HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE

WELCOMES TWO NEW BRANDON CAMPUS DEANS Staf Report

The Hillsborough Community College (HCC) Brandon campus is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Simone B. Jenkins as dean of Associate in Science programs and Nestor Melendez as dean of student services.

Both deans assumed their new position at HCC on January 4.

“Dr. Jenkins cares deeply about providing a high-quality education to all students, building modern workforce programs and thinking creatively with an entrepreneurial spirit. Her focus and experience on workforce programming will help propel the Brandon campus forward,” said Dr. Deborah Kish Johansen, Brandon campus president.

“Dean Nestor is passionate about student success and brings a wealth of experience in student advocacy and support to HCC, the Brandon campus and the Greater Tampa community,” Dr. Johansen said. “We are excited for him to bring this passion to the Brandon campus.”

Dr. Jenkins started her career in education as a classroom teacher for the Hillsborough County School District in 2005. At HCC, she has served in a variety of roles, such as college and career counselor and academic advisor at the Ybor City campus, assistant dean of Associate in Science programs as well as interim dean

Iris Thurman Of Echo Was Named A Lightning Community Hero

By Jonathan Hurst

of Associate in Science programs at the Dale Mabry campus.

She is a graduate of the University of South Florida, where she received her Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in career and workforce education, as well as her master’s and bachelor’s degrees.

Nestor Melendez, Ed.S. brings over two decades of experience in higher education to HCC. His extensive professional background includes a progression of leadership positions, such as assistant dean of student a f airs and enrollment management at Pasco-Hernando State College, director of student leadership and campus life at Guttman Community College and director of student leadership and engagement at Hofstra University.

Hillsborough Community College serves more than 42,000 students annually at its five campuses located throughout Tampa Bay. For more information, visit www.hccfl.edu.

HCC is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

For more information about Hillsborough Community College, please visit its website at www.hccfl.edu/about-us/college-accreditation.

One of the driving forces behind ECHO of Brandon was recently recognized for her hard work with the program, as Iris Thurman was named a Lightning Community Hero by the Lightning Foundation. As the 524th Lightning Community Hero, Thurman was presented with a $50,000 donation that will be directed to ECHO, which will be instrumental in helping ECHO continue its mission.

To say Thurman is deserving of this recognition is an understatement since she has developed ECHO’s advocacy department into having multiple fulltime staf as well as interns, and she has gone on to lead the department as well. In all avenues of life it seems, Thurman always rises to the top, as she was the first to graduate college in her family and raised four children as a single parent.

There are further plans to expand the advocacy department in the future as well, which will be greatly aided by the donation from the Lightning Foundation. This grant will directly contribute to allowing ECHO to employ a full-time homeless advocate and supply 20 shelter vouchers.

ECHO of Brandon exists to provide aid and assistance to residents of Hillsborough County who are experiencing food insecurity as well as general instability and crisis within their lives. ECHO provides this help through emergency food and clothing, along with ofering a variety of ‘Life Rebuilding’ programs, such as employment services and financial counseling. Throughout the year, it ofers workshops for budgeting, sewing, couponing, starting a business, selling online and more. ECHO was founded in 1987 as a central place where those in need of help could go, and over the last 30 odd years it has provided countless individuals and families with the resources they needed. What started as a group of volunteers working out of a firehouse has become a permanent fixture within the Brandon community, consistently providing a ray of hope in dark times. With this donation and the leadership of Thurman and the others involved, ECHO will continue to serve the community for years to come. If you would like to volunteer, there are multiple areas available: food pantry, clothing room, ECHO Thrift Store, welcome center, truck driver, ECHO Handmade artisan, community garden, handyman, advocacy care, back-to-work job coach and workshop facilitator.

For more information about ECHO, its services, volunteer opportunities or to donate, please visit its website at www. echofl.org/brandon or call 813-685-0835. ECHO of Brandon is located at 507 N. Parsons Ave. in Brandon.

IN THIS ISSUE:

HOPE FOR HER CLASSES PG 3

BUSCH GARDENS PG 5

WILD GAME PG 8

EYE ON BUSINESS PGS 25-26

SPORTING CLAY SHOOT PG 28