ALLEGANY COLLEGE OF MARYLAND RECOGNIZES EMPLOYEES:
Physical Plant Team and John Bone Honored
CUMBERLAND, Md. (Sep. 8, 2020) – Allegany College of Maryland’s Employee Recognition Committee presented Outstanding Achievement Awards for Excellence to Multimedia Technology Associate Professor John Bone and the Physical Plant Team during ACM’s 2020 awards presentation which was held virtually.
Members of the Physical Plant staff were nominated by Janna Lee, herself a member of the team. They include: George Beck, Brock Beeman, James Blank, Paul Blank, Frank Bowers, Barry Briskey, Patrick Buskirk, Kevin Gamble, Scott Hardman, Bryan Hite, Tony Hott, Brandon Kidwell, Matthew Kidwell, Korey Layman, J.J. Martin, Tommy McBride, Don Miller, Leroy Miller, Ken Morgart, Adam Phipps, Karl Rinehart, Stevie Robinson, Tim Sanner, Ian Schlerth, Shane Scott. Lonnie VanMeter, Dave Walker and Larry Wilhelm.
According to Lee, the Physical Plant staff “work exceptionally well as a team and go above and beyond the call of duty.” She commended the department’s director, Adam Phipps, for his leadership skills and collegial, encouraging nature, and treatment of his colleagues. “He has made the biggest and best changes in our department. He shows us that if we all work together, we can do anything we need to do.”
Beginning in March, the team dramatically adjusted their cleaning protocols to follow CDC best practices in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 on campus. “They have stayed late, gave up their own time, and stayed until the job was done when others have been home with their families,” noted Lee.
Nominated by his colleague Marsha Clauson, Bone is the director of the Multimedia Technology program and chair of Faculty Senate. In Clauson’s words, “John is truly an asset to the college. He displays an exceptional work ethic, is an advocate of the underdog in whatever he does; he seeks equity to encourage all.” She commended Bone for his service on multiple committees and his commitment to maintaining a sense of community and serving as a resource for his fellow instructors, going so far as to host online weekly faculty forums when the college moved to online instruction this past spring and serving as a Brightspace [Learning Management System] ambassador on campus.
His championing of new technologies to better serve students extends past ACM, per Clauson. In 2019, Bone co-presented with Dr. Glenda Hernandez Baca and Dr. Buddy Muse from Montgomery College on an emerging modality of online teaching and learning at the United States Distance Learning Association conference in Nashville. In his own classes, Bone was lauded for “varying his teaching techniques by incorporating project-based learning” which included livestreaming sports events and producing News Shows.
