Coconino Community College update for June 6 — Coconino Community College’s Stellar Newsletter

June 1, 2019
Coconino Community College’s Stellar Newsletter
Sharing the news throughout northern Arizona about what’s happening at your Community College.
Coconino Community College: Education that works for you.
A quick word from the President
Although the Arizona Legislature showed a commitment to education by supporting public, community college and university education in the new state budget, there’s still work for us to do.
A big part of that work includes partnerships with businesses, nonprofits and government organizations in the communities that Coconino Community College serves. Here at CCC, we’ve been working around the clock to establish those partnerships, and I’m excited to share a few of them with you.
Thanks to a partnership with Aspen Place at the Sawmill, the Comet Art Gallery opened. Navajo Generating Station workers in Page are retraining for the technology industry thanks to a partnership among the Northern Arizona College Connection Higher Education Consortium, SRP and the Apprenti program. CCC has entered a Mental Health Awareness partnership with NARBHA. The Lunar Legacy Lecture Series is made possible through a partnership with the Flagstaff Festival of Science. Expanded offerings in Early Childhood Education are now available because of a partnership with the Northern Arizona Council of Governments. And the Regional Re-employment Team organized by the Coconino County Career Center includes partnerships with SRP, the City of Page, Coconino County and others including all of the educational institutions in the region.
These partnerships and so many more will continue to help CCC offer the workforce, academic and lifelong learning opportunities that our students have come to expect from us.
CCC is a great place to be. Come partner with us!
Colleen Smith
New Coconino SBDC Program Manager ready to hit ground running
Gina Couillard has extensive experience in business development
Gina Couillard dreamed of owning her own business ever since she was a little girl. She realized that dream by the time she was 19. She started her own business in 1995 and grew it into a multi-million-dollar venture that served northern Arizona. Before leaving the business world for the public-service sector, she gained extensive and valuable experience in business ownership and management – from accounting, human resources and project management to budgeting, employee development and marketing.
That knowledge and skill will now be used to serve people in northern Arizona interested in making their dreams of owning their own business a reality. Couillard has been selected as the new Program Manager of the Coconino Small Business Development Center. The SBDC provides advising, training, online courses and resources for businesses throughout the northern Arizona region. The SBDC is part of a statewide network of centers that deliver services to anyone who operates a business or is planning to start a business.
Gina Couillard, who started her own successful multi-million-dollar business, will now help other Coconino County residents work on starting theirs.
“I am excited for the possibility of using my knowledge to work with small businesses again, while being a champion for Coconino Community College,” Couillard said.
CCC Working for You
2019 CCC Working for You
Coconino Community College offers workforce training and academic and lifelong-learning opportunities to Coconino County residents. For more videos of students, programs and more at CCC, visit our YouTube channel.
JKC creates scholarship at CCC
Jeff Knorr (left), President of Flagstaff-based JKC Inc. General Contractor, presents Scott Talboom, Executive Director of CCC Institutional Advancement, with a check to support a scholarship at Coconino Community College.
Scholarship to support students seeking careers in construction trades
Flagstaff-based JKC Inc. General Contractor has established a $1,000 scholarship at Coconino Community College for students wanting a career in the construction trades.
“I think CCC is an integral part to the community,” said Jeff Knorr, president of JKC Inc. General Contractor. “I would like to support anything to get high school graduates to see the construction trades as not only a viable job, but a career.”
The JKC Inc. General Contractor Scholarship goes to one student for the coming academic year. The student must have a minimum of 2.5 grade-point average and carry a minimum of six credit hours. Preference is given to a student with financial need who plans to pursue a certificate or degree in the construction trades.
CCC joins mental health awareness effort
CCC has joined the county and city in proclaiming May as Mental Health Month
Coconino Community College has joined Coconino County and the City of Flagstaff in proclaiming May 2019 as Mental Health Month in an effort to increase knowledge, empathy and action related to mental health and wellbeing.
