COM NewsJANUARY 2009

1200 Amburn Road • Texas City, TX 77591 • 409-938-1211 • 1-888-258-8859 • www.com.edu

ChristMas Past

What a great lead up to the holidays, COM participated in five city holiday parades—Texas City, La Marque, Dickinson, League City, Santa Fe. The Wellness Center earned a ribbon from Texas City and everyone who helped with all the other parades earned kudos from COM. Special thanks to: Melissa Collins (Dickinson); Lanis Neugent (League City); Tige Cornelius, Marlon Stevens, Guadalupe Willenberg and Zelda Bourgeois (Texas City and La Marque); Jim Higgins and Rosie Rojas (Santa Fe). It would be great if someone in the community could donate a trailer that we could build a permanent float for such parades.

Upcoming Parades

Sign up now to help COM participate in the League City Village Fair in May and several Fourth of July parades. And it is not too early to commit to help with next December’s holiday parades.

PHOTO (below): Jim Higgins, Nellie Andersen, Laura Higgins and Rosie Rojas at the Santa Fe Holiday Parade

COM students, staff COntribute tOhOliday giving

College of the Mainland’s biology club raised $5,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and donated 215 panda bears to the Child Advocacy Center in Galveston. The COM classified council “adopted” 55 needy Texas City children in the Salvation Army’s “Help an Angel” program and delivered more than $3,000 worth of toys, bicycles and clothing before the holidays. And COM employees contributed more than 100 bags of non-perishable food to The Jesse Tree as part of the college’s annual holiday reception. In addition, the COM safety engineering students donated and delivered toys to local families; the COM honor society, Phi Theta Kappa, adopted a family from Heights Elementary and presented gifts to the entire family; the COM Wellness and Leisure Activity Department collected canned goods for The Jesse Tree; and the Organization of African American Culture collected coats for La Marque Aid and Guidance.

PHOTO (above): COM Interim President Dr. Larry Durrence with some of the food donated by COM employees to The Jesse Tree.

PHOTO (below): COM safety engineering students donated and delivered toys to local families

PHOTO (center): COM classified council “adopted” 55 needy Texas City children in the Salvation Army’s “Help an Angel” program and delivered about $3,000 worth of toys and clothing.

Biology club raised $5,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and donated 215 panda bears to the Child Advocacy Center in Galveston.

January 2009aCCOunting sPeCialist

COMPletes her Master’s degree

Giselle Hewitt, Accounts Payable, has completed all requirements to receive an MA in Humanities from the University of Houston Clear Lake. She accomplished this challenging task while working full time at COM. Congratulations, Giselle!

COM eMPlOyee helPs ‘Mattress MaC’ seleCt deserving faMily

Wendi McNeill in Financial Services nominated a single father of three, who suffered damage during Hurricane Ike, to Gallery Furniture for its Christmas furniture giveaway. The family was selected and they were surprised with a houseful of furniture from Gallery thanks to Wendi.

fire aCadeMy Class aChieves 100 PerCent On state exaM

The December graduating class of the College of the Mainland fire academy earned 100 percent pass rate on the Texas Commission on Fire Protection state exam. Congratulations to Steve Keller, academy director, and his faculty and staff. Fire academy cadets consistently score high on the state licensing exam.

fOrMer COM PrOfessOrdOnates tO ike relief fund

Dr. Carolyn Hartnett, a retired COM faculty member, donated $1,500 recently to the College of the Mainland Foundation’s student Ike relief fund. The funds help students impacted by Hurricane Ike with tuition. Anyone wishing to donate can contact the COM Foundation at ext. 557.

(l-r) Dr. Harnett, President Durrence, Monica O’Neal

COM COnneCtiOns tO bay area Master naturalists run deeP

Former College of the Mainland biology professor Emmeline Dodd recently received the Chuck Buddenhagen Memorial Award for 2008 from the Galveston Bay Area Master Naturalists. What made the award more meaningful was that the presenter, the recipient and the man who is memorialized in the award all crossed paths at COM.

Chuck Buddenhagen was a geology instructor and director of continuing education at COM until his death in 2004. Sara Snell, the current president of the Galveston Bay Area Master Naturalists, was one of Chuck’s former students. And Emmeline Dodd, a retired biology professor, participated in several of Buddenhagen’s memorable field trips and was a close personal friend.

sParky kOerner guest COnduCts

Sparky Koerner was the guest conductor/clinician for the Region 17 High School Jazz Ensemble held in Lake Jackson in November. Sparky rehearsed the two jazz ensembles and conducted the concert at Lake Jackson Intermediate.

COM Mlk day event tO Celebrate histOry in the Making

This year’s Martin Luther King birthday celebration at COM will be combined with the Inauguration of President Barak Obama on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The MLK Day celebration will be at 10 a.m. in L-131 followed by the televised inauguration at 11 a.m. A lunch will be served following the inauguration. The public is invited to attend. For more information, call ext. 205.

new gallery shOw OPens January 20

The spring semester will open with the first gallery show on January 20. “Drawn to Painting” runs from Jan. 20 to Feb. 18, 2009. A reception is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 29 at college hour with an artist lecture at 11:30 a.m. preceding the reception.

January 2009

lOOk whO’s havinga birthday this MOnth!

