WKCTC Regional Program Honors Area Educators

Faculty, administrators and staff from throughout the Jackson Purchase and southern Illinois were nominated for awards in four categories: distinguished faculty for grades pre-kindergarten through fifth, distinguished faculty for grades sixth through 12th, distinguished administrators, and the Cornelia Reece Unsung Hero Staff Award, named for the wife of WKCTC President Anton Reece. Each nominee was then asked to submit an application. More than 60 applications were submitted and reviewed by a selection committee made up of educators, business and community leaders who selected two finalists and a winner in each of the four categories.

"Tonight, we continue our tradition of honoring our region's educators who go above and beyond their daily responsibilities and play a tremendous role in the shaping of education in our region," said co-emcee Kevin O'Neill, WKCTC's vice president of workforce training and economic development. "We honor the vital role all our educators, administrators, staff, and supporters play in the education of our region."

The awards and scholarship program was established in August 2017 by Dr. Reece to recognize pre-kindergarten through high school educators, administrators and staff members who work tirelessly each day on behalf of students, parents and the community in WKCTC's service region, which includes Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Marshall, McCracken, Livingston and Lyon counties in Kentucky and Alexander, Hardin, Massac, Pope and Pulaski counties in Illinois.

More than 80 faculty, staff, and administrators were nominated by students, parents, community members and fellow colleagues. Each nominee was then asked to submit an application. More than 60 applications were submitted and reviewed by a selection committee made up of educators, business and community leaders who selected two finalists and a winner in each of the four categories.

In conjunction with the awards program, a scholarship for WKCTC students interested in K-12 teaching or educational support majors has been established to encourage and assist the region's future educators. Proceeds from sponsorships of the event will go directly to the Future Educators Scholarship fund.

Winners and finalists were:
Distinguished Faculty (Pre-K-5th) Award
Winner: Patti F. Farmer, Hendron-Lone Oak Elementary School third grade teacher
Finalists: Vicki M. Sims, Concord Elementary School response to intervention (RTI) teacher and Crystal "Crissy" R. Courtney, Heath Elementary 

School special education teacher

Distinguished Faculty (6th-12th grade) Award
Winner: Timothy L. Franklin, Paducah Middle School seventh grade science teacher
Finalists: Lauren W. Williams, McCracken County High School family and consumer sciences teacher, and Shelley H. McGregor, Paducah 

Tilghman High School chemistry teacher

Distinguished Administrator Award
Winner: Anne Hancock Cox, Reidland Elementary School principal
Finalists: Bob H. Wilson, Ballard County Schools director of pupil personnel and PaTrice T. Chambers, Fulton County Schools assistant superintendent

Cornelia Reece Unsung Hero Staff Award
Winner: Robyn Y. West, Clark Elementary School KIDS Co. I Family Resource Center coordinator
Finalists: F. Dale Story, Concord Elementary School custodian Jennifer Robinson, Ballard County Schools student data specialist.

Special recognition was also given by WKCTC President Reece to Fulton County Schools Superintendent Aaron Collins; Donald Shively, Paducah Independent Schools Superintendent Donald Shively; J.W. Cleary, president of the Paducah chapter of the NAACP; and Misty Fritch, a New Simpson Hill School fifth grade teacher in Ozark, Ill., named the 2019-2020 Challenger Learning Center at Paducah Outstanding Educator.

For more information about sponsorship and scholarship opportunities at WKCTC, contact Lee Emmons at 270-534-3084 or lee.emmons@kctcs.edu .