Awards of Excellence

Chancellor’s/Trustees’ Awards for Excellence

Recognition of SUNY Chancellor’s Award Winners for 2024 

•    Excellence in Teaching – H. Kenneth Whitener
•    Excellence in Professional Service – Don Perkins
•    Excellence in Classified Service – Deborah Fedenko
•    Excellence in Adjunct Teaching – Jackie Thompson


The Board of Trustees of Tompkins Cortland Community College will acknowledge the contributions of exceptional members of the professional community through annual awards known as "The Chancellor’s/Trustees’ Awards for:

  • Excellence in Faculty Service
  • Excellence in Librarianship
  • Excellence in Professional Service
  • Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities
  • Excellence in Teaching Performance
  • Excellence in Adjunct Teaching
  • Excellence in Classified Service
  • Other Faculty and Staff Awards as initiated by the SUNY Chancellor and deemed appropriate by the administration of the College

These awards are to be presented to individuals who, through their continuous and exceptional service, represent the highest level of commitment to the College. Each of the employee awards will have a monetary value of $1,000. 

Chancellor’s/Trustees' Award for Excellence in Teaching

1975 – Ronald Alexander
1976 – Anthony Bonarti
1976 – Judith Sellers
1977 – Emma Schultz
1978 – Anita Milch
1982 – John H. Buck
1983 – Judith Cain
1986 – Joseph Dabes
1988 – Kenneth McEwan
1989 – Theodore Lange
1990 – Judith Leavitt
1991 – Patricia Bence
1992 – Patrick Ryan
1993 – Mary D. Babish
1994 – Rebecca Spencer
1995 – Franklin Bickford
1996 – Janet E. Morgan
1997 – Charles McMullen
1998 – Daniel Pukstas
1999 – Theodore Szymanski
2000 – Carol Ann Janik
2001 – Catherine Milnor
2002 – Jeanne Cameron
2003 – Betty Hamlisch
2004 – Marsha Powell
2005 – Scott Ochs
2006 – Matty Hamel
2007 – Ron Starmer
2008 – Deborah Amidon-Staley
2009 – David Flaten
2010 – Lisa Ford and Kelly Wessell
2011 – Sophia Georgiakaki and Melissa Schmidt
2012 – Kathleen McDonough and Glenna McMinn
2013 – Robin Moss-Hinchcliff and Anna Regula
2014 – Susan Ceretanni and Tina Stavenhagen-Helgren
2015 – Harry Littell and Joseph Smith
2016 – Travis Vande Berg
2017 - Darlene Gold
2018 – Paula Moore
2019 - Eric Sambolec
2020 - Kerry Curran and Sandy Moser
2021 - Gary Ford
2022 - Amanda Bisson, Aaron Decker
2024 - H. Kenneth Whitener

Chancellor's/Trustees’ Award for Excellence in Classified Service

1986 – Pam Nicholson
1987 – Janice Lawrence and John Petrella
1988 – Anita Sharpsteen
1989 – Robin Slocum
1990 – Janice Catalano
1991 – John Reynolds
1992 – Lisa Doran
1993 – Jeffrey Harr
1994 – Darlene Finn
1995 – Doris Tinker
1996 – Steven Massey-Crouch
1997 – Deborah Lacko
1998 – Ruth Leonard
1999 – Lauren Wright
2000 – Candice Janke
2001 – Ramona Clarke
2002 – Lucy Yang
2003 – Renee Hollenbeck
2004 – Teresa Davis
2005 – Michelle Doe
2006 – Michael Thornton
2007 – Joyce Burk
2008 – Renae Moore
2009 – Barbara Nelson
2010 – Leslie Carpenter
2011 – Beverly Carey
2012 – Lyn Thompson
2013 – Kathleen Boyd
2014 – Debbie Lacko
2015 – Sheila Abbey
2016 – Kevin Caveney
2017 – Julie Ray
2018 - Mellora Paucke
2019 - Rhonda Kowalski
2020 - Teri Evener
2021 - Vicki Pousseur
2022 - Chrissie Askew
2023 - James (Jamie) Perkins
2024 - Deborah Fedenko

