Midlands Technical College names top employees for 2017

Barbara Church, Candice Geiger, Connie Hill, Emily Burns, Faye Gowans

COLUMBIA, SC – Midlands Technical College (MTC) kicked off its Fall Semester by honoring its Employees of the Year for 2017. MTC President Dr. Ronald L. Rhames, MTC Commission Chair Garry Powers, and MTC Foundation Chair Joe Johnson presented the awards.

Barbara Church is the Staff of the Year. As a new-student advisor, Barbara has become a mentor for others by going out of her way to help every student she can. To the community, she is a person whom prospective students go to with questions about the college. MTC’s go-to person for questions related to student entry and progression, she is also seen as one of the most dynamic and hardest working employees at MTC.  

Candice Geiger was named MTC’s Faculty of Year. Candice was instrumental in the development of an online curriculum for the Pharmacy Technician certificate and a diploma programs. Her dedication to increase the level of academic achievement for her students is evident as she looks for ways to implement new course content. She worked with other areas of the college to develop an Associate in Applied Science transfer agreement for her program that was formally articulated with South University. She is currently working on the same type of agreement with other four-year colleges. 

Connie Hill is the MTC Service Excellence Leader of the Year. A program director in the college’s Corporate and Continuing Education area, Connie plays a key role in supporting the success of every QuickJobs scholarship recipient by providing the training in the soft skills critical for initial and sustained employment. While managing a program area with more than 6,000 enrollments and 35 corporate customers, she also played a key role in the college’s recent Service Excellence initiative. Her level of commitment to students, colleagues, corporate customers, and to service excellence is demonstrated daily by her actions. 

Emily Burns was named Supervisor of the Year. With more than 15 years of experience in MTC’s Counseling and Career Services area, Emily is always encouraging employees to pursue professional and educational development. She supports and trusts her staff to do their jobs – regarding them as experts in their fields. She is always willing to answer questions and provide guidance. Additionally, she ensures that she and her staff represent the college in ways that only bring positive reflections to MTC. She leads by example and is willing to get on the front line with her staff. She exhibits passion for what she does and exemplifies compassion for others. 

Faye Gowans, MTC’s Human Resources Management Director, is Administrator of the Year. Faye is known for her extensive knowledge and expertise in her field, along with the ability to deal effectively with daily challenges that arise. She made it a priority for the human resources department to provide excellent customer service to the college’s faculty, staff, and vendors. She also serves as a Service Excellence Leader and Committee chair. She understands the importance of federal, state and other reporting requirements, and ensures that all reports and surveys are completed in accordance with strict schedules and guidelines.

Committees comprised of the college’s Executive Council, Faculty Council, and Staff Council select MTC’s Employees of the Year.

About Midlands Technical College

Midlands Technical College (MTC) is a comprehensive, multi-campus, public, two-year college serving Richland, Lexington and Fairfield counties of South Carolina. The fifth-largest provider of higher education in South Carolina and the largest provider of transfer students to four-year colleges and universities in the state, MTC enrolls approximately 15,000 credit students annually. The college’s Corporate and Continuing Education program, one of the largest and most comprehensive in the Southeast, annually has 15,000 and provides continuing education to hundreds of area businesses each year. MIDLANDSTECH.EDU