Tri-C Annual Advisory Committees Appreciation Breakfast & Community Champions Awards

Annual Advisory Committees Appreciation Breakfast

Since 1993, Tri-C hosts an annual event to honor and celebrate the contributions of Tri-C’s Program Advisory Committees. Typically, community and staff members with professional expertise are invited to sit on the Committees, providing input to development of Tri-C Programs and ensuring students are well-positioned for success in their chosen fields. The Committees are nominated for an annual award by Tri-C Faculty and Staff who are working directly with them.

2020 Advisory Committee Honorees

2020 Advisory Committee Honoree: Paralegal Studies Committee
2020 Advisory Committee Honoree: Captioning & Court Reporting Committee

Advisory Committee past award winners

Tri-C Community Champion Awards

Each year, Tri-C honors Community Champions making a difference in the lives and career paths of Tri-C Students. Nominated by Tri-C Faculty/Staff, awards are given in three categories – Individual, Small Business (<50 employees), and Large Business (>50 employees). Candidates are nominated via essays that detail the over-and-above efforts of the nominees and are handed out by Tri-C President Alex Johnson. Prior to the Community Champion Awards presentation, this year’s virtual event featured guest speaker Ms. Grace Gallucci, executive director/CEO of Northern Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), sharing a presentation entitled “Hyperloop – Cleveland to Chicago in 31 minutes."

• 2020 Individual Community Champion – Gregory E. Jones – nominated by Dr. Andrew Cox, executive director, Access and Community Engagement – Mr. Gregory E. Jones works on a daily basis to ensure young people who have experienced foster care make a successful transition to adulthood as they emancipate out of the public foster care system due to age restrictions.  Mr. Jones founded a nonprofit called “A Second Home for You” whose mission is to bridge the gap between foster care and adult living, and has partnered with the College to connect young people to education and workforce training programs.  Mr. Jones has supported the College in numerous ways, including presenting to staff, trained mentors, and connected students to community resources. Known as “Pops” to many of the young men he mentors and inspires, Mr. Jones has gone above and beyond to be a community champion for youth and students at Tri-C, and to empower them to reach their greatest potential.
• 2020 Small Business (<50 employees) Community Champion – James A. Strassman, President, Strassman Insurance Services – nominated by the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation.  Under the leadership of President & CEO Jim Strassman, Strassman Insurance Services has been an enthusiastic supporter of the annual Tri-C JazzFest for over a decade, giving their gift directly to the Creative Arts Scholarship Fund so that students may have the opportunity to pursue their dreams with a high-quality education. Jim Strassman has also been a devoted member of the Tri-C Foundation Board of Directors since 2001, actively supporting the mission and vision of Cuyahoga Community College.
• 2020 Large Business (>50 employees) Community Champion – KeyBank – accepted by Executive Vice President, Director of Corporate Center, Ms. Trina Evans – KeyBank has contributed more than $5.6 million to Cuyahoga Community College since 1993.  Its corporate giving supports “organizations and programs that prepare individuals for thriving futures”, for example, KeyBank Foundation committed $1.4 million to establish KeyBank Public Safety Training Center on Western Campus; and KeyBank Public Safety Scholarship, offering financial assistance to women and underrepresented minorities pursuing education for public safety careers.  Additional examples of KeyBank’s giving includes: establishment of KeyBank Hispanic Scholarship Fund, KeyBank Business Endowed Scholarship, a $1 million grant (2001-04) launching Career Place and investing as a presenting sponsor for Tri-C JazzFest since 2015. Trina Evans is a member of the Tri-C Foundation Board of Directors and a past chairperson.  Don Graves, head of corporate responsibility and community relations, and Margot Copeland, retired KeyBank Foundation CEO, are members of the Tri-C Board of Visitors.  Retired executive Bruce Murphy served on the Tri-C Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2012.