Voorhees names the 2020-2021 Faculty and Staff members of the Year

Denmark, S.C.- Voorhees College recently named Roger Riley as faculty member of the year and Adrian West and Suzanne Williams as staff members of the year during the virtual 124th Founder’s Day Convocation. West currently serves as dean of students and has been employed at Voorhees for more than 25 years. He was recognized for 25 years of service during the program, where he was given an award. He said it is an honor, and he is pleased to have been selected for the Staff of the Year. “I want to thank my family for their continuous support throughout my career. Furthermore, no of this would be possible without the incredible faculty and staff that I interact with every day that continues to make me a better colleague.” West earned a bachelor degree in and a master’s degree in health and physical education from Florida A&M University.
Williams currently serves as the director of health services and has been employed at Voorhees for three years. She said she greatly appreciates being recognized, and the amount of trust and confidence that has been placed in her knowledge and skills is priceless. “I will continue to go above and beyond to ensure everyone’s health and wellness remains a top priority. When you love what you do, you never work a day in your life, and that sums up how I feel about being employed at Voorhees College.” Williams earned a diploma in practical nursing from Denmark Technical College. She is the daughter of Allen and Bertha Williams, and has a daughter named Taja. Riley currently serves as an instructor of emergency management and has been employed at Voorhees for four years. He said he could not express how humbled and honored he is to be the
recipient of this year’s award. “When I was approached about teaching at Voorhees, I was not sure what to expect. I have never felt more welcomed and a part of the family as I have here,” Riley said. “I treat my students like they are my children and make myself available to them as often as possible. Weekends included. These young people are our future, and I feel honored to be a part of molding their career/life
paths.” Riley earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of South Carolina. He is married to his wife Elizabeth, and they have two children, Corey (Paige) and Shelby. Interim president Dr. Ronnie Hopkins said this has been challenging for the world amidst the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Still, Voorhees has been blessed to have some world-class faculty and staff who have taken every initiative to ensure we are operating safely, healthy, and effectively. “I want to congratulate this year’s Faculty of the Year and the two staff members of the year. They are just a sample of the employee pool we have whose mission is to serve our students and the institution daily.”For more information, contact the Office of Communications, at 803-780-1191 or at communications@voorhees.edu.