Kellogg Community College is pleased to announce four recipients of the 2024 KCC Alumni Awards.
Awarded annually, the KCC Alumni Awards recognize the recipients’ achievements in their professional field, service or enrichment to their community and support for KCC while a student and beyond. Recipients must have earned 12 or more credits from KCC and are chosen based on community nominations and an application process.
The four 2024 KCC Alumni Award recipients, listed below, were recognized during the College’s annual Outstanding Bruin Awards ceremony April 25 on campus in Battle Creek.
“On behalf of Kellogg Community College and the KCC Foundation, we congratulate the recipients of the 2024 KCC Alumni Awards,” Teresa Durham, executive director of the KCC Foundation, said. “You have made your alma mater immensely proud and we thank you for your advocacy, contributions, career achievements and service.”
This year’s Alumni Award recipients are Susan Clark, Eric McClure, Christopher Stafford and Tiffany Thatcher. For more information about the KCC Alumni Awards, visit kellogg.edu/alumni.
Susan Clark, Class of 2012
Susan Clark, of Battle Creek, attended KCC as a single mother of three children from 2010 to 2012. Clark earned an Associate in General Studies degree with a concentration in Early Childhood Education, and went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree from Robert B. Miller College and a Master of Education, Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University.
Clark is currently the Director of Early Childhood Services for the Calhoun Intermediate School District, coordinator of the Calhoun Great Start Collaborative and Parent Coalition and an adjunct instructor for Early Childhood and Teacher Education at KCC. For more than 25 years, she has passionately served children and families in southwest Michigan in a multitude of roles, including evaluator, advocate, trainer, consultant, coordinator, specialist and leader.
Eric McClure, Class of 2015
Eric McClure, of Athens, attended KCC from 2013 to 2015 and earned an Associate in General Studies degree with a concentration in Political Science and Communication. At KCC, he was a Board of Trustees Scholar, recipient of the Robert B. Hites Transfer Scholarship, a member of Phi Theta Kappa and an active participant in many KCC activities. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and American Public Policy from Western Michigan University, where he received numerous honors and awards.
McClure started his career with the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi and is currently a Communications Specialist for the City of Battle Creek. He is involved in the Athens community, serving as president of the Athens Area Community Foundation Board of Trustees and as a longtime member of the Athens Area Schools Board of Education.
Christopher Stafford, Class of 1997
Christopher Stafford, of Hastings, attended KCC from 1994 to 1997 and earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Law Enforcement. Stafford served more than 20 years as Principal Design Engineer at Bradford White Corporation, and he holds four patents in the United States for the design of parts and products used in the water heater industry.
Stafford is now an engineering consultant and is founder, developer and operator of HUB of Barry County, a nonprofit that provides an innovative space for career exploration and vital skill development for high school students and adults. He is an unparalleled force in advancing educational opportunities in Barry County, using his time, talent and financial resources on projects including Barry County Workforce Connections, a unique public/private collaborative that seeks to develop career opportunities for young people. Stafford continues to be a regular volunteer coach and mentor to Hastings High School students in multiple intensive extracurricular activities including FIRST Robotics, marching band and theatre productions, and he recently joined the Barry Community Foundation Board of Directors.
Tiffany Thatcher, Class of 2014
Tiffany Thatcher, of Homer, attended KCC from 2011 to 2014, earning two associate degrees, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in English, Journalism and Global Studies from Western Michigan University. She also received an interim teaching certification and completed applied behavioral analysis therapy training for autistic children.
Thatcher is currently a middle school special education teacher for Homer Community Schools. She also has been a reporter for the Homer Index, written four plays, co-created and co-hosts a podcast called That’s So Original, and has starred in more than a dozen plays at the Sauk Theater since 2018. In addition to this, she is a trustee on the Homer Public Library Board, is a YAK Advisor, is on the Sauk Theater Board of Directors, and has raised three boys.
Pictured above, from left to right, are 2024 KCC Alumni Award winners Eric McClure, Tiffany Thatcher, Susan Clark and Christopher Stafford.
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