Multicultural and Diversity Award Nominee Support for: PAUL REED ELMORE
Paul Reed Elmore has made tremendous contributions to the diversity of our College Campus, the
Community, and the people of many cultures. On the College of the Redwoods Eureka Campus he has
brought students from other cultures and Countries to our rural area. They are here to receive an
education and also be part of the community of runners on Campus. Reed works with all people
equally. He has encouraged and coached a 47 year old Veteran with two tours of duty to our Country,
to become a disciplined student and an athlete. With Reed’s encouragement, this student has excelled
academically and become a symbol of possibility and encouragement to younger students. Reed has
recruited students from Italy, Jamaica, Native Americans, and disadvantaged cultures within our own
Country. He has helped them to learn the meaning of teamwork, discipline, accountability and hard
work in the classroom and on the running course.
Reed has shown leadership, by example, to these students. By overcoming his own learning disability of
Dyslexia and earning his Bachelor’s and Master Degrees, he sets a positive example that anything is
possible. He treats everyone with care and concern, while encouraging them to take responsibility to
make themselves better. If a student is from a disadvantaged background Reed is the best listener they
can have. But Reed will not allow the student to use it as an excuse to not do their job. Their job is
taking advantage of an education and the support that is available to all students. He holds students
accountable and that is why Reed’s students rely on him to listen and guide them.
Reed is the first person to volunteer to help with diversification on Campus. He volunteers to help DSPS
with their Fun Run/Walk; he hosts Youth Track Meets on Campus for K – 8 grades, bringing hundreds of
people to our College. Many of these children have never been to a College campus or met students
from all over the US and the World. He meets with community members of all different cultural
backgrounds. Recently he has been meeting with and encouraging the Native American communities to
get their children involved in running. Reed believes if children have something to be involved in they
will stay in school, get an education, and stay out of trouble. This is a passion of Reed’s and he has been
working with community members in Loleta, Hoopa and Del Norte to set up times for his student
athletes and him to work with their community leaders.
His desire to include everyone makes him an associate faculty member with one the most diverse
populations in his classes. Reed seeks out students who others may not see potential in. He is not
looking for the best of the best. He is looking for those students with heart, desire, and the willingness
to be open to new opportunities to progress to THEIR BEST. Reed believes in young people of all
cultures, he believes that diversity is important to becoming a better person, and he believes that
everyone has a right to an education and he will do everything he can to help them find the desire also.
For these reasons, I believe that Paul Reed Elmore would be very deserving of the 2015 Multicultural
and Diversity Award at College of the Redwoods.
Theresa Sisson X4213
MULTICULTURAL AND DIVERSITY AWARD NOMINEE SUPPORT FORM
This annual award recognizes outstanding College of the Redwoods employees for
demonstration of their commitment to campus diversity. Any campus community
member (students, staff, faculty or administrators) is invited to nominate any
employee of College of the Redwoods for consideration of their service to our college
diversity. For the purposes of this award, diversity is understood to highlight
multiculturalism with specific focus on historically oppressed and groups currently
underrepresented in higher education on the basis of gender, race, sex, veterans
status, ability or religion.
Please return the completed form to Debbie Williams (Debbie‐
Williams@Redwoods.edu) in the Academic Senate Office (via email or campus mail)
by April 1.
Name of Nominee: Dr. Dave Bazard
Submitted by: Dr. Sean Herrera-Thomas
1) Please describe in some detail one or more ways the nominee has contributed to
the following:
a. The contributions the individual has made to multiculturalism and diversity at the
college, within the district, or in the community.
b. How this individual has shown leadership in multiculturalism and diversity
through campus programs and/or activities.
c. How this individual has increased awareness and communication of diversity and
multiculturalism at College of the Redwoods.
d. What strategies this individual designed and/or implemented that promote
inclusiveness in his/her campus environment.
e. How this individual impacted you because of his or her work on diversity related
issues.
f. How this person supported underrepresented and diverse student populations.
