Join us in recognizing September’s Recipients!
Name: Nikki Hoover
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainability & Courage
Reason: Nikki is such a kind, caring and compassionate person. It’s amazing hearing her work with students and always giving her full attention and energy to each individual student every time. She works so hard to make sure all students feel seen, heard and fully assisted — and always with a smile on her face! I’m impressed by how many students continue to request to speak with her specifically, even if they are not on her assigned caseload. She is clearly making a positive impact with students! I also truly appreciate how closely she often works with staff in other departments to ensure students are receiving accurate and timely assistance to the best of her ability.
Name: Heather Green
Core Values: Integrity & Collaboration
Reason: Heather is always so respectful, polite and prompt in her responses! Even when answering the same questions over and over, her tone never sharpens or becomes condescending. I wish we could all be as gracious and professional! I always know she will get back to students who reach out to her. She calls students back so fast. Often students haven’t even left the lobby, or we are still at the computer together when she returns their communication! She is dedicated and consistent and detail-oriented and we are so appreciative. Keep up the great work, Heather!
Name: Courtney Voss, Debbie Dice and Alea Corrie
Core Values: Collaboration
Reason: I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Courtney, Alea and Debbie for exemplifying true collaboration in their recent work, which brought the Business Office and the GED® & Pre-College Education department into closer alignment. Our efforts demonstrated compassion and are grounded in programmatic longevity, student support and care, by creating a safe and respectful environment where all voices were heard. By listening attentively, valuing the perspectives of others, and approaching the work with humility and honest effort, you ensured that our teams are on the same page. Your collaboration is a model for how we can move forward together with dignity and respect.
Name: Jared Leard, Marty Christensen, Facilities Team and IT Team
Core Values: Collaboration
Reason: A huge thank you to Jared from Facilities and Marty from IT for their incredible teamwork in pulling off the TRC space moves. Navigating a multi-tiered approval process coupled with a domino-effect series of moves is no small feat but you and your teams handled it with humor, hard work, and a collaborative spirit that made all the difference. Facilities and IT are often the unsung heroes of the college, making the workflows possible that the rest of us rely on every day. By listening closely, staying open to new ideas and creating a safe and respectful space for everyone involved, you ensured the process ran smoothly (and even kept us smiling along the way). Your collective efforts truly exemplify collaboration in action, and we’re grateful for the care and compassion you consistently bring to every task.
Name: Raelyn Horton, Fiona Nevin, and Shelby Freestone
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Sustainability & Courage
Reason: Raelyn, Fiona and Shelby went out to South Medford High School today to support our Early College students as they get ready for the start of fall term. After they wrapped up, I received the following email from the South Medford Liaison:
“Happy Friday afternoon! Raelyn Horton, Fiona Nevin and Shelby Freestone were at South all day today to assist our Early College students with preparations for fall term classes. We met with 31 students, and Raelyn will be back on Monday to follow up with the few who couldn’t attend today’s workshops. They now have their textbooks (you should have seen their faces when I said they could highlight and take notes in them), parking passes, instructions on how to use RCC platforms, and a huge dose of encouragement that they will thrive in their college classes. South has 36 students registered for fall term, compared to 14 students in fall of 2024, and 7 in fall of 2023. Of those 36 students, 29 are brand new to the Early College program. I am beyond thrilled with the growth of this program and the incredible ways students are benefiting from it. I am deeply grateful for our incredible RCC team. They are professional, knowledgeable and exceptionally personable. Our students feel supported and encouraged every step of the way, and I truly couldn’t run our Early College program without them. This partnership is a great example of how our community and high school worlds can collaborate to serve students. The magic happening in the PFC today was a thrill to watch. Thank you for supporting our students as they begin/continue on their college journey!”
This message is such a beautiful reminder of why we do what we do. It highlights the care, commitment and encouragement our team brings to students and the powerful impact of our partnerships. Moments like these show the heart behind our work and how we live out our values of integrity, collaboration, sustainability and courage. All while championing diversity, equity and inclusion. Raelyn, Fiona and Shelby, thank you for bringing your energy, professionalism and compassion to South today. You are helping students believe in themselves and start this journey with confidence. This is truly a proud moment for RCC!
