Heroes of Education

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp

Inspired by the belief that aviation could fuel business growth, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. invented the first purpose-built business aircraft, the Gulfstream I, which first flew in 1958. Today, more than 3,000 aircraft are in service around the world. Together with parent company General Dynamics, Gulfstream consistently invests in the future, dedicating resources to researching and developing innovative new aircraft, technologies and services. With a fleet that includes the super-midsize Gulfstream G280, the high-performing Gulfstream G650 and Gulfstream G650ER, and a next-generation family of aircraft including the all-new Gulfstream G400, the award-winning Gulfstream G500 and Gulfstream G600, the flagship Gulfstream G700 and the ultralong-range Gulfstream G800, Gulfstream offers an aircraft for every mission. All are backed by Gulfstream’s Customer Support network and its worldwide team.

Southwest Ballet Theatre

Southwest Ballet Theatre (SWBT) is Estrella Mountain Community College’s (EMCC) Hero of Education. The SWBT mission is to enrich, inspire, and uplift lives through classical dance
education and performance. In 2014, Founding Artistic Director Melissa Hahne approached EMCC with the idea to bring something incredible to the West Valley. Since then, with the support of the community and grants, SWBT has brought the highest quality instruction, professional performances, and artists in the valley. SWBT offers two performances a year at the EMCC Performing Arts Center – the Nutcracker in the Winter and a Spring performance that changes every year.

SWBT, like a lot of arts organizations, needed to make some changes in the wake of COVID, including finding a new space for their classes. EMCC was a natural fit as the partnership between the two organizations has been constantly evolving to ensure it remains a positive experience for everyone involved. Beginning in 2014 with Melissa Hahne, and now continuing with SWBT Treasurer Elizabeth Seufert and current Interim
Artistic Director Anthony V. Spaulding II, working with Tim Butterfield, Director of the EMCC Performing Arts Center, a
scholarship program for Fine & Performing Arts Majors at EMCC has been created.

In addition to providing free tickets to EMCC students for all their performances, SWBT donates 25% of all ticket sales, as well as a monthly sum in lieu of rental fees, toward the EMCC Friends of the Performing Arts Center Scholarship Fund. These funds have also created the SWBT Fine & Performing Arts Scholarship for $2000 and is awarded annually. Additional scholarships from the EMCC Friends of the Performing Arts Center Scholarship Fund in the amount of $500 are also awarded annually. This partnership and scholarship fund are not only helping arts students achieve their educational goals, but also addresses BOTH equity and access gaps in the arts.

Since these scholarship awards began, 17 scholarships have been awarded to students totaling $13k. Of those 17 students; 5 graduated in the Spring of 2022, at least 8 more are expected to graduate in the Spring of 2023. Of those that did not graduate in the Spring of 2022, 11 out of 12 continued on from Spring 2022 to Spring 2023 with a 95% course success rate. Of the 17 scholarships awarded; 10 were awarded to Hispanic/Latino students, 1 was awarded to a Black/African American student and 12 of the 17 scholarship recipients identify as female. This year, at least $10k more in scholarships to EMCC returning and graduating students will be awarded. The future looks bright for supporting performing arts students in the West Valley.

Johnson Controls

GateWay Community College has a more than 20-year partnership with Johnson Controls that recently culminated in a $400,000 grant to increase enrollment and graduation rates for underrepresented students in GateWay’s HVAC program. The goal is to create a workforce of graduates employed in family-supporting jobs in the industry.

City of Peoria 

The City of Peoria has been selected as Glendale Community College’s 2023 Hero of Education for their long-time educational partnership with our college and their most recent commitment to support education by establishing the PeoriaAZ Promise program.  The City of Peoria was established in 1886 as a humble agricultural community and has blossomed into a rapidly-growing, modern city that offers a high quality of living in the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert. The city of Peoria provides excellent municipal services by anticipating community needs, creating partnerships, promoting sustainability and embracing diversity.

In 2022 the City of Peoria committed to support education to their community by creating the PeoriaAZ Promise program.  The PeoriaAZ Promise program offers educational opportunities for qualifying students to receive scholarships and stipends to cover necessary expenses to ensure success in completing  post-secondary education at Glendale Community College. The PeoriaAZ Promise program was developed to bridge the gap for Peoria families who are paying for college by supplementing federal financial aid, paving the way for students to gain the knowledge, skills, and training needed to prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.  The city believes that for communities to continue to grow and prosper, families need to have consistent and affordable access to quality post-secondary education.

Glendale Community College is honored to partner with the City of Peoria in this excellent example of collaboration to support Peoria residents and students to uplift a community through education.  The City of Peoria has shown its commitment to education and exemplifies a true Hero of Education.