Professor Dave Bazard is an exceptional colleague. As anyone who has the pleasure of
working with him will attest, his stellar teaching, exemplary scholarship, and impeccable
professionalism are invaluable to the Redwoods Community College District. However,
his vital and ongoing commitment to multiculturalism and diversity may be less
apparent to those who have not witnessed first-hand the incredible time, energy, and
thought he has invested in ensuring the success and sense of community for all at the
College. Where it not for his outstanding leadership as an Academic Senate Copresident many years ago, it is unlikely that the District would have recognized the value
of student equity, multiculturalism, and diversity when it did. First of all, he has been
instrumental in the development and revision of the District’s Student Equity and its
Strategic Equity in Hiring Plans. In fact, Dr. Bazard has taken an active role in integrating
diversity-related initiatives into the District’s overall planning structure and his
contributions have been essential to ensuring the District’s ongoing improvement in
supporting all of its students’ success. He has also been and ongoing and important
supporter and member of the Academic Senate’s Multicultural and Diversity
Committee. Moreover, his voice has been essential in the effort to include multicultural
understanding as a general education category; also, while the college has been
discussing student success during the past few years, Dr. Bazard has consistently
brought the focus back to data points that speak to the academic experiences of
underrepresented students asked his colleagues to address the needs of all students.
His leadership in this regard has been exemplary, and his constant refrain has been
elegant: attending to the needs of students from diverse and underrepresented
backgrounds is essential to supporting the success of all of our students. On many
occasions and in many different settings, Dr. Bazard has shared that perspective with his
colleagues and it serves to hold the focus the most important lesson to glean from
working on behalf of multiculturalism and diversity, that community is strengthened by
embracing individuality. Recently, he participated in the race and ethnicity dialog
sessions with CR students, staff, and faculty. I am know that on the one hand he did this
out of sense of responsibility to our College community, to support the effort to create a
more inclusive environment and reach out to and learn from students. But on the other
hand, which is perhaps most important, he participated in these events because he truly
wanted to be part of the community. This is, ultimately, what distinguishes Dave Bazard
as someone deserving of the Multicultural and Diversity Award: above and beyond all
that he has done and continues to do to support multiculturalism at CR, he is someone
who also wants to be part of our community and is willing to devote his time and energy
to personally demonstrating that it can be an inclusive, caring, and dynamic community
for all.
MULTICULTURAL AND DIVERSITY AWARD NOMINEE SUPPORT FORM
This annual award recognizes outstanding College of the Redwoods employees for
demonstration of their commitment to campus diversity. Any campus community
member (students, staff, faculty or administrators) is invited to nominate any
employee of College of the Redwoods for consideration of their service to our college
diversity. For the purposes of this award, diversity is understood to highlight
multiculturalism with specific focus on historically oppressed and groups currently
underrepresented in higher education on the basis of gender, race, sex, veterans
status, ability or religion.
Please return the completed form to Debbie Williams (Debbie‐
Williams@Redwoods.edu) in the Academic Senate Office (via email or campus mail)
by April 1.
Name of Nominee:
Submitted by:
Vinnie Peloso
Jacqui Cain
1) Please describe in some detail one or more ways the nominee has contributed to
the following:
a. The contributions the individual has made to multiculturalism and diversity at the
college, within the district, or in the community.
b. How this individual has shown leadership in multiculturalism and diversity
through campus programs and/or activities.
c. How this individual has increased awareness and communication of diversity and
multiculturalism at College of the Redwoods.
d. What strategies this individual designed and/or implemented that promote
inclusiveness in his/her campus environment.
e. How this individual impacted you because of his or her work on diversity related
issues.
f. How this person supported underrepresented and diverse student populations.
