In a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront in Jacksonville last week our very own Colonel Arley W. McRae received this year’s AFC Florida Trustee of the Year Award.
Each year, in recognition of the tremendous contribution made by state and community college trustees in meeting the needs of their college and community, the AFC Trustee Commission recognizes one exemplary trustee.
A few excerpts from Dr. Sssser’s letter of consideration explains what makes Col. McRae an exemplary trustee.
He is a tireless advocate for education in Bradford County. During his 15 years of service on the board – serving as both chair and vice chair — the Andrews Center in Starke expanded to include a high school dual enrollment program, a computer lab and wider selection of course offerings enabling students to earn A.S. degrees without the 30-mile commute to Gainesville. He is a strong proponent of employment opportunities for young people in job-poor Bradford, as exemplified by his leadership in our college’s recent “Envision Bradford 2023,” a promising community-wide economic initiative.
He volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, the Food Pantry, and Children’s Table. As a board member with Children’s Table, he assisted in the harvest of many thousands of pounds of produce donated by local farmers to families in need. So far the organization has collected and distributed over 24 million pounds of food. For his service, McRae was inducted into Golden Key, an international honor society.
“Col. McRae’s contributions are broad and profound; they improve opportunities in the spirit of the community college, and in doing so change the lives of individuals, their communities and the nation in which we live,” Sasser said. “He truly is an American hero and richly deserving of … this prestigious award.”
Click here to read the entire letter.