Four Snead State Community College employees will be recognized on Sunday, Nov. 24, as recipients of the 2024 Chancellor’s Awards as sponsored by the Alabama Community College System.
Chancellor’s Awards recipients are chosen in the categories of Administrator, Faculty and Support Staff from each college within the ACCS. This year’s Chancellor’s Awards recipients from Snead State include Director of Financial Aid Amanda Gentry in the Administrator category, Welding Technology Instructor Karter Krueger and Nursing Instructor Dr. Laura Liebner in the Faculty category, and Maintenance Coordinator Steven Smith in the Support Staff category.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Amanda Gentry, Steven Smith, Laura Liebner, and Karter Krueger for receiving the 2024 Chancellor’s Award,” said Dr. Joe Whitmore, President of Snead State. “This prestigious recognition is a testament to their unwavering dedication, exceptional talent, and tireless work ethic. Their commitment to excellence not only elevates our institution but also inspires others around them. They embody the very best of Snead State.”
Amanda Gentry has been with Snead State for 15 years, working her way up from Student Services Clerk to her current position of Director of Financial Aid. This is her second time to receive the Chancellor’s Award nomination, the first being as a financial aid peer/mentor for other schools within the Alabama Community College System. She is also an alumna of Snead State.
“My favorite quote is ‘it’s never too late to be what you might have been.’ I’m proud to be able to consistently help and encourage students and families. I’m glad I can help ease their anxieties about being able to afford and achieve their academic goals,” said Mrs. Gentry.
“A diamond is a piece of coal that stuck to the job” is a quote by Michael Larson that has become a favorite of one of the Faculty category winners, Karter Krueger.
The Welding Technology instructor has been with Snead State since 2017. His certifications include AWS Certified, NCCER, NC3/PMI/Lincoln Electric, OSHA Trainer, and Forklift Trainer. He was able to witness the first class of Welding Technology students graduate with their Associate degree last fall.
“I’m proud that I get the opportunity to work with such a diverse group of students, both through regular enrollment as well as dual enrollment (high school) students,” said Mr. Krueger.
The second recipient in the Faculty category is Nursing Instructor Dr. Laura Liebner, DNP, MSN, RN, CNE, who has been a part of the full-time faculty for seven years and served as an adjunct clinical instructor for three years before that.
She earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with a focus on nursing education from Regis College, a MSN in Teaching and Learning from The University of North Alabama, a BSN from the University of Alabama, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and a CNE (Certified Nurse Educator) through the National League for Nursing. She has been published in the AORN (Association of periOperative Registered Nurses) Journal, and she presented breakout session at the “Teaching, Learning, and Design” Conference at Calhoun Community College on improving nursing education in the clinical setting.
Her other achievements include:
• Presenting research poster at the Nurse Tim Inc. Nurse Educator Conference in Orlando, Fla.
• Presenting research poster at the Wallace State Hanceville Simulation Conference
• Starting the PASS (Pathway for Achieving Student Success) Program at Snead State Community College for first-level traditional students and first-semester LPN to RN mobility students.
• Serving as the SNA (Student Nurse Association) sponsor at Snead State Community College.
• Leading SSCC nursing students in multiple service learning opportunities including Babysitter’s Club, a community service project equipping young teens and tweens in child safety and development education, as well as serving in the Etowah Free Community Clinic.
• Serving as a liaison with local HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) program and provide educational sessions and recruitment nursing and healthcare to local K-12 schools.
In addition to her teaching career, Dr. Liebner pursued a bedside nursing career at Huntsville Hospital in Emergency Trauma and Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children in Pediatrics and Peri-Operative Nursing.
“As a nurse educator, I am most proud of the PASS program that I have developed at SSCC. The PASS, or Pathway for Achieving Student Success, is an efficacious student success program for the nursing department, and I have served the role of student success coach and coordinator of this program for six years. The program is designed to identify students who are struggling, equip all students with the tools they need to be successful in the program, and to increase retention in the nursing program,” she said.
“I aspire to create student-centered learning environments in which the student is empowered and equipped with the tools necessary to accomplish their own learning. I use flipped classroom teaching methodologies with case studies, mini-simulations, and a variety of learning activities to engage students in learning. In addition to my role as student success coach, I am also currently a nursing instructor and teach fundamentals, medical-surgical nursing, community nursing, and pediatrics. I provide instruction in the classroom, skills lab, and clinical settings,” Dr. Liebner said.
Steven Smith has been with Snead State for six years. He earned his college degree to become an HVAC Service Technician, and he now serves as a Maintenance Coordinator.
“I’m honored to work with my team to provide students with a friendly and safe environment,” said Mr. Smith. “I follow the philosophy of ‘difficulties mastered are opportunities won’, and I’m proud of the opportunities I’ve received.”
The Chancellor’s Awards Recognition is held in conjunction with the Alabama Community College Association Conference. The conference will be held Nov. 24-26 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa at the Convention Center in Montgomery.
