Redlands Community College is proud to announce its recipients of the annual National Institute for Staff and Organization Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards. Dr. Jalelah Abdul-Raheem, head of the Nursing Department, and Kim Andrade, director of Human Resource, were selected to receive the prestigious award.
NISOD’s Excellence Awards recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues. In 1989, in connection with a University of Texas at Austin national study of teaching excellence, NISOD hosted its first ceremony honoring NISOD Excellence Award recipients. The response to that ceremony was so positive that NISOD began what has become the largest and most inspiring gathering that recognizes the contributions and achievements of community and technical college faculty, administrators, and staff.
“Redlands is often described as a family, and Dr. Abdul-Raheem and Ms. Andrade are both vital members of our family,” said Jack Bryant, president of Redlands Community College. “They are both excellent examples of the care and dedication our faculty and staff show to our students and each other. We are proud of their success and are pleased that their efforts are being recognized on a much bigger stage.”
Abdul-Raheem began her career with Redlands as an adjunct nursing professor before becoming a full-time member of the faculty. She left the college briefly but returned to the nursing program as faculty for nursing simulation and retention, and in Fall of 2018, she was named the interim head of the Nursing and Allied Health Department. The following year, Abdul-Raheem was selected to continue as the department head.
Andrade has been a dedicated member of the college’s staff for many years, beginning as a student worker in the early 1990’s. Over the years, she held an administrative position with a grant program and was an accounting clerk for the Business Office before joining the Human Resources team. For more than a decade, she worked as the personnel/payroll coordinator and eventually became the coordinator of Human Resources. In 2011, she was named to her current position as director of Human Resources.
Excellence Award recipients are recognized during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, May 27-30, 2023. Excellence Awards recipients receive a specially cast, pewter medallion hung on a burnt-orange ribbon. The names, titles, and colleges of all Excellence Award recipients are included in a special booklet that features congratulatory ads from many of the recipients’ colleges. In addition, presentations at the conference involving Excellence Award recipients are indicated in the Conference Program with a special icon.
“Recognizing those individuals who have contributed to student success and their colleges’ mission is something we look forward to doing each year,” said Dr. Edward J. Leach, NISOD’s Executive Director. “The extraordinary work of these men and women includes not only what they do for their students and colleagues, but what they do for the communities in which they live and work. We’re honored to be able to play a part in celebrating their achievements.”
NISOD is a membership organization committed to promoting and celebrating excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership at community and technical colleges. NISOD provides budget-friendly, high-quality, and faculty-focused programs and resources for community and technical colleges that want to make the most of their professional development dollars. For over 40 years, NISOD has aligned a wide array of benefits with the needs of our members, which explains why the American Association of Community Colleges named NISOD, “The country’s leading provider of professional development for community college faculty, staff, and administrators.” For more information about NISOD, visit www.nisod.org.