This May, SBVC hosted the 2020-21 Virtual Spotlighting Our Success Awards, an awards ceremony that celebrated campus’ hardworking and dedicated staff and faculty. The remote ceremony was the first-ever virtual setting for the celebratory event.

In weeks prior, campus members were able to submit nominations of their peers for various award categories. Employees were then able to vote on certain categories, and highlight individuals for their outstanding performance and services provided throughout 2020 and 2021.

This event garnered the most ever nominations, with 92 submissions recognizing numerous campus members. On May 14, more than 125 staff and faculty members gathered into a Zoom meeting with customized event backgrounds, eager to hear the results of the voting.

Event hosts Dr. Todd Heibel and Paul Bratulin first congratulated the 76 instructors who earned the title of associate professor on campus and 8 who earned the title of professor. Horace Alexander and Michael Lysak were also awarded with the title of Professor Emeritus. The event then awarded the achievement and various campus awards. The winners were as follows.

  • Administrative Services, Office of the President, VPI & VPSS – Phylicia Sanchez
  • Applied Technology, Transportation & Culinary Arts – Glenn Smith
  • Arts & Humanities – Mary Copeland
  • Counseling & Matriculation – Armando Garcia
  • Math, Business & Computer Technology – Vicente Alvarez
  • Science – Michael Torres
  • Student Equity & Success – Sharaf Williams
  • Excellence Award – Kay Dee Yarborough
  • Innovator of the Year Award – Lucas Cuny
  • Outstanding Service Award – Phylicia Sanchez
  • Manager of the Year Award – Sharaf Williams
  • Honored Retiree Award – Horace Alexander
  • District Employee of the Year Award – Jason Brady
  • Outstanding Professor Awards 2020 – Bethany Tasaka and Margaret Worsely
  • Outstanding Professor Awards 2021 – Anthony Castro, Rania Hamdy, and Janice Wilkins
  • Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award 2020 – Mary Lawler
  • Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award 2021 – Crystal Sanchez
  • Classified Employee of the Year Awards 2020 – Judy Rodriguez and Cedric Wrenn
  • Classified Employee of the Year Awards 2021 – Jorge Vivar and Sandy Karge

President Diana Z. Rodriguez ended the event by presenting her first-ever Presidential Award, which she bestowed to the Accreditation Committee and its 21 members. San Bernardino Valley College received the highest level of accreditation an institution can receive by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior College (ACCJC), which reaffirmed SBVC’s accreditation for seven years, with no additional follow-up needed. Rodriguez commended the committee for their diligent work and years of preparation to achieve such recognition from the accrediting body.