FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Heather Van Sickle

vansickle@nacce.com

(413) 306-3131 ext. 303

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENTREPRENEURSHIP SELECTS FIRST-EVER NACCE FELLOWS

Fellowships Will Advance Learning in Fields of Community Outreach and Entrepreneurship Curriculum and Training

SPRINGFIELD, MA – JANUARY 15, 2013 -- The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), the nation's leading organization focused on promoting entrepreneurship through community colleges, has named its first-ever NACCE Fellows. The one-year fellowships will include applied research in entrepreneurship education and will improve NACCE's educational offerings to members. The areas of focus for this year's NACCE Fellows will be Curriculum and Training and Community Outreach.

"The NACCE Fellows Program is an exciting new addition to our offerings that will benefit our members across the country by increasing their access to research and education that will help them support and grow entrepreneurship in their communities,” said NACCE Executive Director Heather Van Sickle. "We are extremely grateful to our partner, the Coleman Foundation , for providing the funding to support this program. We are also very happy to have four outstanding individuals join the NACCE team for 2013.”

The 2013 NACCE Fellows in Curriculum and Training are:

• Christine Mollenkopf-Pigsley, an Entrepreneurship instructor at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) in Rosemount, MN. Mollenkopf-Pigsley joined DCTC in 2004 and has been highly involved in developing the college's entrepreneurship programs. Her many entrepreneurship-related activities include designing an entrepreneurship curriculum for a new Small Business Operations certificate, developing a summer Entrepreneurship academy for high school students, and serving as the faculty advisor for an Entrepreneurship Team that was awarded a national gold medal at Skills USA 2012. She previously served as associate dean of Business & Entrepreneurship and dean of Student Affairs & General Education at DCTC.

• Amy Valente, a Business instructor at Cayuga Community College in Auburn, NY. Valente joined the college in 2010, having previously served as an adjunct faulty member at Finger Lakes Community College and the University of Phoenix. In addition to teaching classroom and online courses at Cayuga Community College she has coordinated SUNY-wide business idea competitions and a SUNY-wide entrepreneurship educational conference.

The 2013 NACCE Fellows in Community Outreach are:

Gary Muller , department head of Business Programs at Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) in Hickory, NC. Muller joined the college in 2008 and been actively involved in developing an entrepreneurship program, including initiating a CVCC Shark Tank competition for students and staff, the CVCC Emerging Entrepreneurs Club, and the CVV Entrepreneurship Speakers Series. Muller also teaches business and entrepreneurship courses and oversees the college's Small Business Center.

Timothy Putnam , associate director of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC), in Mason City, IA.Putnam joined NIACC in 2000 and has developed and delivered entrepreneurial training programs for grades K-16 and for adults. He lead the effort for the creation of the North Iowa Venture Capital Fund, now with $4.1 million in two funds for investment in early stage, emerging and growth companies. He also managed the Iowa Entrepreneurial Consortium a statewide entrepreneurial FastTrac® training program.

About NACCE

The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), which celebrated its 10^th anniversary in 2012, is an organization of educators, entrepreneurs, and distinguished business development professionals providing quality programs and services in entrepreneurship education and serving as advocates community-based entrepreneurship. Founded in 2002, NACCE is at the heart of the "entrepreneurship movement.” Through membership, an annual conference and exhibition, a quarterly journal, monthly webinars and podcasts, a dynamic list-serv, and other resources, NACCE serves as the hub for the dissemination and integration of knowledge and successful practices regarding entrepreneurship education and student business incubation. These programs and courses advance economic prosperity in the communities served by its member colleges. NACCE is a founding member of the White House-led Startup America Partnership . For more information, visit http://www.nacce.com . Follow NACCE on Twitter at @NACCE and like the NACCE – National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship page on Facebook.

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