April Cougar Champion: Gregg Parr

Gregg Parr
Biotechnology Pathway Navigator

How long have you worked for CCCC?
Almost two years. I started at CCCC in July 2022.

What brought you to CCCC?
I began regular trips to CCCC in 2017 as a member of the Central Carolina Toastmasters club. I really enjoyed my visits to Sanford in the years that followed. I heard about the Biotechnology Pathway Navigator role in the Spring of 2022 and applied.

Describe what you do for CCCC.
I support students and alumni in our Biotechnology program by providing career coaching and job search assistance. I conduct in-class workshops for resume development, interview preparation, LinkedIn optimization, and job search strategy.

What is your proudest accomplishment?
I'm proud to play a part in helping students find jobs and begin their career in the Life Sciences.

What is the key to your success?
If I had to choose a single key to success, it would be having a love of learning. I enjoy learning new things and that has served me well in the dozens of different roles I have had in my career.

What is the best advice you can give your colleagues?
My best advice is that your greatest opportunity for success lies in developing your natural talents, not in fixing your weaknesses.

Where do you live now?
I live in Seven Lakes (Moore County).

Educational credentials?
B.A. in Political Science, Wittenberg University. Certifications in Lean Six Sigma, Project Management, and Gallup Coaching.

What are some of your hobbies or other interests outside of CCCC?
Golf is an activity I enjoy with my family. I also like to collect and read books.

Who is one of your favorite fictional characters and why?
Jack Reacher. Reacher is a skilled investigator and has outstanding deductive skills. He is able to gain information easily through conversation and observing others. I've read 22 of the 28 Reacher books. Author Lee Childs is a great storyteller.

What is your favorite meal?
Salmon. My favorite restaurant to enjoy Salmon is The Glenwood in Onekema, Mich.

Anything else you'd like to share with the CCCC family?
I am proud to be the Biotechnology Pathway Navigator at CCCC, honored to be a Cougar Champion of the Month, and grateful to my colleagues for their friendship and support.

April Cougar Champion: Gail Brown

Gail Brown

Certification Instructor for National Certification Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) - CP/SCP classes.

How long have you worked for CCCC, what brought you to CCCC?
I have taught the Society for Human Resources Management Certifications classes since 2019 at CCCC. After retiring in 2013 with a Fortune 500 Company as Director of Professional Development, I returned to the College to obtain the degrees pertinent to the HR career I enjoyed for 33 years. During that time, I earned associate degrees in Human Resources Management, Business Administration and Accounting. I quickly realized that I was not ready to retire.

What motivates you and what is your work motto?
Being an integral part of other peoples' successes and goals is my motivation. My work motto is to live by "The Golden Rule," "Do not ever give up" and my personal - "It's okay to toot your own horn" just-do-it with humility.

What are your proudest accomplishments??
My proudest accomplishments: I have a 96% pass rate for the Certification I teach versus the national average of 56%; representing and winning First Place in the National Human Resources Management and Third Place in Law competitions in 2015 for the CCCC PBL Club, and serving as Past President of the N.C. Manufactured and Modular Homebuilders Association and a delegate to Washington D.C.

What important lessons and advice would you give to colleagues?
The most important lesson I have learned: you can successfully be what you want to be when you work hard and set your mind to your goal. My advice to my colleagues and all co-workers is to be a mentor. I was fortunate enough to have so many in my career.

About you.
I was born and grew up in Dunn, N.C., currently reside in Broadway, N.C., and serve as the Finance Officer for the Town of Broadway. My passions are serving individuals with disabilities, a member of two Shag Clubs, Toastmaster and an Officer for the Carolina Animal and Rescue Adoption (CARA) in Lee County.

I thank the college and those who nominated me for this award.

End of Year Celebration

The End of the Year Celebration for CCCC faculty and staff was held April 25 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center. It was an afternoon of fun, food and fellowship! The CCCC Foundation sponsored food for the event.

View all the images

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Class of 2024 Graduation

CCCC celebrated the achievements of the Class of 2024 as the school observed its 63rd Commencement Exercises on May 9 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center in Sanford. See photos from the event at www.cccc.edu/slideshows.

