Altamaha Tech Faculty Pick Rick Perkins Award Nominee

Practical Nursing Instructor, Dailene McDaniel of Jesup, was recently named winner of the Rick Perkins Award for Excellence for Altamaha Technical College. 

Named in memory of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor at West Central Technical College, who received the DTAE Commissioner’s, Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death, the award is the state technical college systems’ version of an “instructor of the year” honor. 

Annually, all 34 technical colleges, plus the four Regents system schools with technical divisions, each nominate an instructor to represent their college for the statewide honor.  Nominees then compete on a regional basis.

McDaniel was selected by her peers as ATC’s nominee for the regional competition which will be held July 26th at ATC’s C. Paul Scott Polytechnical Center.  McDaniel will compete with representatives from Okefenokee, Southeastern, Ogeechee, and Savannah Technical Colleges.  The winner of the competition will be announced in September at the annual Lighthouse conference on Jekyll Island.

According to ATC President, Lorette Hoover, “Dailene McDaniel has labored in her own quiet way to make gems from what are sometimes very coarse stones. She takes personal pride in developing nurses who possess not only the knowledge and skills to be safe and effective practitioners but also the professionalism, dedication, and compassion to be the kind of nurses we want to care for our own loved ones.”

During her 18 years at Altamaha Technical College, Ms. McDaniel has always been involved in the college outside of the classroom and in the community. She developed and implemented Altamaha Tech’s CNA program, served as Vice President of Region IV of the Georgia Healthcare Technology Education Association (HSTEA) for six years, served on the Wayne County High School HSTEA Advisory Board, developed and coordinated the Elementary School Science Expo of 2003, developed and organized the region and state Skills USA Health Knowledge Bowl Competition in 2005, and coordinated student participation in area industry and community health fairs for 12 years. Ms. McDaniel won the ATC President’s Spirit Award in 1991 and was inducted into the ATC President’s Silver Pencil Society in 2001. “Dailene is a professional woman who has always worked very hard for the greater good of her students, her college, and her community,” says Hoover.

The state Rick Perkins Award winner serves as an ambassador for technical education in Georgia.  He or she will make many public appearances throughout the year, including addresses to the Georgia General Assembly, the governor and the Georgia Technical College System Leadership Conference in November.