Chancellor's Awards

Winners of the 2018 Chancellor’s Awards from Gadsden State Community College were recognized during the Alabama Community College Association Conference Nov. 18 in Mobile.

“All of the institutions in the Alabama Community College System recognize distinguished faculty and support staff by presenting the Chancellor’s Awards,” said Dr. Martha Lavender, president of Gadsden State. “These employees consistently perform at an exceptional level and are always ready and willing to provide services and support to our students.”

Two members of faculty were selected for the award – Farrah Hayes and Dr. Billy Jenkins. The support staff award went to Carol Gray, and the administrator award winner is Dr. Leslie Worthington.

To be eligible for the award, they must have a minimum of five years’ work experience at Gadsden State Community College. They were required to submit a resume, three letters of recommendation and a written narrative.

As winners, they received a $1,000 discretionary fund to be used for equipment, professional development or teaching supplies.

Dr. Leslie Worthington

Dr. Leslie Worthington is the winner of the Chancellor’s Award for administrators. She currently serves as the dean of Academic Programs and Services, a position she has held since 2015. She previously worked as an English instructor and division chair for Language and Humanities. She has worked as the chair of the Department of English and Foreign Languages at the University of North Georgia, associate director of Distance Learning at Troy University-Dothan, distance learning resources specialist and coordinator of Contract Instructional Programs for Troy University-Montgomery and an instructor at Auburn University and Georgia Military College.

Worthington earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Auburn University at Montgomery. In 1998, she earned a Master of Art in English from Auburn University followed by an Education Specialist degree in Adult Education and Education Administration from Troy University-Montgomery. In 2007, she was awarded a Ph.D in English from Auburn. She also has certifications in New Media Theory and Electronic Pedagogy from Georgia Tech.

As the leader of Academic Programs and Services at Gadsden State, Worthington was instrumental in establishing the Poultry Science Program at Gadsden State Cherokee in partnership with Auburn University. She collaborated with other college leaders to create a certificate program in Apple Swift Coding as well as set up Apple computer labs at Gadsden City High School and the Wallace Drive and Ayers campuses. She was a major contributor to the creation of the Teaching and Learning Center, which provides training, assistance and fellowship opportunities for Gadsden State employees.

Worthington serves as the chairperson of the Quality Enhancement Plan Planning Committee, the administrator for the Alabama Community College System Developmental Education Readiness Plan team, a member of the Chamber of Gadsden/Etowah Excellence in Education Committee, a member of the ACCS Enrollment Management Committee and the creator and facilitator for the Gadsden State Leadership Academy, which addresses leadership succession for academics and other parts of the College. She is currently the president for the ACCS Instructional Officers Association of which she has also served as vice president.

Worthington has been nominated for the C. Hugh Holman Award for her 2017 book, “Seeking Home: Marginalization and Representation in Appalachian Literature and Song.” She has earned fellowships from Georgia Institute of Technology, Auburn University and the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College. She is a past winner of the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at Troy University.

Farrah Hayes

Farrah Hayes is one of two winners of the Chancellor’s Award for faculty members. She is an English instructor and coordinator for the Cardinal Tutoring Centers. She has been a full-time employee of Gadsden State since 2015. At the College, she is a member of the Collegiate Executive Opportunities cohort and the Quality Enhancement Plan Committee. She is a past member of the ACCS Developmental English Panel.

Hayes started her education at Jacksonville State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Spanish. In 2008, she earned a Master of Science in Education of English Language Arts from JSU. Two years later, she earned an educational specialist designation, also from JSU. She is currently working on a doctoral degree in Developmental Education Administration from Sam Houston State University. She is a graduate of Leadership Etowah and the Gadsden State Faculty Developmental Institute. She also earned a Jewish Foundation for the Righteous Fellowship at Columbia University.

Previous to working at Gadsden State, Hayes was the lead teacher for English Language Arts instructors in the Etowah County Schools. She has also worked as an English and education adjunct professor at JSU and an English and Spanish teacher for Piedmont City Schools.

Hayes has received a number of honors, including New Developmental Educator of the Year from the Alabama Association for Developmental Education, Outstanding Academic Faculty from the Gadsden State Alumni Association and Piedmont High School Teacher of the Year.

Dr. Billy Jenkins

Dr. Billy Jenkins is also a winner of the Chancellor’s Award for a faculty member. He has been an instructor of psychology, philosophy and sociology at Gadsden State since 2013. Previously, he worked as the assistant principal at Kitty Stone Elementary School, Ashville Elementary School and Hokes Bluff Elementary School. He has also worked at JSU, the University of Alabama-Gadsden Center, Ivalee Elementary School and Eura Brown Elementary School.

Jenkins earned an Associate of Science at Gadsden State before going to the University of Montevallo, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. In 1995, Jenkins was awarded a master’s degree in Elementary Education. An Education Specialist degree in Administration was earned from JSU. In 2008, he finished requirements for a Doctorate in Education Administration from the University of Alabama.

At Gadsden State, Jenkins is the SACS chairperson for the faculty role in governance, administration support services and academic freedom. He is also on the Honors Committee and is a Faculty Fellow. Jenkins has been honored with the Master Teacher Award, the ALFA Teacher of the Month, District VIII Teacher of the Year and Etowah County Teacher of the Year. In 2011, he was inducted into the Alabama Teacher Hall of Fame.

Carol Gray

Carol Gray is the support staff member who won the Chancellor’s Award. She has been a clerk at Gadsden State since 2002 and currently works in International Programs. Prior to Gadsden State, she worked at Alabama Teachers Credit Union and Jonathan’s Friends Day Care, and she was a substitute teacher. She is a graduate of Gadsden State, where she earned an Associate of Applied Science in Secretarial Science.

Gray participated in the Leadership Development Institute, was named an All-American Scholar and received the Excellence in Service to Students Award from the National Society of Leadership and Success.

In the community, Gray supports the Prison Fellowship Angel Tree as the organizer and has volunteered with the United Way, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Special Olympics and International Student Ministry.