Shannon Receives CSM Service Award

CSM Board of Trustees Chairwoman Dorothea Smith, left, presents the 2016 Distinguished Service Award to Joe Shannon for his service to the college.

Joe Shannon received the College of Southern Maryland‘s Distinguished Service Award for his exemplary service to the college.

Mr. Shannon is a longtime resident of Southern Maryland and a former college trustee.

“Joe devoted innumerable hours to the college in a variety of roles, and if you know Joe, he approaches life with a smile, a joke and a kind word to share with anyone he encounters,” said CSM Board of Trustees Chairwoman Dorothea Smith during the college’s winter graduation where Mr. Shannon was honored.
Shannon served on CSM’s Board of Trustees from 1997 to 2007, serving as vice chairman from 2002-03 and chairman from 2003-07. During his service, Mr. Shannon assisted with a smooth implementation of the College of Southern Maryland, moving three separate colleges to create one regional community college as mandated through state legislation. Shannon also steered the college through another transition in 2006, the selection of the college’s fourth president, Dr. Brad Gottfried.

As board chairman, he encouraged the development of articulation agreements with several historically black colleges and challenged the college to find ways to fund programs that would encourage students into science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers, with the college receiving grants from the National Science Foundation and the Energetics Technology Center.
Working with Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s county boards of education, Mr. Shannon fostered programs such as early admission to the college, and free diagnostic tests in math and reading for high school students considering going to college as well as building more student interest in STEM through outreach activities such as robotic competitions.

The STEM initiative has had a lasting impact within Southern Maryland and has led to a greater workforce for local defense contractors and at our local military installations.

A founding member of the Indian Head Defense Alliance, Mr. Shannon served as president of the Indian Head chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association for 13 years.

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