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Faculty/Staff members Present Diplomas to Family Members

Congratulations to three CCCC faculty/staff members who presented diplomas to family members during the college's graduation ceremonies on May 9.

Presenting the diplomas were:

Rebekah Waters - TRiO Upward Bound Academic Coordinator to Joseph Thomas Mejia (Associate in Arts)
Kelly Dorman - Criminal Justice Studies Department Chair to Aidan Dorman (Construction Electrical Certificate)
Margaret Roberton - Vice President for Workforce Development / Chief of Staff to James Roberton (Associate in Engineering).

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Retirement Celebration Photos

CCCC held a retiree celebration on May 16, recognizing retiring CCCC family members for their dedicated and appreciated service!

View all images.

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Retiring Faculty Members Recognized

CCCC retiring faculty members Dr. Carl Bryan and Pam Riddle were recognized during the college's recent spring graduation ceremonies.

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Welding Department Auction

The Welding Department is holding an auction until June 3. Students fabricated Rebar Christmas trees and horseshoe bird feeders to fund our Foundation account.

View all items up for auction!

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Rats and Rabbits

VetMed will have rats and rabbits available for adoption to go home in mid-June. Rats are highly social creatures and often do best in pairs. They are highly intelligent and tidy pets. Rabbits are very quiet companions. They are also quite social and enjoy interaction with their humans as well as playing with toys. Please contact Jessica Holt at jholt051@cccc.edu if interested in taking one or two home!

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Military Community Resource & Career Event

CCCC's Veterans Upward Bound Program and Workforce Development, along with Veterans Bridge Home and NCWorks, collaborated to host a Military Community Resource & Career Event at the beginning of April.

The event, held at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic & Conference Center, was an opportunity for the military community, encompassing veterans, active duty, reserve members, guard personnel, dependents, and spouses to actively engage and connect with employment opportunities, resources, and referral services.

With over 45 vendors present, we were able to build and strengthen relationships with community organizations that serve this distinct population and explore ways we can support each other in this important work. If you would like to explore ways you too can support our local veterans and those military affiliated, please contact Jennifer Dillon, (919) 718-7561 or jdillon@cccc.edu.

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Brain Health Education Series: How to Deal with Aging and Memory Loss

The "Brain Health Education Series: How to Deal with Aging and Memory Loss" was held April 25 at the Dennis A. Wicker Civic and Conference Center in Sanford.

The program was led by Dr. Karen D. Sullivan, a board-certified neuropsychologist, owner of Pinehurst Neuropsychology Brain & Memory Clinic and Medical Chief for the Center for Well-Being. This event was hosted by The Foundation of FirstHealth and the CCCC Health Science Career Community. Watch the presentation at www.4cnclive.com/on-demand.

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Voices of NC Manufacturing Podcast

Thanks to the North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NCMEP) and Director Phil Mintz for including Biotechnology Department Chair Dr. Lisa Smelser and Tracy Schoolcraft—plant engineering lead for the Pfizer plant in North Carolina—on the Voices of NC Manufacturing podcast. Listen online at E-53: From Pharmaceuticals to Biotech: How North Carolina is Leading the Way in Biomanufacturing | North Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership (ncmep.org).

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Senior Games

Our seniors at the Dunn Center came in third in the Tri-County Senior Games for Line Dancing—and Gwendolyn Collins placed first in Solo Dance!

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The 7th Annual Car and Motorcycle Show

The 7th Annual CCCC Car and Motorcycle Show was held on May 18 on the Lee Main Campus. The show supports the CCCC Automotive Restoration and Motorcycle Mechanics programs. View the image slideshow.

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CCCC Student Ranked Nationally in Le Grand Concours (National French Contest)

Angel Rivera, Lee Early College student, has ranked nationally in the 89th annual event, according to Lisa Narug, National Director of Le Grand Concours. Le Grand Concours is a national competition sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French. Students were evaluated for their written, oral and listening comprehension skills in French. Nearly 45,000 students competed in the 2024 event. Angel Rivera, 11th grade student at Lee Early College, is a student of Thomas Winkens, French Instructor. Read the full article.

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Student Newsletter Launch

Goal: Streamline communication, share essential information, foster engagement, and enhance connectivity across campus for students.

