SCC's Piening Keller Receives NCCA Faculty Member Award
Sheryl Piening Keller, an instructor in Southeast Community College's Business Administration, Office Professional and Academic Transfer programs, received the 2009 Nebraska Community College Association Faculty Member Award during a ceremony Nov. 3 in Lincoln.
Piening Keller has taught at SCC since July 1991 and currently teaches a variety of business and business-related courses.
"When I was getting my master's degree, I decided teaching was for me," she said. "And I decided that a community college was the best place for me to teach."
Dr. Jack Huck, president of SCC, said faculty were the backbone of any institution of higher education.
"Sheryl has done everything we've asked her to do and more," Huck said. "I appreciate her dedication and hard work to help students become successful. She is very deserving of this award."
Dr. Merlyn Gramberg, a member of Western Nebraska Community College's Board of Governors and current NCCA president, and Dennis Baack, executive director of the NCCA, presented Piening Keller with the award.
In Gramberg's introduction, he noted the fact that recently a new instructor to SCC stated that "she wanted to be like Sheryl, the kind of teacher students seek out for both academic and personal assistance."
A graduate of Malcolm High School, Piening Keller has lived in the Lincoln area her entire life. During her career in higher education, she has served as an officer for a number of organizations.
She has served as president-elect, president and past-president for NSBEA, and has served in various capacities on the Board for about 15 years, including newsletter editor, legislative representative and photographer. She was selected as Outstanding Educator in 1997.
She also has served as president-elect, president and past-president for Delta Pi Epsilon, a national graduate honorary society for professionals who support and promote scholarship, leadership and cooperation toward the advancement of education for and about business. She was selected as Outstanding Educator of that group.
Piening Keller is the legislative representative on the board for M-PBEA. She is finishing her third year and was reappointed for another three years. She also has served on the national legislative committee and was selected as Outstanding Educator in 1989.
For the NBEA, she is on the legislative committee, a position tied to the regional association, and served as the 2009 Postsecondary National Convention chair. Previously, she served on the Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education and was selected as chair after serving one year on the team.
Piening Keller has presented at the state, regional and national levels. In addition, she was the lead author of a chapter on personal finance in the NBEA Yearbook. She also was selected as the NBEA Postsecondary Teacher of the Year in 2000.
She has developed several courses for SCC's Milford Campus during the last 18 years. In 2007, she was honored as one of Milford's outstanding faculty. Her first teaching honor was comprised of two awards. In 1986, Piening Keller was selected as the Outstanding Business Educator by the Vocational Association of Nebraska (now Association for Career and Technical Education of Nebraska), and was then selected as the overall Outstanding Vocational Educator.
Outside of SCC, her volunteer work is extensive. She is a long-time Sunday school and Bible class instructor, has organized several St. Jude bike-a-thons, and served on the Pleasant Dale Centennial Committee. Most recently, she was an active member of the Milford Kiwanis Club. This past spring, she chaired the Kids in Crisis Backpack program, where the Kiwanis purchased contents to fill 25 backpacks for children of various age groups.
Piening Keller's father, Herbert Wilson, and her children Chad and Chelsea Piening attended the awards ceremony.
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For more information, contact:
Stu Osterthun
Administrative Director of Public Information and Marketing
(402) 323-3401
sosterthun@southeast.edu
 Sheryl Piening Keller accepts the Nebraska Community College Association Faculty Member Award from Dennis Baack, executive director of the NCCA. |
 Sheryl Piening Keller, Southeast Community College business instructor, and Dr. Jack Huck, SCC president. |
Piening Keller has taught at SCC since July 1991 and currently teaches a variety of business and business-related courses.
"When I was getting my master's degree, I decided teaching was for me," she said. "And I decided that a community college was the best place for me to teach."
Dr. Jack Huck, president of SCC, said faculty were the backbone of any institution of higher education.
"Sheryl has done everything we've asked her to do and more," Huck said. "I appreciate her dedication and hard work to help students become successful. She is very deserving of this award."
Dr. Merlyn Gramberg, a member of Western Nebraska Community College's Board of Governors and current NCCA president, and Dennis Baack, executive director of the NCCA, presented Piening Keller with the award.
In Gramberg's introduction, he noted the fact that recently a new instructor to SCC stated that "she wanted to be like Sheryl, the kind of teacher students seek out for both academic and personal assistance."
A graduate of Malcolm High School, Piening Keller has lived in the Lincoln area her entire life. During her career in higher education, she has served as an officer for a number of organizations.
She has served as president-elect, president and past-president for NSBEA, and has served in various capacities on the Board for about 15 years, including newsletter editor, legislative representative and photographer. She was selected as Outstanding Educator in 1997.
She also has served as president-elect, president and past-president for Delta Pi Epsilon, a national graduate honorary society for professionals who support and promote scholarship, leadership and cooperation toward the advancement of education for and about business. She was selected as Outstanding Educator of that group.
Piening Keller is the legislative representative on the board for M-PBEA. She is finishing her third year and was reappointed for another three years. She also has served on the national legislative committee and was selected as Outstanding Educator in 1989.
For the NBEA, she is on the legislative committee, a position tied to the regional association, and served as the 2009 Postsecondary National Convention chair. Previously, she served on the Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education and was selected as chair after serving one year on the team.
Piening Keller has presented at the state, regional and national levels. In addition, she was the lead author of a chapter on personal finance in the NBEA Yearbook. She also was selected as the NBEA Postsecondary Teacher of the Year in 2000.
She has developed several courses for SCC's Milford Campus during the last 18 years. In 2007, she was honored as one of Milford's outstanding faculty. Her first teaching honor was comprised of two awards. In 1986, Piening Keller was selected as the Outstanding Business Educator by the Vocational Association of Nebraska (now Association for Career and Technical Education of Nebraska), and was then selected as the overall Outstanding Vocational Educator.
Outside of SCC, her volunteer work is extensive. She is a long-time Sunday school and Bible class instructor, has organized several St. Jude bike-a-thons, and served on the Pleasant Dale Centennial Committee. Most recently, she was an active member of the Milford Kiwanis Club. This past spring, she chaired the Kids in Crisis Backpack program, where the Kiwanis purchased contents to fill 25 backpacks for children of various age groups.
Piening Keller's father, Herbert Wilson, and her children Chad and Chelsea Piening attended the awards ceremony.
-30-
For more information, contact:
Stu Osterthun
Administrative Director of Public Information and Marketing
(402) 323-3401
sosterthun@southeast.edu