Name: Travis Ellerman
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration & Sustainability
Reason: Shoutout to Travis for always being on top of invoices needing received in, making sure checks go out timely and going above and beyond to make sure things are flowing smoothly for the Business Office. We appreciate you!
Name: Alena Siddon
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Sustainability & Courage
Reason: Alena has fulfilled a crucial role within the Financial Aid department, not only disbursing over $23M in aid but troubleshooting issues between software and the government systems. These usually take a lot of time and brain power, and she does it so well. Thank you, Alena!
Name: Leslie Cox
Core Values: Collaboration, Sustainability & Courage
Reason: Leslie worked tirelessly on the new gainful employment and financial value transparency reporting that was rolled out by the federal government with very minimal guidance or software support. I appreciate her work to ensure we met the 10/1/25 deadline this year. Way to go, Leslie!
Name: Rhoda La Madrid
Core Values: Integrity; Collaboration; Sustainability & Courage
Reason: Rhoda worked tirelessly on the new gainful employment and financial value transparency reporting that was rolled out by the federal government with very minimal guidance or software support. I appreciate her work to ensure we met the 10/1/25 deadline this year. Thank you, Rhoda!
Name: Sandra Stump
Core Values: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Reason: Sandra seems to always have a smile and a kind greeting for everyone, but additionally during Week of Welcome she was able to use her skills to assist a student who was needing extra help from the Access and Disability office. The student was needing an interpreter and she was going to every resource she could find to get that student the help they needed. Thanks for all you do, Sandra!!
Name: Jessica Jones, Natalie Coppedge, Leslie Cox, Rhoda La Madrid, Dani Crouch, Analisa Gifford, Debbie Dice and Grant Hubler
Core Values: Integrity, Collaboration & Sustainability
Reason: We are proud to recognize an extraordinary cross-departmental team whose collaboration and dedication ensured the successful completion of two years’ worth of Financial Value Transparency (FVT) and Gainful Employment (GE) federal compliance reporting as of Sept. 29 — ahead of deadline, despite many obstacles.
Congratulations to:
- Dani Crouch, Analisa Gifford and Natalie Coppedge, Registrar’s Office
- Debbie Dice, Business Office
- Grant Hubler, Information Technology
- Jessica Jones, Financial Aid
- Rhoda La Madrid & Leslie Cox, Institutional Research
Living Our Values: Collaboration and Integrity
This group exemplified collaboration at its highest level, bridging departments, systems and responsibilities. Their willingness to be on call at a moment’s notice — whether to resolve a data aberration, verify a reporting element or walk through the intricacies of both legacy systems and our new CRM — reflects not only technical expertise but a deep commitment to RCC’s value of integrity. Each team member worked with transparency and trust, ensuring that our compliance submissions were both accurate and timely.
Advancing RCC’s Strategic Plan
WIG 3, Objective 9: Enhance operational excellence and ensure institutional accountability.
- This project directly supported accountability by improving efficiency in compliance reporting and strengthening data accuracy across multiple systems.
WIG 4, Objective 12: Leverage technology and innovation to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
- By embracing our new CRM and seeking ways to integrate FVT/GE reporting within it, the team demonstrated openness to innovation and a commitment to building sustainable, efficient processes for the future.
Continuous Improvement in Action
The FVT/GE reporting process required extraordinary attention to detail and a readiness to adapt to evolving federal requirements. This team not only delivered compliant reports but also improved efficiency in business and reporting practices, laying the groundwork for smoother processes in future years. Their commitment to continuous improvement and problem-solving demonstrates how collaboration across Financial Aid, Institutional Research, the Registrar’s Office, the Business Office and IT can elevate RCC’s capacity to meet federal requirements with confidence.
A Model of Commitment
Jessica, Rhoda, Leslie, Dani, Analisa, Natalie, Debbie and Grant remind us that RCC’s success relies on the strength of its people — those who step up to complex challenges with professionalism, creativity and teamwork. Their efforts ensure that RCC not only meets federal compliance standards but also continues to refine how we serve students and the broader community.
On behalf of Esam Mohammad and Sarah Crown, Institutional Research, Effectiveness and Planning, thank you all for your commitment to RCC.
If you would like to recognize a colleague for excellence and reflecting our core values, please complete this form. If you are feeling shy, not to worry, you can remain anonymous.
For information about RCC’s Osprey Ovations program, please contact Karla Benitez-Sanchez via email or Teams.