Dr. Kristine Strickland, Chancellor, presents her 2022 Athena Award.
Fletcher Technical Community College's Chancellor, Dr. Kristine Strickland, Receives 2022 Athena Leadership Award for Empowering Women in the Bayou Region
(Schriever, LA) - Fletcher Technical Community College proudly announces that its Chancellor, Dr. Kristine Strickland, has been honored with the prestigious 2022 Athena Leadership Award presented by the Women's Business Alliance (WBA) of the Bayou Region. This esteemed recognition highlights Dr. Strickland's outstanding leadership qualities, commitment to mentorship, and her significant contributions to empowering women in the community.
The Athena Leadership Award is presented annually to an exceptional individual who demonstrates exemplary leadership, dedication, and mentorship in the community. Dr. Strickland's unwavering commitment to empowering others, particularly women, has made a significant impact on the community and inspired others to pursue their dreams.
When asked about receiving the Athena Award, Dr. Strickland expressed her gratitude, saying, "I am so honored to receive the Athena Award presented by the Women's Business Alliance. I have been so fortunate throughout my career to have had excellent mentors, many of them women who showed what it meant to be a true servant leader. I hope that in my professional and personal life, I can be a role model for our community and especially other women. I continue to be inspired by many of the women leading the way in our community, including my fellow nominees, and to be honored in such a fashion is truly humbling. I would like to thank the WBA for this recognition."
Dr. Strickland's leadership and dedication have not only transformed Fletcher but have also made a significant impact on the surrounding community. Her tireless efforts have inspired women to break barriers and achieve their highest potential.
Crystal Gienger, Special Assistant to the Chancellor & Title IX Coordinator, expressed her admiration for Dr. Strickland's achievements, saying, "I am so proud of my boss, leader, and friend. She is so deserving of this award. Her leadership has impacted not only me and other women but our community and state. I am blessed beyond measure to work with her."
The nomination letter, submitted by Dr. Ana Nanney, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment and Student Development, reads as follows:
“Dr. Kristine Strickland works every day to demonstrate excellence, creativity, and innovation in her role as Chancellor of Fletcher Technical Community College. Since being appointed to the position in 2016, she has lead the institution through higher education budget cuts, the impacts of COVID-19, and the
devastation of Hurricane Ida. Even with having to overcome those struggles, the institution has seen growth, students have been given an environment for success, our community and workforce have been educated/trained, and Fletcher was named one of the best colleges to work for in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. This speaks volumes of the type of leader Dr. Strickland is for the institution.
Under her leadership, Fletcher was designated as a Center for Workforce Excellence in Integrated Production Technologies by the State of Louisiana. Additionally, the College was identified as a pilot for the Community College Resiliency Center. Her experience with leading institutions through crisis goes back to Hurricane Katrina when she worked diligently to help the New Orleans community recover from the devastating impacts. It was clear this experience helped her to navigate the recovery from Hurricane Ida with excellence, creativity, and innovation in mind. She ensured Fletcher was able to positively impact the community through food and clothing drives, and even ensured free training could be offered to community members as they worked to repair their homes.
As Chancellor, one of Dr. Strickland's top goals is to positively impact the community through education. She has shown excellence, creativity, and innovation through ensuring the college offered flexible learning opportunities and aligning resources to faculty, staff, and students as we have worked to navigate the reality of the last few years.”
The Athena Leadership Award presented by the Women's Business Alliance of the Bayou Region is a testament to Dr. Kristine Strickland's exceptional leadership qualities, mentorship, and commitment to empowering women. Fletcher Technical Community College congratulates Dr. Strickland on this well-deserved recognition and applauds her for being an exemplary role model for women in the community.