Lamar Community College is proud to recognize the following staff and faculty members who have been selected as Employees of the Year: Tori Hawks, Administrator; Greg Cash, Faculty; Kurt Nieschburg, Classified Employee; and Julie Miller, Adjunct Instructor. These individuals have made a true and lasting impact on LCC as a whole and the students in attendance.
“Lamar Community College has some of the most talented, dedicated, innovative, and caring employees I have ever worked with. They are all outstanding,” said Dr. Linda Lujan, President of Lamar Community College. “So, it is especially meaningful for our college employees to honor their peers in this way. Congratulations to Tori, Greg, Kurt, and Julie on this well-deserved recognition.”
Tori Hawks – Administrator of the Year
Tori Hawks has been the Coordinator of Recruiting at LCC for three years. In her role, Tori is involved with students every day, building relationships with future students and their families while seeking out opportunities to be involved in the community. As a graduate of the LCC Horse Training & Management and Agriculture programs, she can share her love for agriculture and the equine industry in her job.
Per her nomination, Tori “goes above and beyond what is asked of her… She is always looking for ways to improve the student experience.” Her outgoing nature is a great example that one of the best things about LCC is the community.
Greg Cash – Faculty of the Year
Greg Cash has served as the head of the Agriculture Department at LCC for the past three years. Greg is always looking for ways to improve and grow his program including playing a key role in obtaining grants that will bring a new learning garden and school farm to LCC. Prior to coming on board at LCC, he taught for 19 years in Springfield, Colorado, and was heavily involved with the Colorado Vocational Ag Teachers Association.
Per his nomination, “Greg has done phenomenal things with the agriculture program, turning an ordinary program into one of the most dynamic and high-morale programs on campus.” Students and staff alike speak very highly of him and the work he does at LCC.
Kurt Nieschburg – Classified Employee of the Year
Kurt Nieschburg has worked for the past six years in the Physical Plant of Lamar Community College as a Pipe/Mechanical Trades Technician. Kurt brings many years of experience to his work at LCC, which he uses to maintain the buildings on campus in a wide range of capacities from heating and air conditioning to plumbing and electrical and a little of everything in between.
Nieschburg is described by his co-workers as self-motivated and dependable, stating, “Kurt brings a unique and wide range of skills to the maintenance position that make him extremely successful and remarkably valuable.”
Julie Miller – Adjunct Instructor of the Year
Julie Miller began teaching as an adjunct biology instructor at Lamar Community College in 2010. Julie’s love of the close-knit nature of her two-year community college experience inspired her desire to teach at this level. She enjoys searching for fun and innovative ways to engage students.
Per her nomination, Miller is “a treasure that enriches our campus each day with her dedication and commitment to making LCC the best it can be.” She goes beyond her work in the classroom to support activities across campus.
“It’s the individual effort of every employee that makes all the difference in maintaining a high-quality learning environment to serve students and our communities,” Dr. Lujan said. “I know I speak for the entire college in congratulating this year’s winners and thanking them for their years of service and continued focus on student success at LCC. We are so fortunate to have such great employees.”
Each year the Colorado Community College System recognizes full-time faculty, staff, and administrators with system-sponsored events in February and March. LCC elects to recognize the additional category of Adjunct Instructor.
LCC’s Employees of the Year are selected by their peers: full-time faculty and staff within the college. All nominations and voting are done anonymously.