Launch Date: Tuesday, May 28

Audience: Enrolled students

Delivery: Sent to students' Cougarmail via Slate. Employees will receive the newsletter via email.

Distribution Dates:

Contribute to the newsletter: Add your content using this form.

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A trophy case that brings together a community through communication, teamwork, and a passion for recycling.

by Scott Butcher, Industrial Technologies Instructor

Most of you may know me as the guy from the Industrial Systems program who only talks about SkillsUSA. I eat, drink, and do not sleep because of this club. Lately, I have been dreaming (when I can fall asleep, that is) about what this club can do for our students and our community. It came to me to tell the story about this trophy case and how it affected the SkillsUSA students and our CCCC community.

SkillsUSA Industrial Systems Student Builders

I was given an assignment to acquire a trophy case for Central Carolina Community College's SkillsUSA Chapter. Easy, right? Well, that was what I thought at the time. I tried to submit some good candidates, but they were all out of our price range, so I had to get creative. I decided to take a different approach and start mass emailing other CCCC campuses, and anybody I could think of that could possibly help. Who comes to be my savior? Dr. Jon Mathews from Harnett Main Campus.

Jon had a trophy case that needed some love and repair, and offered it to me free of charge. It was transferred to the Lee Main Campus the next week and was given to the SkillsUSA students in the MNT-240 Industrial Troubleshooting class to repair, design, and build a trophy case for our club. This is the story of how this trophy case brought together a club, and a community. Once the trophy case was in the possession of the students, they really started to get some inspiration on ways to make it "super cool," as they put it. The students reached out to department heads within the college through me, looking for donations of unwanted items that they could use in their project.

Of course, the response we got was overwhelming. Sandy Castonguay (Electronics Engineering) had a mirror from an old TV that she "just could not bear to throw away." Charles Bell (Welding) offered his SkillsUSA students' services to help build some brackets that were needed. Jimmie Boggs (Supply Store), brought me plenty of stuff that people were wanting to throw away, such as leftover acrylic sheets from other projects. Our buddies in the Maintenance Department let us rummage through the leftover parts bins because they save everything and had stuff that they didn't want to see wasted. And, some extra help from our awesome Copy Center (Cougar Print Shop) that never says "No, they cannot do that."

The students have worked on projects for this trophy case for three semesters, so please come to Joyner Hall and see how this little case brought together a club and a community through communication, teamwork, and recycling.

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CCCC Night at the Ballpark!

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CCCC REGULARS

From Institutional Research

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New Employees and Position Changes

Updates as of May 1

Welcome!

April New Employees

• Ashley Collins - ADN Nursing Instructor

April Position Changes

• Meghan Brown - Vice President of Advancement, Operations, and Government Relations
• Jonathan White - General Counsel

Congratulations!

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Congratulations!

by Mary Schmid Carter

A special "Shout Out" to the team that makes #RCR happen. They have gone absolutely above and beyond this year. This includes staff from Financial Aid, SOAR, CCP Advisors, and all of Student Onboarding and Success. And a mention to the behind-the-scenes folks like the Copy Center, Marketing, and Veterans Affairs.

By the end of #RCR, there were over 350 graduating seniors who have received personal attention regarding their enrollment at CCCC this fall. The entire team takes time out of their days (during a busy season!) to attend and support this event series. THANK YOU!

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Thank You.

To my CCCC Family,

Thank you all for the kindness shown to me with the passing of my dear mother-in-law Josephine Cotten. The kind words, cards, emails, peace lily and dish garden plant is beautiful.

Thanks again,
Peggy Cotten

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Birthdays

Birthday list provided by Human Resources

5/23	Thadd McElreath
5/24	Gary Blankenship
5/24	Amy Nipper
5/24	Heather Ocegueda
5/24	Samantha Sewell-Petty
5/27	Melissa Fogarty
5/27	Drew Goodson
5/27	Christa Mashburn
5/27	Lauren Weaver
5/31	Thea Boyer
6/2	Marsha Himes
6/4	Travis Perry
6/4	Brian Post
6/4	Annie Bogan
6/5	Joe Farley
6/5	R.V. Hight
6/6	Beverly Diniz
6/7	Garrick Ewers
6/9	Amy Gustavson
6/10	Justin Chenoweth
6/10	Robin Kohanowich
6/10	Holly Schofield
6/11	Tiffany Stein
6/12	Christy Jones
6/13	Lisa Chapman
6/13	John Jackson
6/16	Amanda McLamb Collier
6/17	Sandra Bowen
6/18	Barbara Bera
6/18	Rhonda Goldston
6/19	Megan Burgess
6/19	Alonzo Glover
6/20	Carl Bryan
6/23	Phillip Pappas
6/27	Christi Copes
6/28	Alyson Cochrane
6/29	Randy Baker
6/29	Cliff Sizemore
6/30	Roy Allen
6/30	Tracy Warren

