the committee, said, “GCC alumni have made their mark on the local, national, and global communities and this is our chance to shine a light on their success. We know we have alums who went on to become business people, educators, members of the creative economy, professionals and community leaders here in this region and that all benefit from their engagement with, and support for, their communities. We also know that GCC alums are making a difference around the country and around the world – working in the public safety, entertainment, publishing, outdoor leadership, and health care industries, just to name a few. I urge readers to nominate someone whose life was changed by GCC, who is now changing the lives of others – perhaps in the Pioneer Valley, California, South America or across the oceans. The impact and footprint of our alumni on this earth is significant and this is the moment to share that good news.”

For information about the GCC Distinguished Alumni Award, contact Regina Curtis at curtisr@gcc.mass.edu or (413) 775-1426, or visit www.gcc.mass.edu/alumaward