City of Mesa Mayor John Giles and Mike Hutchinson

Mayor John Giles is recognized as Mesa Community College’s Hero of Education for his exceptional dedication to providing educational opportunities that leads to higher paying careers.
Mayor Giles, an MCC alumnus, demonstrated the transformative power of education by progressing from a graduate to the Mayor of Mesa. Under his leadership, the Mesa College Promise was established, providing financial support for deserving high school graduates to pursue higher education at MCC. This groundbreaking program, the first of its kind in the Maricopa Community Colleges, has significantly increased enrollment and received overwhelming support from businesses and philanthropists, resulting in over $500,000 in private matching funds. The impact of this partnership was further highlighted when First Lady Jill Biden, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, and Governor Katie Hobbs visited MCC, garnering national media attention. The City of Mesa’s unwavering dedication to accessible, high-quality education has made it truly exceptional, deserving of the esteemed Hero of Education award from MCC.

Mike Hutchinson, Executive Vice President of the Phoenix East Valley Partnership is also recognized as Mesa Community College’s Hero of Education for his instrumental leadership role in building partnerships with local and international companies to secure funds for the Mesa College Promise program. His unwavering dedication and collaborative efforts have significantly contributed to bridging the financial gap for qualified high school graduates seeking post-secondary education at MCC, making a lasting impact on the lives of numerous students.

Arizona Center for African American Resources (AZCAAR)

Our mission is to improve the quality of life of African Americans in Arizona. Our vision is to convene and collaborate with Arizonans to discuss and resolve issues that have socioeconomic and civic impact within the African American community.

AZCAAR is committed to promoting an education-centric mentality in the African American community to drastically improve academic achievement and opportunity. This year AZCAAR partnered with PVCC to provide paid internships to students in various fields that will lead to successful careers within the community. 

Mark C. Keever

Mark Keever was born in Fremont, Ohio.  When Mark was young, the family moved to Queensbury, New York, a small town near Lake George. As Mark recalled, most people didn’t have much, and when you graduated from high school, your career choices were going to work in the local paper mill or in the local prison. Because people had to do for themselves, one of the things students learned in shop class was how to clean wood-burning stoves and chimneys, which many homes had as the primary source of heat.

In his senior year of high school, Mark was in a motorcycle accident and was seriously hurt, breaking his foot in twelve places, breaking his left leg, and he had serious injuries to his knees and elbows, which prevented him from seeking careers in the paper mill or in the prison.

Mark came to Arizona to recuperate from his injuries. After he had fully recovered, Mark got hired by the Greyhound Corporation, where he worked for seven years. Then he went to work at Southern Pacific Railroad, which was a good job, but after four years he was laid off – along with 9,000 other people, during a recession in the 1980s.

Not knowing what to do next, Mark looked around and found out that one in four houses in the Phoenix area has a fireplace. Well, that was a natural: Mark already knew how to sweep chimneys, so he decided to start a chimney sweep business. By the time he had everything in place and was ready to start reaching out to customers, summer was coming, and as Mark said “Nobody thinks about cleaning their fireplaces during the 110-degree summer days”.

So, in the beginning, Mark’s business Adirondack Chimney Sweep struggled. To make ends meet, Mark decided he better get a full-time job, and found employment with the City of Glendale. He was happy to have a stable job, and he kept the chimney-sweep business as a side-gig. Mark also decided that he better go to college to learn how to run his business, so he enrolled in a business course at Phoenix College.

For the next 25 years, Mark worked at the City of Glendale, while also working to complete a business degree at Phoenix College. Mark joked to his friends that it only took him 25 years to finish his associate’s degree!

In 2009, Mark was eligible to retire from the City of Glendale, and his state pension would provide him with a steady retirement income. Mark thought to himself, “it’s now or never”, so he took the leap of faith and retired from the City of Glendale City job to focus on growing the chimney sweep business.

During a conversation with a customer in 2010, Mark said “I’ve never been happier! No more stress of a day job and a commute. I’ve got all the work I can do, most of it in the wintertime while the weather’s nice, and the business has really taken off.” Adirondack Chimney Sweep flourished, and at its pinnacle had more than 2,000 customers.

As Mark continued talking with the customer while cleaning the fireplace and chimney, Mark sprinkled a handful of salt at the back of the firebox, telling the customer “This brings good luck.”. Then, Mark set a shiny new copper penny in the front right corner of the fireplace.

“A penny in the fireplace not only brings more good luck,” Mark said, “but because it’s a penny with this year’s date, all you have to do is look at it to remember when you last had the chimney cleaned.” Adding that fireplaces should be cleaned every four or five years.

Phoenix College is honored to celebrate Mark Keever, who generously donated more than half a million dollars – the entirety of his estate – to support PC students majoring in business. Mark’s legacy and spirit live on in the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Dr. Patricia Case

Dr. Patricia Case started at Rio Salado College as an adjunct faculty member and in 1990, became a residential Counseling faculty member. Two years later, took the role of Faculty Chair of Social Sciences, a role she has held for the past 31 years. In this role, she oversaw a large academic department that included Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, Physical Geography, and Economics.