Chancellor's/Trustees’ Award for Excellence in Adjunct Teaching

1992 – James Rose
1994 – Deborah Jones
1995 – Judith Maxwell
1996 – Jack Carr
1997 – Elaina Alberga
1998 – Timothy Putnam
1999 – RC Quick
2000 – Tina Stavenhagen-Helgren
2001 – Donald Perkins
2002 – Marilyn Webb
2003 – Robin Hinchcliff
2004 – Elizabeth Gutchess
2005 – Matt Seyfried
2006 – None
2007 – Sue Stafford
2008 – Patrick Mercer
2009 – Ralph Hesse
2010 – Cindy Sloan
2011 – Jamie Rattray
2012 – Paul McCabe
2013 – Patricia Schaffer
2014 – Patrick Sewell
2015 – Jessica Ryan
2015 – Marcia Waffner
2016 – Butch Westlake
2017 – Kyle Carr
2018 – Jamie Barker
2019 – Erin Cornish
2020 – Marjolein Schat
2022 - Christine Evans, Theresa Tambascio
2023 - Patricia Buchanan
2024 - Jackie Thompson

Chancellor’s/Trustees’ Awards for Faculty Service

2005 – Louise McGee
2006 – Larry Chase
2007 – Linda Pasto
2010 – James Jacob
2011 – Kimberly Sharpe
2012 – Richard Grossman
2013 – Susan Stafford
2014 – Carol Sammis
2015 – Janet Swinnich
2016 – Sophia Georgiakaki
2017 – Scott Ochs
2019 - Melissa Schmidt
2021 - Christine Shanks
2022 - Angela Palumbo
2023 - Kelly Wessell

Chancellor’s/Trustees’ Awards for Excellence
in Professional Service

1989 – Daniel Pukstas
1990 – John Johnston
1991 – Andrew Haaland
1992 – William Demo
1993 – Dr. Nancy Lieberman
1994 – Jane F. Hammond
1995 – Janice L. Hinkle
1996 – Charles E. Bechtold
1997 – Judith Longo
1998 – Diane Creel
1999 – Sharon Karwowski
2000 – Rere Hassett
2001 – Jim Hull
2002 – Blixy Taetzsch
2003 – Cathy Northrop
2004 – Craig Tucker
2005 – Khaki Wunderlich
2006 – Eric Howd
2007 – Marty Christofferson
2008 – Kristine Altucher
2009 – Michael McGraw
2010 – Ralph Shortell
2011 – Lisa Payne
2012 – Marilyn Webb
2013 – Alexis Dengel and Seth Thompson
2014 – Katrina Campbell and Tony DeFranco
2015 – Joan Donovan and Meg Garvey
2016 – Mary Hallisey
2017 – Alison Beach
2019 – Michelle Nightingale
2020 – Jonathan Walz-Koeppel
2021 – Mutale Sokoni
2022 – Tackie Huff 
2023 – Keith Hall
2024 – Don Perkins

Chancellor’s/Trustees’ Awards for Excellence in Librarianship

2000 – David G. Lewis
2001 – Barbara Kobritz
2018 – Susanna Van Sant
2023 – Karla Block

Chancellor’s/Trustees’ Awards for Excellence
in Scholarship and Creative Activities

2002 – Bill Kleitz
2003 – Lisa Ford
2004 – Nick Klimaszewski
2005 – Ted Szymanski
2006 – Donna Nielsen
2007 – Karen Pastorello
2010 – Keith Millman
2011 – Jeanne Cameron
2012 – Phil Tate
2013 – Ronald Starmer
2015 – Jake Jacob
2019 - Amber Gilewski
2022 - Sophia Georgiakaki

The links below provide more information and other criteria about the appropriate categories:

 Award for Classified Service: 

http://system.suny.edu/communitycolleges/classified-service-awards/

 Award for: Faculty Service, Librarianship, Professional Service, Scholarship and Creative Activities, and Teaching: 

http://system.suny.edu/academic-affairs/faculty-staff-awards/chancellors-excellence-awards/   

 Award for Adjunct Teaching:

http://system.suny.edu/academic-affairs/faculty-staff-awards/excellence-in-adjunct-teaching/