San Jac chancellor receives national award

Dr. Brenda Hellyer

Dr. Brenda Hellyer

San Jacinto College Chancellor Dr. Brenda Hellyer is one of 21 community college presidents to earn the prestigious Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction.

Hellyer accepted the award at the Phi Theta Kappa convention in San Jose, Calif. College presidents and campus CEOs are selected for this award on the basis of outstanding efforts given toward promoting the goals of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

“I am most honored to receive this award, but the recognition goes to the outstanding work of our PTK faculty sponsors and students,” said Dr. Hellyer. “I share this honor with the entire San Jacinto College community. Our faculty and staff work diligently every day to ensure our students succeed in the classroom and receive the education and training they need to transition to a four-year university or enter the workforce.”

Since being named chancellor of San Jacinto College in 2009, Hellyer has seen the college grow to serve 30,000 credit students and more than 5,000 continuing education and workforce training students. Under her leadership, San Jacinto College has also received national recognitions which include being named an Achieving the Dream leader college, one of the top community colleges in the U.S. by the Aspen Institute, ranked eighth in the nation for Hispanics earning associate degrees by the Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine, and a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs Magazine.

She holds a B.S. in Accounting from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kan., an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, and a doctorate degree in community college leadership from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in Texas.

Dr. Hellyer received the Distinguished Graduate Award from the College of Education at UT- Austin in Spring 2009. She was recognized in 2012 as a “Woman of Distinction” by The Bridge Over Troubled Waters, Inc., as “Citizen of the Year” by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, and is one of Houston Magazine’s 2013 “Most Influential Women.”

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,285 chapters on college campuses in all 50 of the United States.

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