Summing up the reasons Clare Briner, Director, Marketing and Communications, is this year’s recipient of the Nancy Blane Guerra award can’t be done succinctly.
Among the myriad attributes, Briner’s nominator called her a strong leader, exceptional mentor, dedicated administrator, solid team player, critical thinker, a true visionary, gifted professional and someone who can be counted on for support campuswide.
Did we mention award-winning? Briner will be the first to say the awards Marketing and Communications receives are a direct result of the efforts of her team. In addition to accolades for individual recognition and for her roles in collegewide initiatives, Briner oversees department projects, which each year are recipients of numerous awards from professional organizations’ competitions.
Her nominator sang the praises of Briner’s dedication to self-improvement. She has taken full advantage of the college’s staff development activities and earned certificates in the Vernon O. Crawley Leadership Academy and the Supervisory Skills Workshop, among other activities. She was chosen and participated in the 2017 AACC John E. Roueche Future Leaders Institute. Furthermore, she started her doctoral program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this past fall.
“Clare is a steady foundation for other work at the college. Her humility is evident as she does not feel the need to be always out in front when she perceives her role to be supportive and nurturing. She leads by example and is adaptive to changing priorities. Her intelligence, reliability and ability to deliver in a timely manner have led others to seek her out for her ideas, help and completion of projects. In other words, she is a recognized leader at Moraine Valley,” her nominator said.
“It’s very humbling to be nominated by my boss,” Briner said. “Dr. (Margaret) Lehner is someone I admire and aspire to be like, so for her to have the confidence in me and my talents and skills, and what I give to the college, is a huge endorsement.
“This award means a lot to me, too, because it’s a testament to the work my team has done. I don’t win this award if I don’t have the support, the talent, the skill, the initiative, the innovation and creativity of all of the staff in Marketing and Communications. Everyone has been wonderful in embracing me and my leadership style and my vision for the department. It’s truly a shared vision, and that’s what has made us successful. Not just me but us as a team, and it’s wonderful,” Briner said.