WILBURTON, Okla. – Eastern Oklahoma State College proudly announces the outstanding achievements of its employees at the annual Oklahoma Association of Community College (OACC) conference in Tulsa. Eastern’s dedicated staff and faculty members were recognized for their remarkable contributions and commitment to innovation, support and education.

Dr. Julie Collins, a biology instructor for 15 years at Eastern, received the OACC Faculty Member Award. Her passion for teaching and dedication to her students has made a lasting impact on the college's academic community.

Hannah Truitt, the director of recruitment and retention, was honored as an OACC Outstanding Professional Employee. During her three years at Eastern, Truitt’s leadership efforts have significantly contributed to the college's recruitment and retention strategies, ensuring that students receive the support they need to succeed from application to graduation.

Tracie Teague, a marketing coordinator, was recognized as an OACC Outstanding Support Staff Employee. Her work and commitment to the college's marketing efforts have played a pivotal role in promoting Eastern’s mission and engaging the community since she started in 2021.

The Mountaineer Fun Squad received the first-place Creative Staff Innovation Award. The Creative Staff Innovation program encourages community college employees to share their innovative ideas that led to positive changes on their campuses. Recognizing a recent lack of engagement on campus since the COVID-19 pandemic, five employees came together to develop a plan to increase involvement between the community and Eastern’s students, faculty and staff. The “Mountaineer Fun Squad” put in hours of volunteer work to plan, organize and execute several community events and employee activities to create a more vibrant and enjoyable campus experience.

Members of the Mountaineer Fun Squad include Candace Raney, executive assistant to the president; Hannah Truitt, director of recruitment and retention; Lucas Hedgecock, housing and student activities coordinator; Jacob Sitton, marketing coordinator; and Tracie Teague, marketing coordinator. In recognition of their first-place award, the Mountaineer Fun Squad received a $250 cash prize. Demonstrating their commitment to the Eastern community, the members selflessly donated the entire award back to the college to help fund future student and employee activities.  

OACC is a state association representing the 14 public community colleges in Oklahoma. OACC works to support and advance the mission of community colleges in the state and to facilitate collaboration among its member institutions.