During the May 15 CCC District Governing Board meeting in Flagstaff, the board members approved the proclamation, committing CCC to developing and implementing a strategy to train all CCC staff and faculty in Mental Health First Aid. Mental Health First Aid is a course designed to give people the “skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis,” according to the Mental Health First Aid website.
“The mental health and wellbeing of all our students and employees are vitally important for them to be successful in their educational paths, careers and life,” said CCC President Colleen A. Smith, PhD. “I’m honored our board members have committed the College to Mental Health First Aid training.”
CCC District Governing Board Chair Patricia Garcia(left) and CCC President Colleen A. Smith, PhD, sign a proclamation committing all CCC staff and faculty to complete training in Mental Health First Aid.
High school student aims for health professions
CAVIAT student Nevaeh Nez plans to be an orthopedic surgeon
Her mother and grandmother constantly told her education is important.
She took those words to heart.
Flagstaff High School senior Nevaeh Nez, 18, received two certifications from Coconino Community College on May 10 during Commencement. She was handed certificates in Pre-Health Careers and Nursing Assistant a month before she received her high school diploma.
“Education’s always been something important for me,” Nez said, adding that her mother raised her by herself, and she didn’t want her mother to worry about being able to afford an education for her.
Flagstaff High School senior Nevaeh Nez received certifications in Pre-Health Careers and Nursing Assistant from CCC before she graduated from high school.
CCC2NAU student eyes forestry management
CCC2NAU student Michael Jordan works on problems in his math class at Coconino Community College..
Michael Jordan is first generation in his family to attend college
San Carlos Apache tribal member Michael Jordan lives in Flagstaff and is a full-time student at CCC, the first generation in his family to attend college.
He receives funding from the San Carlos Forestry Management Department, where he worked as a supervisor on a “fuels crew” that conducts prescribed burns on forest land to promote forest health. As part of the “cooperative” agreement to get paid to go to school, Jordan works for Forestry Management when he’s on breaks from school and during the summer.
A CCC2NAU student, Jordan will be heading to Northern Arizona University to complete a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management. The fact that he has lived a little before going back to school has helped him to be professional and to excel in work.
“I finish what needs to get done, right away,” he said.  “I made it happen … If I can do it, you can do it, too.”
CCC news around the county
Time to nominate a CCC champion for the Distinguished Service Award
Nominations are due to CCC by Friday, July 12, 2019
Coconino Community College is seeking nominations for its prestigious Distinguished Service Award.
The award recognizes outstanding service, leadership and support to the College and to the educational enrichment of Coconino County. Nominees must be a resident of Coconino County at the time of nomination, and they must have affected or substantially contributed a major accomplishment for the benefit of CCC and to the educational enrichment of district residents.
The award is normally given to one recipient each year, and any resident of the county may nominate a person for the award. Current members of the CCC District Governing board and individuals employed by the College are exempt from nomination.
“This award is special for Coconino Community College because it is presented to champions of CCC who have shown exceptional service to the students, to the college and to education in Coconino County,” said CCC President Dr. Colleen A. Smith, PhD.
Summer Art Workshops begin in June at CCC
Our ED Talk Series is free and open to the public.
Join Coconino Community College’s Joe Maniglia, who is also a local actor and chaplain, for an evening of laughter, surprises and endless possibilities as he offers key skills to improvisational acting. Improv has real-world applications at business meetings, for enjoying life, and dealing with aging parents and loved ones.
When: Monday, June 10, 2019, at 6 p.m.
Where: Room B34, Fourth Street campus, 3000 N. Fourth St., in Flagstaff.
Lunar Legacy Lecture Series continues at CCC
CCC in the news:
Coconino Community College made the news in the last month. Read or see more about it by clicking the headline!
Summer and fall registration are now open!
For questions, comments or feedback, please contact PR Coordinator Larry Hendricks at larry.hendricks@coconino.edu.
Coconino Community College | 928-527-1222 | www.coconino.edu