Vinnie Peloso is the Chair of The Book of the Year Committee. This year, he took the
leadership role and brought the internationally acclaimed author, Sherman Alexie, to
College of the Redwoods. In addition to meeting with campus and community leaders to
secure funds for the visit, he personally negotiated with Mr. Alexie’s agent and arranged
for meeting between Mr. Alexie and students from several local native reservations. I
was able to attend this reception and witnessed the profound impact that Mr. Alexie’s
words and humor, as well as the example of his own success, had on the students.
During the presentation, several other members of the BOY Committee were soliciting
donations for scholarships for native students. A member of the Hoopa Nation donated,
and then asked for Mr. Peloso’s contact information so that he could work with Vinnie
in the future to continue to expand the scholarship opportunities for the native
community and bring more of their tribal members to our college campus. I know that
the work that Vinnie did for this event will lead to future positive relationships and
collaborations within diverse groups in our county and will create more opportunities
for these native students.
In addition, in conjunction with Mr. Alexie’s visit, Vinnie Peloso created an art/media
contest for CR students based on themes presented in “War Dances,” and arranged for
the entries to be collected, stored, judged, and finally exhibited. This event opens dialog
and spreads awareness of the issues faced by our native populations and will become a
catalyst for communication as the student’s works are displayed.
For all of these reasons, I can think of no one more deserving of this year’s Multicultural
and Diversity Award than Vinnie Peloso.
MULTICULTURAL AND DIVERSITY AWARD NOMINEE SUPPORT FORM
Name of Nominee: Book Of the Year Committee (BOYC) chair, Vinnie Peloso
Submitted by: Debbie Williams
I don't know that any one event has brought as diverse a group of people as
this years' Book of the Year author Sherman Alexie's event on March 5. The event
drew together people from all walks of life to laugh and learn! The theater was
packed to the brim, with overflow to another classroom! Not only CR students and
staff, but several area schools, general community members and certainly many area
Native Americans were in attendance!
I know Vinnie would say this was a team effort, what with all the people who
helped make it happen. But as the "voice of BOYC", Vinnie works hard to ensure that
our college community and the community of Humboldt, Del Norte and Mendocino
counties are all included in BOYC happenings. He's helped start many provocative
conversations concerning our entire world and all people. This makes Vinnie a true
humanitarian and I think shows his genuine admiration for different cultures and
ideas.
I also know that I am truly grateful for the wonderful books Vinnie and the
committee have shared with us over the years. I have my copies of "The Kite Runner",
“The Help" and "Fup", just three examples of the great book choices that Vinnie and
the committee have made in recent years. If these aren't three definite examples of
different cultures, I don't know what the word "culture" means. Without Vinnie's
hard work and determination, I'm not sure we at CR would have had these wonderful
opportunities for personal and cultural growth.
Name of Nominee: Tina Vaughan
Submitted by: Natalie Ray
I first met Tina Vaughan when I came into the library for my initial placement tests. I was a
scared new student, moving eight hours away from anyone and anything I had ever known to live in the
CR dorms. Tina reassured me, and helped me not only with my tests but gave me information on how to
prepare for them beforehand, and spent time providing me with other information that a new student
should know. Now that I am in my last semester at CR, and about to receive my first degree I recognize
her true benevolence. She gave me a job working in the Academic Support Center when I had nowhere
else to go. Every person who seeks her out for help is given her full effort and attention. I do not believe
she is able to operate in any other manner; staying on campuses long past when she is required to, to
help all the students she can. She takes a genuine interest too. Never making anyone feel bad, or stupid
when they struggle to understand something. People of this caliber are rare to find; people who truly
embody what they are trying to promote. The atmosphere she creates is one of learning and equality
throughout the learning resource center. Each student is empowered regardless of background, or past
performance to be inspired to learn and achieve more. The nurturing environment she creates has
enabled me to graduate with my degree, and be able to transfer to HSU in the fall of this year. These are
things I can honestly say would be much further off, if it were not for her. If anyone at CR deserves this
award, it is Tina.