Phi Theta Kappa Alumna Receives Association of Community College Trustees Honor
JACKSON, MS - Dr. E. Ann McGee, president of Seminole Community College
in Florida and a Phi Theta Kappa alumna, was recently named recipient of
the Chief Executive Officer Award presented by the Association of Community
College Trustees (ACCT).
ACCT annually recognizes exceptional
contributions made by community college chief executive officers through
the CEO Award.
"This award represents ten years of incredible
dedication and hard work by Seminole Community College's faculty and staff
as we have sought to further the economic well-being of our community,"
said Dr. McGee.
Dr. McGee has served as president of Seminole
Community College since 1996, and is currently Phi Theta Kappa's Presidential
Ambassador for the Florida Region. She received the Shirley B. Gordon Award
of Distinction in 2005.
Dr. McGee was inducted into Phi Theta
Kappa at St. Petersburg Junior College (now St. Petersburg College). She
received her bachelor and master's degrees from Florida State University
and completed her doctorate in higher education from Nova Southeastern
University.
"I have known Dr. McGee for more than twenty years
and throughout her professional career in higher education she has kept
the needs and interests of students at the center of her work," said Rod Risley,
Phi Theta Kappa Executive Director. "She serves as a wonderful role model
for all Phi Theta Kappa members." Dr. McGee says that membership in Phi Theta
Kappa and other campus organizations gave her the "basics" of leadership.
She attributes her success to the faculty advisors who dedicated their
time and talents to their students.
"I wouldn't have been on
that stage accepting this award had it not been for the faculty and staff
at St. Petersburg Junior College who believed in me and gave me the opportunity
to succeed," said Dr. McGee. "I know that my life changed because of the great
experience that I had at St. Petersburg Junior College and I will be forever
grateful."
Due to her passion to enhance the college's connection
to the community, Dr. McGee has been recognized by local organizations
for her community efforts. In 2004, she received a "Lifetime Achievement
Award" for her commitment to improve the quality of life in Seminole County.
Dr. McGee has served on many state and national boards, including
the American Association of Community Colleges, the Greater Orlando Chamber
of Commerce and the Seminole County Regional Chamber of Commerce. She is
the immediate past president of the Florida Association of Colleges and
Universities.
She currently serves as chairman of the Higher
Education Research and Development Institute, and Florida's Governor
recently named her as a charter Trustee for Florida State University.
The
Association of Community College Trustees is a non-profit educational
organization of governing boards, consisting of elected and appointed
trustees who govern more than 1,200 community, technical, and junior colleges
in the United States, Canada, and England.
Phi Theta Kappa International
Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, is the largest honor society
in American higher education with 1,200 chapters on two-year and community
college campuses in all 50 of the United States, Canada, Germany, the Republic
of Palau, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands,
the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. More than two
million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately
100,000 students inducted annually.
