SANFORD - Two Central Carolina Community College employees have been recognized as among the best in the North Carolina Community College System.

Billie Jo "B.J." Thompson, CCCC's lead library assistant, ranks among the top five staff personnel and Lisa Key Brown, chair of the Developmental Studies Department and Developmental Math instructor, among the top 10 instructors in the System. Both are residents of Sanford.

In 2013, both were honored by their CCCC coworkers: Thompson, as the college's Staff Person of the Year, and Brown, as the Instructor of the Year. They then competed at the System level: Thompson, for the NCCCS Staff Person of the Year Award, and Brown, for its Excellence in Teaching Award. Thompson made it to the finalist selection round and Brown, to the semi-finalist round.

The Staff Person of the Year and the Excellence in Teaching awards are presented annually to a staff person and an instructor selected from employees of the NCCCS' 58 community colleges. The colleges have approximately 16,000 employees to serve 840,000 students throughout the state.

According to Dr. Scott Ralls, NCCCS president, these two awards represent leadership, innovation, collaboration and true commitment to student success. Selection of the awardees is competitive and both Thompson and Brown expressed their appreciation for making it to the competition levels that they did.

Billie Jo Thompson

"I was shocked and honored," Thompson said. "There are so many community college staff members that are much more deserving than I. It felt good knowing my colleagues considered me worthy of such an honor."

All those competing for the Staff Person of the Year Award had to submit an application detailing their commitment to the mission of their college and the mission of the NCCCS; excellence, initiative, innovation and leadership in the workplace; effective use of resources; commitment to professional development; service to their college, students, and community; and recommendations for improvements that were implemented. Thompson excelled in all these, according to Tara Guthrie, CCCC director of Library Services.

"Over the course of my 18-year career as a librarian, I have never encountered a more dedicated employee who truly loves what she does," Guthrie said. "Not only does she serve the students and the college, but she also serves the local community in fundraising events for Relay for Life, as well as other charities."

Thompson has been a staff member with the college's library since 2003. She is a CCCC alumna, having earned two Associate in Applied Science degrees: Office Systems Technology and Library and Information Technology. She has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology from Franklin University.

Lisa Key Brown

Brown has been with CCCC since 1995, moving up from a Guided Studies coordinator to chair of Development Studies. She has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Studies from the University of Maryland and a Master of Business Administration from Campbell University.

Brown learned that she had placed in the top 10 through a phone call from Dr. Lisa Chapman, CCCC executive vice president for Instruction/chief academic officer.

"Dr. Chapman called and asked me, 'Did you read the email I sent you?'" Brown said. "She stayed on the phone long enough to hear me scream while tears of joy flooded my eyes. I was flabbergasted and honored to know I had made it to the top 10 in North Carolina when there are so many great instructors in the college system."

Community college instructors competing for the NCCCS Excellence in Teaching Award had to submit an application detailing their interactions with students that help to motivate them to develop as whole persons, innovative teaching, effective use of technology, leadership beyond the classroom, past recognitions as an instructor, and significant contributions to student, college and NCCCS success. Brown succeeds in all these areas, according to Chapman.

"Lisa's leadership, integrity, and motivating personality have garnered widespread recognition and support," Chapman said. "She has always been an effective community education advocate as well as a fervent ambassador for the college [while she] maintained her quality relationship with her students. Their appreciation of her energy, enthusiasm, and encouragement is repeatedly reflected in her student evaluations."

For more information about Central Carolina Community College, visit www.cccc.edu.