LFCC honors retirees and distinguished staff and faculty members

LFCC honored five employees and four retirees during a virtual recognition ceremony on May 13.

Each year the college presents awards to an administrator, a full-time faculty member, an adjunct faculty member, a classified staffer and one part-time staff member. This year’s honorees were:

• Chris Coutts, the Distinguished Administrator Award recipient. Dr. Coutts, the Fauquier Campus provost, was also named vice president of communications and planning in 2020. Prior to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, he had been tapped to take on a short-term interim role.

“When the pandemic hit in March 2020, all of the responsibilities of the interim position were suddenly completely different,” LFCC President Kim Blosser said. “Chris had to manage many shifts in Virginia Community College System (VCCS) policies, implement changes to move to online learning, help support changes to online student services, communicate almost daily with faculty and deans, and through it all remain patient and nimble as conditions changed. According to one of the nominators, he was ‘the glue that kept the administrators at the middle level operational.’”

• Bill Lewis, recipient of the Distinguished Full-Time Faculty Award. During his 38 years with LFCC, Professor Lewis has been responsible for establishing the college’s engineering program. Among the new degrees he brought to LFCC are mechanical engineering technology, computer-aided drafting technology, civil engineering technology, industrial electricity and controls technology and plastics technology.

“Most recently, Bill designed and established the transfer engineering specialization,” said Dr. Ia Gomez, the college’s STEM dean. “Bill has designed and taught more than 35 new courses during his time at the college. Many of these courses were new to the VCCS.”

• Marie Beeler, recipient of the Distinguished Classified Staff Award. An early college specialist, she was the first LFCC career coach placed at James Wood High School 15 years ago.

“A faculty member recently commented, ‘What will we do without Marie?’” said Brenda Byard, dean of early college and high school partnerships. “Marie has served as the trainer for new high school career coaches as they onboard. Many express gratitude to her for sharing resources and imparting her wisdom as a former coach.”

• Patricia Fox, named the Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Member. The anatomy and physiology instructor has taught at various campuses and in various formats:  in-person, online and hybrid.

“Trish demonstrates great passion for the subject matter, keeps the students directly engaged with the content topics presented, and makes the class enjoyable and inclusive,” said Dr. Gomez. “Trish is a consummate team player who is always ready to step up when needed. Even as her full-time job responsibilities have changed, she has continued to be an enthusiastic supporter of the college and its students.”

• Chelsea Conrad, Distinguished Part-Time Staff Award recipient. The TRIO receptionist has a can-do attitude and has often been working on campus during the pandemic, according to TRIO Director and Coordinator of Disability Services Vivi Meder.

“You can find Chelsea greeting walk-ins at the Welcome Center, fielding phone calls of all natures, helping to maintain the TRIO program, keeping the food pantry stocked, assisting students in the TRIO lounge, assisting with student outreach and much more,” Meder said.

Also during the employee recognition ceremony, four retiring employees were recognized:

• Engineering Professor Bill Lewis. After nearly four decades at LFCC, Professor Lewis plans to start commercially selling some of the produce he grows on a large scale, as well as enjoy some fishing and other hobbies.
• Math Professor Eunice Myers. She started as an adjunct at LFCC 32 years ago, before coming on full time in 2009. A missionary to Africa as a young adult, Professor Myers hopes to do some more traveling.
• Early college specialist Marie Beeler. The LFCC alumna plans to travel and spend more time with her family.
• Library specialist Annie Cato. Prior to her 10 years at LFCC, Cato’s career path included social work, being a travel agent, and working on a thoroughbred horse farm. She plans to hit as many state parks as possible in her retirement.