PRESQUE ISLE – The year 1979 was a memorable one for Northern Maine Community College employees Nancy Gagnon, Betty Kent-Conant and John Price Jr. It was that year when the veteran staff member and two long-serving faculty members joined the campus community.
As the three began their 30th academic year with the institution, their colleagues and former colleagues joined in a luncheon to pay tribute to their accomplishments and record of service, as well as those of fellow NMCC employees who have reached milestones of service in 2009.
More than 100 Northern Maine Community College faculty, staff and retirees came together for the event just before the start of a new academic year. Altogether, the ceremony recognized a combined 200 years of dedicated service contributed by a dozen employees.
The faculty and staff members were presented 30-, 25-, 15-, 10- and five-year service awards during the event, which featured touching and humorous tributes paid to honorees by fellow faculty and staff.
“Recognizing the members of the NMCC family who have reached important milestones of service to the college is a wonderful way to start a new school year. Time and again we hear from students, parents and alumni about how much of a difference NMCC has made in their lives or the lives of their children,” said NMCC President Timothy Crowley. “Everyone who shares this sentiment with me also speaks of the individuals on the college faculty and staff who were instrumental in helping them to achieve their goals and realize their dreams. The devotion and dedication of our employees is extraordinary and important for us to celebrate. This is certainly true of this year’s honorees.
Gagnon, who serves as an administrative specialist in the dean of students’ office; Kent-Conant, who is the chair of the nursing and allied health department; and Price, who is a social science instructor, were presented with plaques featuring a hand turned wooden apple. Also to celebrate their three decades of service to the campus community, one tree for each honoree was planted on campus to mark the milestone.
The trio joins an elite group of employees who have marked 30 years of service and have had trees planted on campus in their honor. Past such honorees include Dennis L. Albert, welding and metal fabrication instructor; Betsy A. Harris, registrar; Brain A. McQuade, maintenance mechanic supervisor; John. E. Johnson Sr., maintenance mechanic; Richard Duplessis, mathematics instructor; Georgia Dicker, retired administrative support staff member; Daniel Hotham, communications instructor; Morris “Sonny” Michaud, welding instructor; and David Guerette, occupational safety instructor.
In addition to the 30-year service honorees, a 25-year service award was presented to Guy Jackson, residential construction instructor.
Fifteen-year honors were presented to Shannon Cook, foundation and institutional advancement assistant; and Barry Ingraham, director of physical plant and information technology.
Ten-year honors were presented to Colleen Harmon, business and accounting instructor; Becky Maynard, bookstore manager; Nicola McNally, receptionist in the information technology department; Leo St. John, maintenance services; and Robert Smith, information systems specialist.
Nancy Cowett, accounting instructor, was honored for five years of service.
Photo courtesy of Northern Maine Community College
RECOGNIZED DURING THE ANNUAL Northern Maine Community College employee/retiree recognition luncheon for their length of service at the college were, front row, from left: for 25 years, Guy Jackson of Presque Isle; for 30 years, Nancy Gagnon of Perham, Betty Kent-Conant of Fort Fairfield, and John Price of Presque Isle. Back row: for 5 years, Nancy Cowett of Presque Isle; for 10 years, Colleen Harmon of Caribou, Becky Maynard of Presque Isle, Nikki McNally of Mapleton, and Robert Smith of Presque Isle; for 15 years, Shannon Cook of Ashland and Barry Ingraham of Presque Isle. Absent when the photo was taken was Leo St. John of Caribou, who was honored for 10 years of service.
