Eastern Gateway Community College wins Exemplary Board/CEO Award

April 29, 2015 at 10:24a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Eastern Gateway Community College has won the Exemplary Board/CEO Award, the highest national award presented by the American Association of Community Colleges.

The award, given to the college that most exemplifies the spirit of collaboration between board and president, was presented at an awards gala in San Antonio, Texas.

Representing Eastern Gateway at the ceremony were college President Laura Meeks; trustees John Gilmore, Sister Patricia McNicholas and Molly Seals; former trustee Larry Long; Melanie DiCarlo, secretary to the community college district and administrative assistant to the president; and retired communications director Ann Koon.

Meeks said AACC recognized the challenges inherent in Eastern Gateway’s 2009 expansion from Jefferson County into Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties, including having to forge a new board of trustees representative of its larger geographic base.

“This award is a credit to all of the people who’ve worked so hard to make Eastern Gateway a community resource,” she said. “It celebrates the culture of learning we’ve built here through cooperation and collaboration. Our faculty and staff are focused on making higher education accessible, equitable and affordable to residents throughout the four counties we serve. They’re committed to helping our students achieve success in the classroom and beyond, and to working with area employers to ensure our graduates leave Eastern Gateway with the knowledge and skill sets needed to help them grow and prosper in today’s economy. Being recognized as the AACC Exemplar is a testament to all of our efforts.”

AACC also cited Eastern Gateway’s efforts to increase student retention while maintaining a balanced budget, its focus on building community partnerships and bringing shared services to campus to expand opportunities while reducing costs and the innovative scorecard system the board uses to track progress in the areas of student retention, enrollment and budget management. The scorecards are reviewed at every board meeting to ensure continued improvement.