Gail Lowe (left) and Norm Lowe (right) receive the CCC Distinguished Service Award recognition from District Governing Board Chair Patricia Garcia. Courtesy photo.
FLAGSTAFF — Flagstaff couple Gail and Norm Lowe have been selected as the 2019 recipients of the prestigious Distinguished Service Award at Coconino Community College.
The Lowes were selected for their outstanding contributions to the mission of CCC.
“Gail and Norm exemplify the term ‘CCC Champions,’” said President Colleen A. Smith, PhD. “They dedicate countless hours to helping take the message of the College to the four corners of Coconino County and beyond and to let people know that, they too, can benefit from their community college – whether they’re interested in transferring to a university, learning a new job skill, or expanding their horizons. I am truly grateful for their amazing service to the college and our students.”
Gail Lowe, a local Certified Public Accountant, is the treasurer of the CCC Foundation, is a current member of CCC Champions, Supporters for a Thriving CCC, and was a founding member of a committee dedicated to launching a Summer Learning program this year. Norm Lowe is a natural resource management consultant. He received his Master’s degree in Sustainable Communities from NAU in 2009. He is president of Diablo Trust, a land management forum, and volunteers at Willow Bend Environmental Center. He provided valuable grant-writing expertise in submitting a grant to the Del E. Webb Foundation that secured a $1 million grant to renovate the Construction Management shop and classrooms on the Fourth Street Campus. He also designed and helped build, with a crew of volunteers, the CCC Fourth of July Parade float.
Gail Lowe said, “Receiving this award is such a great honor! It has been so rewarding to take advantage of the opportunities presented to me to support CCC as the accessible, quality educational institution and community partner it is. I’m proud of CCC!”
Norm Lowe said, “It’s a great reflection of the comradery and community spirit that I share with the CCC administration and other volunteers. I have long supported sustainable building and development in our community and was happy to give a boost to the Construction Management program, which plays a vital role in this effort.”
The CCC Distinguished Service 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 the 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 annually, 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.
About Coconino Community College: CCC has served residents across 18,000 square miles of Coconino County since 1991. The College has the goal of improving the lives of our residents through workforce development and higher education.
CCC provides affordable tuition and more than 50 certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in academic and career fields. CCC also has programs that ease student transition to any of the three state universities, including the award-winning CCC2NAU.
CCC reaches out to the more rural portions of the County and Tribal Lands. Instructional sites offer classes through online, in-person and Zoom video conferencing classes to meet the needs of students in rural and remote areas. Nearly 20 percent of CCC’s students are Native American learners.