The 2022 winners of Foundation For Excellence Awards pose for a picture at the FFE banquet at the Cotton Press on March 29. Nineteen Clarke County School District educators were awarded recognition and grants for their contributions to the CCSD community. “Of course, (the process starts) with the nominees. When you get nominated (with) most awards, the actual person that gets nominated has to write an essay, and then they get people who write support letters, two recommendation letters. They have to get those letters in and then we go to a judging panel. Each award has a different set of judges, all people in the community. There’s always three people who read each award and they have a rubric that they grade on, and that tells you the award,” FFE Executive Director Catherine Neace said. Photo by Natalie Schliekelman
CCSD educators were recognized at the Foundation For Excellence banquet at the Cotton Press on March 29.
Members of the Clarke County community gathered for the Foundation For Excellence banquet at the Cotton Press on March 29, recognizing 19 educators and other CCSD staff for their work and presenting them with grants ranging from $500 to $2,000.
The banquet started with a welcome from FFE President Berni McCranie, who then allowed Georgia United Credit Union Senior Business Development Officer Ken Chrzanowski, representing one of the sponsors, to take the stage for opening remarks.
“As a retired educator, myself, and the father of an educator, thank you for what each and every one of you do. You put everybody above yourselves and you do an amazing job, in whatever capacity you do in Clarke County schools,” Chrzanowski said. “All of you are the standard-bearers for Clarke County schools. We appreciate that and we don’t forget that.”
“All of you are the standard-bearers for Clarke County schools. We appreciate that and we don’t forget that.”
— SKen Chrzanowski,
Georgia United Credit Union Senior Business Development Officer
After the opening remarks, former FFE president Wanda Culpepper presented the educators’ awards. Gaines Elementary School teacher Alicia Worthy, who received the Freida M. Thomas Teacher of Promise Award, felt that the recognition that educators received from the awards is beneficial due to a lack of appreciation for the profession.
“(Winning an award feels) amazing. I student-taught at the school I am teaching at now, so it feels like a great accomplishment from the start to now. I know that Athens and Clarke County has done right by me. So, I’m just grateful,” Worthy said. “It’s important, I think, for educators to be appreciated. I’m glad the FFE is able to bridge that gap.”
Former Foundation For Excellence Executive Director CJ Amason (left) is presented with a painting of significant places and people from her time with the FFE. Amason retired after 11 years in the role, passing the role onto current FFE Executive Director Catherine Neace in January of 2022. “The painting is wonderful. It has Clarke Central and Cedar Shoals, which I work with both of them. I have four children, they all went through the Clark County Schools,” Amazon said. “As a parent of four children and one foster child who went through the Clarke County School District, it’s a debt I can never repay. My kids have done wonderfully, academically, socially, economically because of the education that they got here.” Photo by Natalie Schliekelman
CCHS varsity boys head soccer coach Chris Aiken was recognized with the Michael Peter Horvat Secondary Coaches Award.
“It’s a special night for me to win something like this. To be recognized, with all the great coaches we have in this district, is a special honor for me,” Aiken said. “It’s also special for me to receive this honor on behalf of my whole soccer program because everyone’s very involved (and) it takes a collective effort to get to where we are. Although I get to be the one who receives the awards, I’m grateful for all the people that I work with.”
Former FFE Executive Director CJ Amason, who served from 2013 and retired in January, was gifted a painting of significant places and people from her time with the FFE, and had an award named after her, the CJ Amason Award for S.T.A.R. teachers.
“Educators are so beaten up and belittled and demeaned and their work is so important. To be able to give them recognition and money is wonderful. It’s the best feeling in the world,” Amason said. “(Receiving the recognition I did) tonight was shocking and humbling. I had no idea of any of that. The painting is wonderful. The award named after me – I’m very humbled by that. I don’t feel deserving of that at all, but if it helps raise money for teachers it’s alright.”
After current FFE Executive Director Catherine Neace Neace finished off the night with closing remarks, attendees enjoyed catered food and mingled with each other.
“The event was perfect. It was a nice event. They recognized the right people for this year. It’s always refreshing to know that there are teachers in the district who are successful at what they do, and have a passion for what they do,” attendee Marvin Hayes said. “This event was a great setting for the opportunity for those people to be recognized, so I really truly enjoyed it. It’s always a pleasure to see educators get recognized.”
A gallery shows several educators being presented with their awards at the 2022 Foundation For Excellence banquet on March 29. Attendees of the event watched several speeches and a presentation of the award recipients at the event. Photos by Natalie Schliekelman
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