Stories @ TCAT

The College System of Tennessee (Tennessee Board of Regents) has recognized two employees as excellence award winners from Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) at Crump. Annually, TBR announces Statewide Outstanding Achievement Awards (SOAR) to recognize excellence among students, faculty and staff members, and colleges. TBR is comprised of all two-year, public college institutions and technical colleges in Tennessee.

Jeff Brake, Truck Driving Instructor at TCAT Crump’s Parsons campus, is the college’s nomination for the Faculty Excellence Award. On December 6, Brake advanced to receive the West Tennessee Regional award nomination. An experienced truck driver, Brake is from Perry County, Tennessee. Since 2021, Brake has served as Truck Driving Associate Instructor at TCAT Crump’s Parson campus. He teaches all phases of the Truck Driving program including safety regulations, CDL regulations, weather condition driving techniques, coupling and uncoupling trailers, defensive driving, and over-the-road experiences. Brake maintains an active advisory committee for the program, and he communicates regularly with business and industry. He assists students with finding employment opportunities at the end of their training. “Jeff Brake is an outstanding member of our faculty and deserves this recognition,” said TCAT Crump President Stephen Milligan. Vice President Brian Harris affirmed, “Jeff seeks driving courses that provide the experience for his students to be successful once they are employed and ‘hit the road.’ He has garnered great respect from his students and co-workers.”

The Staff Excellence Award nominee from TCAT Crump is Adam Brasher, who serves as facilities support associate. Brasher has been with TBR since 2012, and he has worked at the Crump campus since 2022. Brasher is from Decatur County, Tennessee and is described as proactive, knowledgeable, and flexible. “Adam has impressed me with his ability to manage all our facility projects. Through our significant growth, the demands on his time and attention have increased, but he has tackled these challenges as they have come with a smile and attitude of teamwork,” asserted Christi Floyd, Human Resources Coordinator. According to his supervisor, Jeff Staggs, “Adam has always been ready and willing to take on any assignment. He goes above and beyond expectations for any task. He is courteous to everyone he meets and is always willing to jump in and help. He is a joy to work with because of his work ethic.”

Additionally, Brake and Brasher have been named as TCAT West Tennessee Regional nominations, and they have advanced to the state-level competition. The state-wide finalist awards will be presented in March at the SOAR sixth annual awards celebration in Nashville.

The College System, governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, is composed of the state’s public community and technical colleges. Launched in 2019, SOAR celebrates the colleges’ outstanding students, faculty, staff, colleges, advisors, benefactors, volunteers and partnerships. Persons nominated by their colleges had to meet criteria and participate in interviews to advance to regional and state awards.