Faculty, students, staff from Great Bay Community College, along with other Community College of New Hampshire institutions recently attended the Education Alliance for NH luncheon and ceremony held April 10th at
The annual event, hosted by NHCUC and The Education Alliance for NH honors the Presidents’ Award recipients from colleges and universities from across the Granite State. According to the Education Alliance for NH, the President’s Awards recognize campus and community members who serve as catalysts for positive change.
Great Bay is a member of both the NHCUC and The Education Alliance for NH.
College President, Dr. Cheryl Lesser, along with other college and university presidents from across the state, is a member of the NHCUC board. The Presidents of member colleges and universities each nominate President’s Award candidates.
This year’s awardees for Great Bay Community College included the following:
Presidents’ Leadership Award
The award is presented to an individual student or student organization that has made outstanding contributions to community service, service learning, and/or civic engagement efforts on their campus. This award is given to a student or student organization that has made service an integral part of their college experience as evidenced through their contribution to the community. This year, the recipient of the award from Great Bay Community College was the Great Bay Student Nurses Association and members:
- Cassaundra DePierre, GBSNA President
- Ella Adams, GBSNA Vice President
- Emily Blaney, GBSNA Secretary
According to the nomination letter, the Great Bay Student Nurses Association (GBSNA) has made community service within the college and in the larger community an integral part of their mission as a student group. As of March 2025, during a ten-month period, the group had generated over 500 hours of community service. Their enthusiasm for service has motivated over 30 students to consistently volunteer at GBSNA sponsored events throughout the year, many of whom are first year nursing students.
Their impact at the College is well known as they have helped organize the nursing lab, packed freshmen nursing lab packs with supplies, developed and hosted four welcome groups for Freshmen Nursing Orientation, revitalized the planter landscaping area in the college lobby, built a small lending library near the college’s front entrance, and managed the welcome and registration duties for CCSNH Nursing Professional Development Day.
Within the greater community, their love for service has been evident as they have volunteered at many well-known community events including “Kingston Days”, “Ghosts on the Banke” (at Strawbery Banke), Portsmouth’s “Fairy House Tours”, Dover’s “Apple Harvest Day”, as well as events at Dover’s Children’s Museum of NH, and Rochester’s Monarch School of New England. They have been to Portland, Maine’s “Partners for World Health” event on several occasions helping to organize medical supplies to ship to third world countries.
In addition, GBSNA over the year has organized two Red Cross Blood Drives held at the College in November 2024 and March of 2025. Both events were a success, drawing donors and meeting the needs of the Red Cross.
Presidents’ Good Steward Award
The award is given to a member of the faculty, administration or staff who has contributed his or her professional expertise in service to the wider community and who has significantly advanced public service on their campus. This year, the recipient of the award from Great Bay Community College was Dulcinea Kaufman, DNP, RN, CNE, Director/Chair/Professor, Department of Nursing and Chair, Surgical Technology Program.
Dr. Dulcinea Kaufman is the Director/Chair of the Department of Nursing at Great Bay Community College and the Chair of the Surgical Technology program. Under her leadership, the programs have sustained a very positive reputation in the community. For example, the nursing program maintains high NCLEX-RN pass rates, student and faculty retention rates. In addition, the students in the Surgical Technology program in 2024 had a 100% pass rate on the licensure exam (CST).
At Great Bay Community College, Dr. Kaufman has served as a Master Teacher Fellow and External Review Team member for several academic programs. She is often consulted by her peers for her analytical and collaborative mindset. Dr. Kaufman is passionate about faculty retention and continuing education which led to her facilitating the creation of the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) Nursing Professional Development Day last summer for 60 nursing faculty throughout the community college system.
As a nursing leader in the state of New Hampshire, Dr. Kaufman is focused on improving processes in nursing education through purposeful communication and collaboration. In her role as the Chair of the CCSNH Nursing Chairs Group and facilitator of the NH Deans/Directors Group, she excels at facilitating communication between the community college nursing programs and various stakeholders including healthcare agencies, state-wide organizations, and governmental groups.
Dr. Kaufman is an active member of many state-wide workgroups dedicated to reducing barriers to applying for and entering nursing programs in NH. This past year, she has worked with the NH Board of Nursing on the revision of the rules for nursing education programs, a multidisciplinary group to improve workflow for attestation and health requirements for nursing students’ clinical placements and contributed expertise towards the development of an apprenticeship model for nursing.
Presidents’ Community Partner Award
The award is given to a non-profit organization who has enhanced the quality of life in the community in meaningful and measurable ways and engaged in the development of sustained, reciprocal partnerships with a college or university. This year, the recipient of the award from Great Bay Community College went to Community Partners
- Chris Kozak, CEO, [email protected]
- Jennifer Elliott, Communications Manager, [email protected]
In 2018, an extraordinary partnership began between Community Partners and Great Bay Community College—one that continues to transform lives through the power of education. Together, they created the Judy Mettee Institute, a vibrant professional development program that empowers Community Partners’ employees to thrive in their roles and accelerate along their career paths.
This inspiring initiative honors the legacy of Judy Mettee, one of the organization’s visionary founders. Judy embodied the very heart of Community Partners’ mission—connecting clients and families with life-changing opportunities for full community participation. Her dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment live on through this institute that bears her name.
The Judy Mettee Institute offers two dynamic educational tracks—one for staff members and another for supervisors. Both pathways are designed to ignite professional skills, boost confidence, and foster the positive work ethic essential to achieving the organization’s ambitious mission. To date, the collaboration has delivered 11 sessions, with 119 employees graduating from the Professional Development track and 89 completing the Supervisor track.
As one of New Hampshire’s ten designated Community Mental Health Centers and Area Agencies for Developmental Services, Community Partners stands as a beacon of hope throughout Strafford County. The nonprofit organization delivers outstanding services to clients experiencing emotional distress, mental illness, substance use disorders, developmental disabilities, chronic health needs, and acquired brain disorders. Beyond direct services, they connect individuals with vital resources, information, and referrals to access comprehensive long-term supports.
For more information on the event: https://www.edalliancenh.org/presidents-awards/
