2012-03-01

VOL. XV NO. VIII, MARCH 2012

CGCC Champagne, Chocolate & All That Jazz Raises $25,000+ to Support Student Scholarships

Financially challenged Chandler-Gilbert Community College students will now have increased opportunities to achieve their educational goals, thanks to a college fundraising event that garnered more than $25,000 for student scholarships.

The second annual Champagne, Chocolate & All That Jazz event recently brought influential members of the community together at the college’s aviation hangar on the Williams Campus for an evening of champagne, chocolate, music, and a silent auction – all in support of raising funds to eliminate financial barriers to student success.

CGCC President, Dr. Linda Lujan said the college created this event as a way to raise funds and awareness for students who may otherwise be unable to achieve a college education.

“Students are finding it more and more difficult to pay for college in today’s economy,” Lujan said. “Sometimes all a student needs is funding to help pay for books or transportation. For other students tuition costs are the barrier. Our goal is to find a way for every qualified student to achieve his or her dream.”

Lujan said the support of the community has made this event a resounding success for the second year in a row.

“As we celebrate our 20^th anniversary as a college, we are grateful for our community leaders and partners who have supported us through the years and continue to support us by sponsoring and attending events such as these,” Lujan said.

Pictured (left to right): Chandler Chamber of Commerce President Terri Kimble, Chandler City Council member Trinity Donovan, and Chandler Chief of Police Sherry Kiyler at CGCC’s 2^nd annual Champagne, Chocolate & All That Jazz student scholarship fundraiser.

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In This Issue:

Previous Issues

CGCC Students Named to All Arizona Academic Team

Community College students Shane Kula and Thao Truong have been named to the 2012 All-Arizona Academic Team, which recognizes the top community college student scholars in the state. As part of the honor, the students will receive a scholarship and a four-semester tuition waiver to the in-state university of their choice to continue their education.

Kula and Truong were formally recognized along with students from throughout the state at an awards luncheon on Wednesday, February 22, 2012, at the Hilton Phoenix East in Mesa.

The All-Arizona Academic Team program recognizes top scholars from Arizona's community colleges for their academic performance, leadership, and community engagement. Students are divided into first, second and third rankings, with cash awards of $1,000 for those named to the first team, $750 for the second team and $500 for the third team. Kula was named to the first team and Truong to the second team.

Pictured (left to right): Shane Kula, CGCC president Dr. Linda Lujan, Thao Truong

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President's Community Advisory Council Member Profile: Greg Tilque

Members of CGCC's President's Community Advisory Council (PCAC) provide information and ideas to the college that reflect community perspectives.

Each month, we will feature a current member of the PCAC. This month, we are pleased to introduce Town of Gilbert Development Services Director, Greg Tilque.

1. How long have you served in your current position and what are your primary duties in this position?
I have been with the Town of Gilbert for 24 years and in the position of Development Services Director for just shy of five years. My primary duties are to oversee the operations of the department, which include the following divisions – Planning & Development Services, Engineering Services, Permitting & Plan Review Services, Inspection & Code Compliance Services and Administrative & Customer Services. In total our department consists of 74 employees. Employees in our department also act as staff liaisons to the Planning Commission, Design Review Board, and the Redevelopment Commission.

2. Why do you feel it's important to serve on this Council?
I think it is important to serve on the PCAC because it is imperative that we spread the word about all of the good things the college is doing but, more importantly, we need to make sure that we know what the educational needs of communities we serve really are. We have seen many instances over the course of my tenure on the PCAC that once the needs were uncovered and verified, the staff at the College acted immediately to fill that need.

3. What other community boards/councils do you serve on?
I serve as President of Gilbert Sister Cities, an organization I founded in 1995. We currently have two sister cities – Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland and Leshan, China. I also serve on the board of Arizona Sister Cities, in the position of Secretary.

4. How have the City of Gilbert and CGCC partnered over the years?
In the first 19 years of my employment with the Town of Gilbert I was the Economic Development Director and I think the best examples of our partnership have been the many times that we have discovered a training need in the business community and the College responded with the appropriate courses or training. In years past we had targeted companies involved in the aviation field and one of the needs we discovered was in the composite materials field. Once those needs were uncovered, the College acted quickly to put in the appropriate coursework. The college also met the needs of our Police Department by offering specialized Administration of Justice courses.

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