Dr. Case has been an instrumental part of the Rio Team and had many leadership roles throughout her tenure. She was one of the co-founders of the College’s cross-functional leadership team, known as the Development Team, and served as a Co-Chair of the Team since 1994. Dr. Case served as the Co-Faculty Developer as well as  Rio Salado’s representative on the Continuous Quality Improvement Network (CQIN), now known as the Alliance for Innovation and Transformation (AFIT), a national organization, for more than 20 years.

Dr. Case served on so many MCCCD committees and councils that they are too numerous to list. A few of the most notable ones are MCCCD’s Strategic Planning Council (a Council she founded with Dr. Rufus Glasper, Rosemary Kessler, and the late Dr. Gina Kranitz), the 21st Century Faculty Committee and several Instructional Councils. In addition, Dr. Case has extensive experience in faculty governance, having served as President of the Rio Salado Faculty for four terms, and as President-elect and President of the MCCCD Faculty Association. She was the first Rio Salado College Senate President to be elected to serve as the President of the Faculty Association.

Dr. Case is the recipient of numerous awards, including:

• The League for Innovation’s 2012 John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award.
• Rio Salado College’s 2010 Woman of Distinction
• Sloan Consortium Excellence in Online Access in 2002
• A finalist in the Telly Awards in 1997

Dr. Case has always been an advocate for students and their access to higher education. She created the Jo C. Bennett Student Assistance Fund, in memory of her mother, to help students be successful when a situation they are in may cause them to choose between buying food for their family or their textbook. The Jo C. Bennett Student Assistance Fund provides students emergency monies for rent, transportation, diapers, or whatever issue could deter them from their education.

Lastly, Dr. Case has published numerous journal articles and book chapters. A few citations of her published work are:

• Case, Patricia and Smith, Vernon. (Summer 2011). Rio Salado ‘College without walls’ uses high-tech tools to open many more doors. Lumina Foundation Focus, p. 12-21.
• Marble, Tristan and Case, Pat. (2013). Turbo-boost your onboarding of new online adjunct faculty. Published in magnapubs.com.
• Marble, Tristan and Case, Pat. (2016). Turbo-Boost Your Onboarding of New Online Adjunct Faculty. Managing Adjunct Faculty: A Resource Collection for Administrators. Magna Publications.

Dr. Case has also presented at national conferences throughout her tenure at Rio Salado College and the Maricopa District, such as:

• The League for Innovation
• North American Council for Staff, Program, and Organizational Development
• National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development
• Continuous Quality Improvement Network

Dr. Case was instrumental to the development of Rio Salado College during its formative years. 

For these reasons, Rio Salado College proudly recognizes Dr. Case as our  Hero of Education for 2023.

Jan and Bill Gehler

Ten years of excellence and inspiration” describes Dr. Jan Gehler’s service as president of Scottsdale Community College. With her husband Bill, Jan worked tirelessly to advance the college to benefit students and the Scottsdale community. Always with students in mind, like Art DeCabooter before her, Jan nurtured community relationships, stewarded donors, and inspired staff to lead from where they are. Jan and Bill personally gave from their hearts, supporting many SCC and Maricopa funds – all to ensure that students had opportunities for the best in school and life.

Now enjoying retirement, Jan and Bill are busy grandparents who continue to inspire and help SCC students. While at SCC they recognized that too many students struggled with unexpected expenses that often derailed progress on their educational path. A child care bill, a flat tire, a dead car battery, or any number of unplanned life events could cause a student to drop out. With many students already working full time – giving up was devastating. That’s why they established the Gehler Student Emergency Fund. Jan and Bill continue giving, matching employees and community members during the Be a Student’s Hero campaign, challenging others to help SCC Students be their best!

Lara Collins

Lara Collins was the founding communication professor at SMCC; navigated the communication curriculum; served on the district curriculum committee; president of faculty senate; served on most of the faculty hiring committees; was chair of faculty and staff development for eight years; mentor to many SMCC faculty; author and principal of several college grants; earned three sabbaticals, two international; led the international education efforts; along with Rebecca Brown developed MCCCD International Exchange Programs; hosted faculty in her home each year from the International Faculty Exchange Program; developed and conducted the orientations for all Maricopa faculty in the exchange programs as well as all of the international faculty visitors.

Professor Collins was founder and advisor to numerous student clubs; advisor to student government for eight years; was the emcee for the student, faculty, and community awards; a mentor to hundreds of students, edited and mentored/coached students, faculty, and staff, with public speaking assignments.

A few of her awards include: Innovator of the Year; Summit Award; Women Leaders Distinguished Achievement; three Humanitarian Awards; Friend of PSA Award; Friend of ESL Award; Friend of Student Life Award.

Lara has passionately donated to the STARS Scholarship endowment since its inception and has served on the STARS Community Board since retiring from SMCC in 2017. She is currently professor emerita.