PENDLETON – Jenni Creamer, college transitions dean at Tri-County Technical College, was honored with the highest award given for staff excellence at the College.

President Ronnie L. Booth presented Creamer with the Presidential Medallion for Staff Excellence at the College’s fall convocation held on Aug. 13.

The medallion, along with a cash award made possible by the Tri-County Technical College Foundation, goes to a person who best exemplifies the College philosophy and has contributed the most during the academic year to the development of the College and its students.

Employees are invited to submit nominations, which are screened by a committee comprised of the four most recent medallion recipients. The committee selects a candidate for recommendation to the president of the College.

Creamer provides leadership to the College Transitions unit, which includes admissions and recruiting, high school engagement, TRiO, Bridge to Clemson, Connect to College and comprehensive studies, including developmental courses and college skills classes.

Booth highlighted Creamer’s leadership abilities, along with her dedication to putting students first. This year, she is leading and working with a team to develop a One-Stop Student Services model that crafts a flexible path to enrollment through improved processes.

The concept is to evolve with continuous improvements to the enrollment process, always making the student the focus of the experience. The result is integrated services for a better student experience, helping them become more prepared for success.

Creamer builds camaraderie and a consensus among the various departments and divisions at the College by bringing folks together to collaborate and embrace the various paths to academic success.

“She is a passionate individual who transforms lives, builds a stronger Tri-County community and does it not only one student at a time, but one colleague at a time,” said Booth.

“I am honored and sincerely humbled when there are so many deserving staff. Knowing that our work truly makes a difference in the lives of our students and our community is my greatest motivation,” said Creamer. “I’m grateful for colleagues who genuinely care about students but also take time to invest in each other. Tri-County is a wonderful place with great people and I look forward to where our unique combination of innovation, commitment, and passion will take us in the future.”

Creamer has served in her current role since 2013, but joined the College in 2009 as director of Tri-County’s Bridge to Clemson program, a collaborative initiative between Tri-County and Clemson University that blends university transfer classes at Tri-County with Clemson campus life.

Prior to joining Tri-County, Creamer was employed at Presbyterian College, where she served as director of residence life and student activities from 2007-09. Prior to that, she was residence life coordinator at Wake Forest University for a year and was graduate hall director at Clemson University for two years. She began her career at the S.C. Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities as a residence life coordinator.

She holds a bachelor of arts in sociology from the University of South Carolina at Spartanburg and an M.Ed. in Counselors Education – Student Affairs from Clemson University. She received the Walter T. Cox New Professional of the Year Award in 2008 and is treasurer and former director of member services for the S.C. College Personnel Association. She is a member of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and a member of the Higher Education and Student Affairs advisory board for Clemson University’s graduate program.

She and her husband, David, live in Anderson.

Jenni Creamer, college transitions dean at Tri-County Technical College, was honored with the highest award given for staff excellence. The medallion goes to a person who best exemplifies the College philosophy and has contributed the most during the academic year to the development of the College and its students.
http://pickenssentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/web1_tctcjennicreamer.jpgJenni Creamer, college transitions dean at Tri-County Technical College, was honored with the highest award given for staff excellence. The medallion goes to a person who best exemplifies the College philosophy and has contributed the most during the academic year to the development of the College and its students. Photo courtesy of Tri-County Technical College

By Lisa Garrett

For The Pickens Sentinel