Phyllis batten records specialist, admissions ................................1/2

harry hanson faculty, business and Computer technology .........1/2

kristine kimbark avP, student support services/Judicial Coord. .....1/3

david smith faculty, social and behavioral science ...................1/3

david anderson faculty, humanities ...................................................1/4

richard bliss laboratory assistant ................................................1/4

stacey burleson faculty, humanities ...................................................1/6

bridget brantley tutor/Mentor, academic success .............................1/6

dorothy Jones director, business Ce/international develop. ........1/6

Marc Chiasson Professional trainer, Continuing education ...........1/8

bonnie harrill administrative assistant, instructional admin. .....1/9

Petra rivera administrative assistant, Career services .............1/10

bill raley dean of industrial/technical Programs ..................1/12

lesli Carroll high school recruiter ...............................................1/12

Jacqueline andres administrative assistant, welcome Center ............1/14

sylvia Chapa Police Officer .............................................................1/16

scott turnbough graphic artist ............................................................1/18

Charles edwards Custodian ...................................................................1/19

amos robinson Maintenance technician-Journeyman Mechanic ...1/19

John Presnall faculty, social and behavioral science ...................1/20

Joanna Perkins Program Coordinator, nsf grant ............................1/22

katie brown Custodian ...................................................................1/22

Judy hudson administrative assistant, bookstore ......................1/24

elizabeth hammett faculty, academic success ........................................1/25

beatrice simmons testing specialist ......................................................1/25

Christine brown administrative assistant, PaCt ...............................1/25

robert Phillips Custodian ...................................................................1/28

selina rahman faculty, business and Computer technology .........1/31

BirthdaysJanaury

free eMPlOyee Previewnight fOr new COMedy

“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” is the first play of 2009 at the COM Community Theatre and runs from Jan. 22 through Feb. 15. This riotous musical comedy explores the perils of modern dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws. The free preview night is Wednesday, Jan. 21.

COM eMPlOyee PhOtOsdisPlayed in gallery

Kari Drake, Marketing and Communications Department, had her Hurricane Ike photos displayed in the COM Art Gallery. Jim Higgins’ photos were also on display.

Classes at COM learning Center-nOrth COunty in league City

FAST TRACK ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT SPECIALIST CLASSFeb. 23 - April 23 • Mondays - Thursdays • 9 a.m. to noon

EVENING REAL ESTATE ACADEMYbeginning Jan. 20 • Mondays - Thursdays • 6 to 10 p.m.

For more information, call 281-332-1800.

COntributing tO united way Pays high dividends

Not exactly the car washing scene from “Cool Hand Luke” we were hoping for but the suds do look familiar. Nunzio Arcidiacono, director of purchasing and Maryann Urick, director of recreation and student activities, were the lucky winners for the car wash.

Dr Spillar, would you check under the hood, too? Lisa Templer buffs away to a shine.Watch out, I think Dr. Templer is about to turn the hose on. Dr. Durrence is

keeping a safe distance from Click and Clack.

Kari Drake by her photo display.

January 2009

fOur Candidates seleCted inCOM Presidential searCh

The presidential search committee appointed by the College of the Mainland Board of Trustees has recommended four candidates for interviews with the full board in late January as the next step in the presidential search process. Public forums with each candidate will also be held January 22, 23 and 28.

The finalists are Dr. Robert Bell, senior vice president for academic and student affairs for the Louisiana Community and Technical College System; Dr. Monte Blue, former president of the Central Campus of San Jacinto College; Dr. Michael Elam, vice president of student development at Daytona State College; and Dr. Dennis Harkins, provost at Georgia Perimeter College.

College of the Mainland conducted a national search that provided the search committee the opportunity to select from a rich pool of candidates from all regions of the country. The search committee was composed of a representative group from various constituencies within the campus and the community.

The community is invited to the public forums to meet each of the candidates. The dates and times of the public open forums are:

Thursday, Jan. 22 Candidate #1 3 - 4 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 23 Candidate #2 1 - 2 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 23 Candidate #3 3 - 4 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 28 Candidate #4 1 - 2 p.m.

Biographies of the candidate are on the College of the Mainland’s web site at www.com.ede/presidentialsearch.

new faCes at COM

Rick ErtellRetention Specialist/Licensed Professional Counselor, Nursing ProgramExt. 252, TVB 33E-mail rertell@com.edu

Sam TorresLibrary Lab ManagerIT Lab Managers DepartmentTVB 107E-mail storres@com.edu

Thomas DulickProfessional Trainer II, Continuing EducationExt. 468, AUD 008E-mail tdulick@com.edu

COM alsO welCOMes...

Jameeka WilliamsAcademic Advisor, Allied Health

JaMargaret LoweryAssistant Professor, Nursing

Aurea CarreraAssistant Professor, Nursing

Jack HowardTemporary Professional Trainer II,

Continuing Education

COM awarded $20,000 frOM barbara bush

fOundatiOn

College of the Mainland’s Adult Education Department was awarded $20,000 by the Barbara Bush Foundation to bolster the literacy efforts in the recovery aftermath of Hurricane Ike. The Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy awarded monies to Texas areas to assist in their recovery from Hurricanes Ike, Hurricane Dolly and Rio Grande River flooding.