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HCC PRESIDENT TO RECEIVE EDUCATION LEADERSHIP AWARD

STAMFORD – Housatonic Community College President Janis M. Hadley will receive the first annual Lilly Award for Extraordinary Leadership in Education Thursday, June 16.

Dr. Hadley, who has piloted Housatonic through a growth period that has seen the college grow by 77 percent while receiving national educational recognition, will be presented the award at a ceremony at the Palace Theater. The event, co-hosted by Olympic Gold medalist soccer great Kristine Lilly and Special Olympics Connecticut, will recognize outstanding Connecticut women in the fields of sports, public service, philanthropy, education, business and Special Olympics.

Other women to be recognized include Lilly (sports); Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell, (public service); New Alliance Bank Chairman, President and CEO Peyton R. Patterson (business); actress Susan Saint James (philanthropy); and Special Olympics athlete Rachel Reichlin of Westport.

Since joining Housatonic in August, 1996, Dr. Hadley, a sought-after speaker on educational leadership, oversaw the move of the college to a new downtown campus from temporary quarters in the city’s East End. In the fall of 2004, enrollment reached a record 4,701 students, a 77 percent increase over the 2,653 enrolled in the fall of 1996, the college’s last semester at its former campus. This has made the Housatonic the Northeast’s second fastest-growing community college and its fastest-growing in terms of full-time students.

HCC has set a new enrollment record every fall since moving to the new campus.

In response to increased enrollments and changing workplace needs both regionally and nationally, Housatonic has increased the number of programs offered from 43 to 63 since moving to its new campus.

This year, Housatonic received a MetLife Foundation Best Practice College Award for 2004-2005.  This national award recognizes community colleges for exemplary performance in student retention.  The award highlights the approaches the college has put in place to help students stay in school to achieve their educational goals.

Also this year, for the second consecutive year, HCC achieved finalist status in the national Bellwether competition. HCC was selected for three business alliances, particularly one with the Bridgeport Economic Resource Center and the Connecticut Department of Labor that resulted in the creation of the Metal Manufacturers Education and Training Alliance (METAL). 

Last year, the college achieved this status for its Connecticut Business Strategic Planner, which uses regional and national industry and occupational data and projections to provide region-specific projections of student enrollment and demographics, as well as future occupational requirements of the region.

Dr. Hadley came to HCC from Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. From 1987-1996, she served variously as Vice President of Planning, Assoc. Vice President of Administration, and Dean of Enrollment Planning.

From 1985 to 1987, she served variously as Assistant Dean of Community Services at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

From 1978 to 1986, she served as Registrar and Admissions Counselor at Sullivan County Community College of Loch Sheldrake, N.Y.

She received her Ed.D., M.Ed., and B. S. from the University of Massachusetts.

           

The event will begin at 6 p.m.