NORTH MANKATO — Annette Parker, president of South Central College, won the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction earlier this week. It’s the most prestigious award for community college presidents.
Named in honor of the late Shirley B. Gordon, the award was bestowed upon Parker — along with 18 other college administrators — by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society,
Parker was honored during an annual convention in Orlando. She is known for her support of student success initiatives leading to stronger pathways to completion, transfer and employment, according to a press release. She has taken an active interest in supporting high-achieving students and developing student leaders on campus.
“This college president has made it a priority to support student success both inside and outside the classroom,” Phi Theta Kappa president and CEO Lynn Tincher-Ladner said in a press release. “This award is special because it comes directly from the students, and it’s evidence of the gratitude they feel for the support for them and students like them.”
To be eligible for the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction, college presidents and CEOs must have served in their role for at least five years. Recipients are nominated by students on their campus and are only eligible to receive the award once over the course of their career.
The award is bestowed by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, which is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges.
The award is named in honor of the late Shirley B. Gordon, Phi Theta Kappa’s longest-serving board of directors chair and a founder and long-time president of Highline Community College in Washington.