VGCC honors Faculty and Staff Members of the Year with Glen Raven Awards


Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Stelfanie Williams recently presented the college’s annual awards to a pair of outstanding VGCC employees. Kali J. Brown of Youngsville, the college’s director of financial aid, was named Staff Member of the Year for 2015-16, while Social Sciences department chair and instructor Kristi Salmons-Ellenberg of Henderson was chosen as the Faculty Member of the Year.

VGCC’s 2015 award winners were, from left, Staff Member of the Year Kali Brown and Faculty Member of the Year Kristi Salmons-Ellenberg. (VGCC photo)

VGCC’s 2015 award winners were, from left, Staff Member of the Year Kali Brown and Faculty Member of the Year Kristi Salmons-Ellenberg. (VGCC photo)

The honors are two of VGCC’s three Glen Raven Excellence in Teaching and Leadership Awards. Glen Raven, Inc., the manufacturer with a site in Norlina, is a longtime VGCC supporter and partner. In addition to sponsoring the annual stipends to recognize excellence among VGCC instructors and staff members, Glen Raven has endowed several scholarships for students.

Salmons-Ellenberg and Brown are now eligible to be considered for the N.C. Community College System’s statewide R.J. Reynolds Excellence in Teaching and BB&T Staff Person of the Year awards, respectively.

Kali Brown

Kali Brown has been a member of the VGCC Financial Aid Office staff since 2011, becoming assistant director in 2012 before being promoted to the director’s post in 2013. She previously worked in financial aid and student services at her alma mater, Arkansas State University, Arkansas State University – Newport (a community college), and Pulaski Technical College in Arkansas. Brown earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Arkansas State.

At VGCC, Brown has served on the Scholarship Committee, the Leadership & Planning Council and the Recruitment & Retention Committee. Colleagues have noted her intense focus on helping students understand how to pay for college and her detailed knowledge of federal, state and institutional aid programs. She conducts seminars for college employees, students and local high schools.

Brown is a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators and a leader within the North Carolina Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NCASFAA), serving as membership chair for 2015-2016. She has trained other professionals throughout the state by conducting workshops sponsored by NCASFAA, the N.C. Community College System and the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority.

Kristi Salmons-Ellenberg

Kristi Salmons-Ellenberg joined VGCC in 2010 as a Sociology instructor and became chair of the Social Sciences department in 2014. The department, part of the VGCC Arts and Sciences division, provides instruction in economics, history, psychology, political science and sociology. Salmons-Ellenberg has been lauded for the creative ways in which she engages students, and for her collaboration with other departments. She has volunteered to help teach at the VGCC Science Camp for middle school students in 2014 and 2015.

Salmons-Ellenberg earned both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Sociology at Marshall University in West Virginia. She completed coursework toward a Ph.D. in Sociology at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Before joining the VGCC faculty, Salmons-Ellenberg taught at Owens Community College (Ohio), Bowling Green State University, Marshall University and Marshall Community and Technical College (West Virginia).

At VGCC, Salmons-Ellenberg has served as chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and as a Faculty Advisor for the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, among other roles. She has helped coordinate professional development convocations for adjunct instructors. Salmons-Ellenberg is a 2014 graduate of Leadership Vance, a program of the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce.

“Kristi and Kali are two outstanding leaders among our faculty and staff at Vance-Granville,” President Williams said. “Both students and colleagues appreciate their extraordinary dedication, expertise and positivity. Every day, they demonstrate a strong commitment to our college’s mission of educating, inspiring and supporting a diverse community of learners to achieve professional and personal success.”