KCC honored as finalist for Governor’s Fitness Award for Employee Wellness Program

KCC staff attend the awards ceremony for the Governor's Fitness Awards in Detroit.

Kellogg Community College Thursday was honored for the College’s efforts in promoting employee health and wellness as one of three finalists for a 2018 Governor’s Fitness Award.

The Governor’s Fitness Awards, sponsored by the Michigan Fitness Foundation and the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports, recognize individuals and communities for their commitment to becoming healthier. KCC was recognized with other award nominees at a special Gala Celebration last night in Detroit.

KCC was a finalist in the “Large Healthy Workplace” category of the Healthy Workplace Awards, which includes organizations of 150 to 999 employees. The award is bestowed on organizations with “outstanding programs that help to create best practices for organizations throughout Michigan to replicate,” according to the Governor’s Council and Michigan Fitness Foundation.

Organizations considered for the award were evaluated using criteria including policies, procedures, resources utilized (physical, financial, incentives, etc.), executive leadership involvement, culture, evaluation and results and influence on family/community.

The honor is one of several KCC has received in recognition of its employee wellness initiatives over the past two years. The College was one of three finalists in the same Governor’s Fitness Award category in April 2017, and was honored as one of three finalists for the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce’s Choose Health Workplace Wellness Award in May. In October, KCC won a silver Medallion Award from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations for the College’s quarterly Employee Wellness Newsletter.

KCC Athletic Director Tom Shaw, chair of the KCC Employee Wellness Committee, said the College is honored to again be recognized at the state level for its significant investment in the health and wellness of its employees.

“The vision for KCC’s Employee Wellness Program is to help the College’s employees create space for wellness in their lives, and we do that by facilitating access to healthy physical activities, encouraging healthier eating habits, educating employees about healthy relationships, and more,” Shaw said. “These honors are a validation of our work in these areas so far and an encouragement to continue pushing forward as we continue the work of helping our employees live healthier and happier lives.”

KCC’s Employee Wellness Program has for several years provided and promoted wellness opportunities that encourage, educate and support KCC employees to become actively involved in making long-term lifestyle changes. Program initiatives are spearheaded by a KCC Employee Wellness Committee including more than a dozen members from across all College levels and departments.

Examples of employee wellness initiatives offered at KCC include free one-on-one health assessments for all employees; free memberships at the Battle Creek Family YMCA; reduced prices on select wellness-related Lifelong Learning classes offered at the College; monetary incentives for employees who complete an annual physical; several employee-specific wellness events offered each semester, including various physical activities and a lunch and learn series on campus; an exhaustive, curated internal calendar of community wellness events; a quarterly KCC Employee Wellness Newsletter; and more.

For details about KCC’s Employee Wellness Program, visit www.kellogg.edu/wellness.

Pictured above, KCC representatives attend the awards ceremony for the Governor’s Fitness Awards and pose with the College’s Certificate of Recognition April 19 in Detroit.

For more news about Kellogg Community College, view our latest press releases online at https://daily.kellogg.edu/category/news-releases.