COLUMBUS — North Central State College Board of Trustees members Dr. Mehdi Ressallat, M.D and Matthew Smith were honored on May 29 at the Ohio Association of Community Colleges Excellence Awards Luncheon, part of the OACC Annual Conference in Columbus.
Dr. Ressallat received the 2014 Richard N. Adams Educational Leadership Award. This year represents Dr. Ressallat’s 38th year of service on the North Central State College Board of Trustees. Over the years, Dr. Ressallat has been an active participant in annual OACC, ACCT, North Central State College as well as NC State Foundation activities. He is a retired physician with affiliations with hospitals in Richland, Crawford and Morrow counties.
Also at the OACC conference, Matt Smith received recognition for his service as a voting delegate and Board Chairman of the Ohio Association for Community Colleges, with his term as chairman ending last year. Smith has 11 years of service as a trustee for North Central State College.
Both Dr. Ressallat and Smith are local appointees to the North Central State College Board of Trustees, representing Crawford County in the college’s three-county service district.
About the OACC Richard N. Adams Educational Leadership Award
The Educational Leadership Award is named in honor of Dr. Richard N. Adams, a model of trustee engagement. For 18 years, Dr. Adams served as a trustee of Edison Community College, three of which were spent serving as Chairman of the Board. Additionally, from 1997 to 1999 he served as the OACC’s fourth Chairperson. Dr. Adams was also the second Ohioan to Chair the Association of Community College Trustees, and also served as Board President of the American Association of Community Colleges. Committed to public service and giving back to his community, Dr. Adams currently serves in the Ohio House of Representatives, representing the residents of the 79th Ohio House District. The individuals who receive this award have, over a period of time, demonstrated an active commitment to, and participation in, trustee education and engagement.
