2025 Faculty and Staff of the Year:

Kelle Roberts and Jan Abbott of CMC Vail Valley at Edwards receive collegewide recognition

Every spring at each of Colorado Mountain College’s 11 campuses, students and employees vote for outstanding educators and staff for Faculty of the Year and Staff of the Year recognition. Senior college administrators then select overall collegewide awards.

This year, two CMC Vail Valley at Edwards employees were recognized, not only by their campus, but collegewide. The Edwards campus chose Kelle Roberts, an adjunct history faculty member, as adjunct Faculty of the Year. Roberts also received CMC’s collegewide adjunct Faculty of the Year award. In selecting Roberts, her passion and enthusiasm stood out, as well as her commitment to education. In addition to teaching credit history courses, she extends her teaching to include free monthly history lectures to Vail Valley community members.

The Vail Valley at Edwards campus also recognized Jan Abbott, the campus’s access coordinator, as its part-time Staff of the Year. Abbott was also selected as CMC’s part-time collegewide Staff of the Year. In her role, Abbott ensures that students with physical and learning disabilities receive the accommodations they need to succeed in college. Her dedication to students at CMC led to her recognition.

Additionally, students and employees at CMC Vail Valley at Edwards selected professor Virginia Nicolai, who teaches English as a Second Language, as the campus’s full-time Faculty of the Year and Amy Connerton, assistant dean of instruction, as the campus’s full-time Staff of the Year.

For a listing of all Colorado Mountain College employees receiving 2025 Faculty and Staff of the Year awards, visit 2025 Faculty and Staff of the Year awards.