If you prefer not to be listed or if your name does not appear as you'd like, please email Cris Oliver.

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Calendars 2024

Download the 2024 Summer Schedule

Download the 2024 CCCC Pay Dates

Download the 2024 CCCC Holiday Calendar

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News From The CCCC Family

Former CCCC employee, Ruby Diane (Crutchfield) Howard passed away on May 10. Ruby was a cosmetology instructor with the college. We ask that you keep Ruby's family in your thoughts during this difficult time. View obituary at Bridges-Cameron Funeral Home.

Please keep Peggy Cotten, Lee County Library Assistant, in your thoughts as her mother-in-law passed away on May 3. View obituary at Knotts Funeral Home.

Former CCCC employee Janet Zurbach passed away on May 3. Janet was a Spanish instructor with the college who retired last year. We ask that you keep Janet's family in your thoughts during this sad time. View obituary at Bridges-Cameron Funeral Home.

Allison Haire-Burris, Print and Mail Room Assistant, and David Haire, Director of Infrastructure and Security, both lost their grandmother, Virginia Lou Brown Hinzman, on April 18. Please keep them both in your thoughts during this difficult time.

Former CCCC employee David Mike Wilson passed away on April 14. Mike was the Facilities Manager at CCCC. View obituary in The Pilot and leave condolences at www.BolesFuneralHome.com.

Former CCCC employee, Joyce Marie (Griffin) Thomas has passed away. She was the department chair of Cosmetology for several years. Please keep her family in your thoughts during this difficult time. View obituary at Bridges-Cameron Funeral Home.

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CCCC-BAY

Things Wanted, For Sale, or For Free!

Are you cleaning out your garage this summer? CCCC-Bay is happy to post any unwanted items in Cougar Bytes. Send an email (photos would be great) to Cris Oliver at coliver@cccc.edu and we'll feature in the next publication.

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COUGAR PETS

Cougar Pets

Cougar Pets is a local animal rescue group housed on the Lee Main Campus. As part of the Veterinary Medical Technology program, our animals help teach veterinary technician students essential skills that will help future animals. All of the animals are rescued from shelters, and all are adoptable.

Meet Comic Sans

I am a super cuddly guy who loves head-scratches. You can just call me every 4th grader's favorite cat! I am very pleasant and well-rounded. Adopt me!

Comic Sans

Meet Banjo

I am a social little guy who can be a little nervous at first, but I become very excited when I realize that I have just made a new friend! After a nice walk I like to relax under the shade of a tree.

Banjo

See all of the adoptions, or rather Happy Tails of Cougar Pets.

All adoptable dogs and cats are spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on all vaccines. They have regular dental cleanings, blood work, and physical exams. We pride ourselves on the care that our cats and dogs receive during their stay. Contact www.cougarpets.org for more information on our colony dogs and available cats.

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College Salon Services

The mission of the Barbering and Cosmetic Arts Department at CCCC is to provide quality education and learning experiences for Barbering and Cosmetic Arts students.

For this reason, all services are available to faculty and staff. Services are performed exclusively by students under the supervision of Barbering or Cosmetic Arts instructors.

See all Salon services.

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CONTRIBUTE

Contribute to Cougar Bytes

Send along your Cougar Bytes contributions about our wonderful faculty and staff! We welcome your images, staff and faculty successes, events, and shout-outs in each issue. Submit your contributions to Cris Oliver in Marketing at coliver@cccc.edu.

Deadline for contributions is June 14 by 5 p.m. for the next issue. The summer issues will be published on the following Thursdays:

• June 20
• July 18
• Aug 23 (Friday)

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