Congratulations to Vice President, Timothy C. Penix for receiving this year’s Business Journal Non Profit Award for Career Advancement. Bill Byrne, President of LiteracyCNYs Board of Directors and owner of Byrne Dairy, nominated Mr. Penix for the award. The 2019 Nonprofit Awards luncheon was presented by M & T Bank, in partnership with the Business Journal News Network, and took place in March 2019 at the Holiday Inn in Liverpool, NY.
Below are a few remarks from the event:
When Timothy Penix became the Vice President of the Syracuse Educational Opportunity Center, the Center was “Under New Management.” A seasoned professional in higher education circles, Penix quickly introduced faculty and staff to the business side of education by exercising his leadership skills to re-structure, re-define, and take the SEOC to the next level. Like any CEO, it’s all about protecting your assets. And for Penix, those assets are the students who attend the SEOC for academic and vocational training. Students, who may have encountered a lay-off, or never had the opportunity to prepare for college need this opportunity to be able to go on to college, or re-enter the workforce.
Penix defines the school’s mission as the “Power of Opportunity.” He states that it’s about maintaining your competitive edge by offering realistic pro- grams that serve the needs of our students while also satisfying the hiring demands of the local business sector. Adult students are serious about making a commitment to engage and learn, but they also have expectations to be able to support their families. Therefore, short term, in demand programs must place our students in living wage jobs. In addition, employers also expect graduates who are prepared for the challenges of the workplace.
Innovative educators build learning management systems that support the community and produce lifelong learners who are self-sufficient.
