Gadsden State Alumni Association presents annual awards

The Gadsden State Community College Alumni Association honored three faculty/staff members and two community supporters with annual awards presented Dec. 9 during the college’s annual Holiday Brunch.

Kelsey Taylor, clinical coordinator and instructor for the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program at the Valley Street Campus, received the Outstanding Academic Faculty Award.

Joe Hulsey from the Ayers Campus was honored with the Outstanding Technical Faculty Award.

Beverly Elam received the Outstanding Support Staff of the Year Award.

Garen Mullin received the annual Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award and Brad Finley was recognized as Gadsden State Alumnus of the Year.

The awards were presented by John Roberson, director of Development and Alumni Relations; Julie White, vice president of the Alumni Association; and Dr. Kathy Murphy, president of Gadsden State. Each winner received a framed certificate as well as an engraved brick that will be placed in the college’s courtyard located on the Wallace Drive Campus.

Taylor joined the Gadsden State faculty in 2018 after working as an ultrasound technician and a medical records and lab technician. In 2021, while working full time, Taylor earned a Bachelor of Science in integrated studies from Jacksonville State University.

“Kelsey has been an integral part of the growth and success of the DMS program,” Roberson said during the awards presentation. “The DMS program has a 97% graduation rate, which is outstanding.”

Taylor assists with curriculum development and instruction; manages student compliance with immunizations, background checks and drug screens; and is responsible for coordinating student clinical rotations at more than sites in three states.

“She regularly tutors students one-on-one, and her infectious smile and friendly spirit (set) students at ease,” Roberson said. “She is described as the epitome of putting excellence into everything she does.”

Hulsey is a product of Gadsden State, receiving certification in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration. He earned a contractor’s license and owned and operated a successful HVAC/R business. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Alabama and is working toward a master’s degree in education from Athens State University.

Hulsey decided to turn his education and experience into an opportunity to teach others when in 2015, he became HVAC instructor at the Ayers Campus.

“As soon as he was hired, Joe started knocking on the doors of local HVAC businesses and supply houses to let them know who he was and his intentions to build the program,” Roberson said. “With the support of the community behind him, Joe upgraded the classroom and lab with the latest technology. His teaching techniques gained him the respect of his students and motivated them to succeed.”

Hulsey is president of the Alabama Council of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Educators, an organization that assists new and developing instructors in the HVAC/R field. He is also a member of the 2022 class of Leadership Calhoun, a program of the Calhoun Chamber of Commerce.

Elam first came to Gadsden State as a student and earned an Associate in Applied Science in office administration while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. She started her career at Gadsden State more than 20 years ago as a clerk in Financial Aid, and has spent most of her tenure at the school as administrative assistant in the Business, Legal Studies and Computer Science Division.

She  is responsible for inputting the class schedule, creating the textbook list, scheduling lab facilities, reconciling leave reports, submitting contracts and more. She serves as the safety and security building representative at the college and has served on numerous committees, including the Catalog Committee. She currently chairs the Student Affairs Committee, and is a graduate of the Gadsden State Leadership Development Institute.

“Her nomination letter says that she mothers everyone and goes out of her way to help students and faculty through service to the Gadsden State,” Roberson said. “She is certainly a person of great integrity and character.”

Mullen is a two-time Gadsden State graduate, with associate degrees in emergency medical services and in general studies. While a student, he served as Student Government Association vice president and was instrumental in the completion of several projects around campus.

A firefighter and a nationally registered paramedic, he holds two full-time jobs: medic on the Gadsden Fire Department’s Engine 9, and firefighter for the City of Argo.

Mullen is working on a bachelor’s degree in integrated studies at Jacksonville State University, and is studying to be a flight paramedic.

Finley is a graduate of the Harry M. Ayers State Technical College, now known as Gadsden State’s Ayers Campus, and has had a very successful career in electronics. In October, he received the American Society of Testing and Materials Award of Merit and was granted the title of Fellow.

ASTM is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems and services.

Finley also serves on the organizations G01 Committee, which helps to establish corrosion testing standards for international businesses.

For more information about the Alumni Association, visit GadsdenState.edu/Alumni.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden State honors top alumni, community supporters