Sam Pack (center) and the Pack Automotive Group LLC received the Pillar of the Community Award based on commitment and service to the community. Chancellor Joe May (left) and Dr. Pyeper Wilkins, DCCCD’s chief advancement officer and executive director for the DCCCD Foundation, presented the award.
Contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — Nov. 16, 2018
(DALLAS) — The best of the best Dallas County Community College District alumni were honored recently, along with the DCCCD’s annual Pillar of the Community award winner, during a program that acknowledged their contributions to the district, its students and the communities they serve.
“As distinguished alumni, you really are DCCCD ambassadors,” said Dr. Joe May to the awardees on Nov. 1. “We are proud of your accomplishments. Your leadership also is a point of pride for all former students, and our current students look up to you as role models. You have set the pace and paved the way for their future success.”
He added, “We also thank our Pillar of the Community awardee, Sam Pack and the Pack Automotive Group LLC, for their support. Among our many partners, Sam Pack Automotive Group embodies the values of DCCCD and has demonstrated their commitment and service to the community as well as to our students and our district.”
Dr. Pyeper Wilkins, DCCCD’s chief advancement officer and executive director for the DCCCD Foundation, said, “DCCCD alumni are everywhere in our community. They are employed in every industry, involved in all kinds of community service and serve as role models for thousands of students who are enrolled in our colleges today. We commend all of our Distinguished Alumni and Pillar of the Community awardees for their accomplishments and service to our communities.”
In addition to the Pillar of the Community Award recipient, these individuals also were recognized (one for each DCCCD college, for each award):
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Distinguished Alumni: Jo Alch (Brookhaven College); Gene Christiano (El Centro College); Kapil Mani Dixit (North Lake College); Stephanie Garrett, Ph.D. (Mountain View College); Cynthia Paschall; Brenda Welcome (Richland College); and Paul Williams;
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Distinguished Emerging Alumni: Suraj Gamal (North Lake College, deceased); Jonathan Jones (Richland College); Jose Martinez (El Centro College); Yann-Hermann Olonade (Brookhaven College); Hector Robledo (Eastfield College); Taylor Souryachak (Mountain View College); and Bernadette Washington (Cedar Valley College);
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Distinguished Alumni-Employee: Suzette Vaquera (Brookhaven College alumna and employee).
Honorees met rigorous criteria to receive their awards. Each awardee:
- Must be an alumnus or alumna of a college in the DCCCD system who has earned a degree or certificate, or who has completed 12 credit hours (prior to 2014);
- Must have achieved a high level of accomplishment and recognition in her or his career and life experiences;
- Must have demonstrated commitment and service to his or her community; and
- Must embody the values of DCCCD: accountability, cooperation, creativity, diversity, fairness, honesty, integrity, meaningful communications, mutual trust and responsible risk.
The Pillar of the Community Award is based on commitment and service to the community.
Each recipient was nominated earlier this year, and the DCCCD Alumni Steering Committee reviewed every nomination for each award.
For more information, contact Kapreta Johnson, coordinator of alumni and donor relations for the DCCCD Foundation, at
Kapreta.Johnson@dcccd.edu or at 214-378-1573.
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