Adams to receive President’s Award from MPCC

Former Nebraska Community College Association (NCCA) Executive Director Greg Adams has been selected to receive the 2022 President’s Award from Mid-Plains Community College. He will be recognized at the college’s commencement ceremonies in both McCook and North Platte.

“I am humbled and appreciative of my award,” Adams said. “Nebraska’s community colleges do it all and do so in a compassionate, professional and fiscally responsible manner. I have always turned to Mid-Plains Community College as an example of what a community college ought to be. Graduates should be proud of their awards from Mid-Plains.”

Adams, who became executive director of the NCCA in 2016 and retired Dec. 31, 2021, devoted his entire professional and legislative career to education.

He previously served as president and executive director of Accelerate Nebraska, a non-profit corporation focused on improving educational outcomes and the alignment between high school, postsecondary institutions and the workforce.

Adams was a distinguished professor of practice at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and also worked as a teacher at York High School.

“I have come to know the whole P-16 spectrum - each sector from early childhood to the four-year college/university world,” Adams said. “Each stage of educational opportunity that is available has its value. However, I believe that Nebraska’s community colleges are the hub of the education wheel, providing education to K-12 students as needed and meeting the statutory role of the community college by providing academic preparation and technical training to a very broad and diverse population.”

In the political realm, Adams served on the York City Council from 1986-96 and became mayor of York in 1996. He spent eight years in the Nebraska Legislature, from 2007-15, representing District 24 and was the speaker from 2013-14.

“Greg has served as a great ambassador for community colleges for many years,” said MPCC President Ryan Purdy. “Prior to becoming the executive director of the Nebraska Community College Association, he worked collaboratively with the Nebraska community college presidents, boards and other Nebraska senators to pass legislation to ensure that community colleges had access to adequate funding to meet our legislated missions. Once he became the executive director of the NCCA, he was able to become more involved and build stronger relationships between senators and the colleges, which helped lay the groundwork for many new programs - including the Governor’s Career Scholarship Program, increased dual credit assistance for high school students and, most recently, an American Rescue Plan Act allocation for capital projects for community colleges. Greg is a champion for education and a friend of MPCC and Nebraska’s community colleges.”

Adams will be recognized with the President’s Award at 10 a.m. May 13 at the McCook Community College Commencement ceremony in the Peter and Dolores Graff Events Center.

He will be honored a second time that day, at 3 p.m., during the North Platte Community College Commencement ceremony in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium on NPCC’s South Campus.