Convocation Kicks Off 2021-22 Academic Year
SFSC kicked off a new academic year at its annual Convocation on Monday, with President Dr. Thomas C. Leitzel opening the program. Tami Cullens, chair of the District Board of Trustees, followed with a warm welcome to SFSC staff, faculty, and administrators. Dr. Sidney Valentine, vice president for academic affairs and student services, presented SFSC’s Panther PATHways Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), a special project that is part of the College’s upcoming 10-year reaffirmation for accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Dr. Belle Wheelan, SACSCOC president, visited SFSC during Convocation and discussed the changing needs of community college students.
Dr. Leitzel; Jamie Bateman, executive director of institutional advancement; and Rick Hitt, athletic director, made a series of special announcements. Dr. Leitzel opened with a shout out to Hitt. In May 2021, Hitt was officially inducted into the prestigious National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Baseball Coaches Association Coaches Hall of Fame.
Dr. Leitzel, then, announced that construction plans are underway for a new student dormitory to be located immediately east of the Criminal Justice Academy on the Highlands Campus. Construction could begin Dec. 1, 2021. He hinted that another such dormitory could be in the College’s future.
Bateman and Hitt announced future plans for the development of a park that will include a new entrance to the College’s ballfields and a state-of-the-art athletic fieldhouse. They will become a reality due to the generosity of a major donor — Dr. Deborah (“Fu”) Fuschetti, retired SFSC registrar. The area will be called Fuschetti Park. Over the years, Dr. Fu has been an avid and ardent supporter of SFSC Athletics and can still be spotted in the crowd at baseball games and volleyball matches. She’s even been known to travel out of the district to watch Panther teams play at other colleges. The Saxon Group, which is the Sachsenmaier family’s business entity, contributed funds to help offset building costs. In the College’s early history, the Sachsenmaier family donated the land on which the new fieldhouse will sit. Bateman indicated that the ballfields have the potential of being named by a separate donor.
Several employees received service awards for attaining five, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years of service to the College.
Receiving service awards for 25 years of service were Dr. Theresa James, English professor and chair of the Humanities Department; Lena Phelps, lead librarian; and Janet Wheaton, cafeteria manager.
Recipients of 20-year service awards were Cindy Beiner, Help Desk technician; Minerva Ortiz, Farmworker Career Development Program case manager; Cathy Lewis, Arts and Sciences administrative assistant II; and John Byrd, Engineering professor.
The 15-year service awards were presented to Katrina Blandin, Hardee Campus student advisor; Elizabeth Broen, History professor; Sandy Ellis, personnel specialist; Tito Fernandez, custodian; Jill Feyerharm-Sconyers, Institutional Advancement executive assistant; Michele Hall, Institutional Planning, Research, and Assessment associate; Libby Heston, grounds maintenance district supervisor; Sharon Jones, Community Relations coordinator; Daniel Keller, Automotive Services professor; Daniel Longenecker, Auto Collision and Repair professor; Darlene Saccuzzo, Dental Education professor; David Shanklin, specialized maintenance; and Susan Taecker, Computer Science professor.
Awards for 10 years of service were presented to Dr. James Hawker, dean of Arts and Sciences; Michelle Leidel, Accounting and Business professor; Donna Snow, Student Services staff assistant I; and David Zoerb, Mathematics professor.
Employees acknowledged for five years of service are Joan Briand, Speech professor; Dr. Tatyana Brusentsova, Physics professor; Linda Dobson-Hacker, grants development assistant; Dr. Maday Leon, Elementary Education lead instructor; Danielle Ochoa, Take Stock in Children coordinator; Karla Repress, Art professor; and Jennifer Tollison, Lake Placid Center office manager.
