April 21, 2023
President Jim Murdaugh has been awarded the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society. The award was presented at PTK Catalyst 2023, the Society’s annual convention in Columbus, Ohio.
“I am beyond honored to have received the Shirley B. Gordon Award,” said Jim Murdaugh, President of Tallahassee Community College. “It means so much to have been nominated by our students. The College’s PTK chapter represents some of our highest-achieving and most engaged students on campus. They make TCC stronger, and it’s a privilege to support their success along with the rest of our student body.”
The Shirley B. Gordon Award is PTK’s most prestigious award for community college presidents and is named in honor of the late Dr. Shirley B. Gordon, PTK’s longest-serving Board of Directors Chair and a founder and long-time president of Highline Community College in Washington. The award recognizes college presidents who have shown support for student success initiatives leading to stronger pathways to completion, transfer, and employment and have taken an active interest in developing student leaders on campus. Recipients are nominated by students on their campus and are only eligible to receive the award once over the course of their careers.
In the award notification, PTK President and CEO Lynn Tincher-Ladner applauded Murdaugh “for taking an active and direct interest” in the leadership development of students.
“Your nomination was strong evidence that you are a student success champion for all students,” continued Tincher-Ladner. “The Gordon award is special because it comes directly from your students, and it means they want to recognize you for supporting them and students like them.”
About Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.8 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 countries, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation’s colleges. Learn more at ptk.org.