Three Redlands Community College employees were honored by the Oklahoma Association of Community Colleges (OACC) for their outstanding contributions to the college, and President Emeritus Jack Bryant was inducted into the OACC Hall of Fame. Peggy Clifton was named Outstanding Faculty Member, while Dana Hunka was recognized as Outstanding Professional Staff Member and Ray Underwood was Outstanding Support Staff Member.
“We have an excellent team of faculty and staff at Redlands, and all three of these honorees have played a pivotal role in helping our students and supporting our employees as we experienced exciting growth in enrollment and programs over the past year,” said Jena Marr, president of Redlands Community College. “It’s an honor to recognize individuals each year who have exhibited such dedication to the students and the college, and we appreciate their commitment to making a positive impact on our students’ college experience.”
Clifton has been at Redlands for three decades in the Math Department. She began as an adjunct instructor and joined the full-time faculty staff the following year. Currently a professor of mathematics, Clifton received tenure in 2016. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Oklahoma Baptist University and a Master of Education with a specialization in mathematics from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
Hunka currently serves as Assistant Registrar and coordinates student activities. An alumna, she began working at Redlands as a Student Work Study assistant before joining the Registrar’s Office as a Records Specialist. In addition to her associate degree, Hunka earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Central Oklahoma.
In a short time, Underwood has become a valued member of the Redlands’ Information Technology team. He came to Redlands in 2023 and works as a Technical Services Specialist. He recently became certified in both CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA A+.
In addition to these honors, Redlands President Emeritus Jack Bryant was inducted into the OACC Hall of Fame. Bryant retired as president of Redlands in 2023 after a long, distinguished career in higher education. Bryant's expertise took him to various institutions, including Mesa Technical College in New Mexico, the University of Tulsa, and Frank Phillips College in Texas. During his presidency, Bryant fostered public and private partnerships that expanded programs, enhanced learning opportunities, and increased student services. Under his leadership, the college secured $23.3 million in federal grants and over $1 million in state grants, providing crucial support to first-generation, low-income, Native American students, veterans, and high school students.
Bryant’s many contributions to higher education as well as the state earned him induction into both the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Heritage Society Hall of Fame.