HCC named among nation’s ‘Most Promising Places to Work;’ Employees earn national excellence awards

Houston City College (HCC) has been nationally recognized as one of the “Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges 2026” by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), in partnership with The EDULedger.

The recognition highlights our ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive, supportive and mission-driven workplace where employees are empowered to succeed and, in turn, help students thrive.

In addition to the national workplace recognition, NISOD annually honors faculty, staff and administrators who make significant contributions to student success. Several HCC employees were selected as 2026 NISOD Excellence Award recipients, representing outstanding achievements in service, leadership, innovation and teaching.

Excellence in Service 

• Ray Golitko, Research Associate, Institutional Research 
• Theresa Jach, Professor, History 
• Chandra Taylor, Administrative Assistant, Psychology 

Excellence in Leadership 

• Latasha Henderson, Enrollment Services Associate, Enrollment Services
• Genevieve Stevens, Associate Chair, Psychology 

Excellence in Innovation

• Walter "Matt" Adams, Program Coordinator, Electrical Technology & Smart Building Technology
• Hien Nguyen, Associate Chair, Mathematics

Excellence in Teaching

• Isaaf Chami, Professor, Biology 
• Emily Klotz, Professor, English 
• Karthik Rajan, Professor, Artificial Intelligence
• Karla Rivas, Professor, Biology 
• Cheryl Whitaker, Program Coordinator, Fashion Merchandising

HCC will be featured in The EDULedger’s May 2026 publication recognizing the nation’s most promising community college workplaces. The college will also be formally honored during the NISOD Conference: Advancing Community College Student Engagement (ACCSE), scheduled for May 23–26 in Austin.

College leadership also extends appreciation to the members of the NISOD Excellence Award Committee for their work in identifying and celebrating employee achievements. Committee members include Remya Mohanraj, Melissa Miller-Waters, Priscilla Renew, Ian Far, Terrell Wilkerson, Pauline Ward, Colleen Reilly, Michael Ramey, Yokabet Gedeon, and Jill Lynch. Additionally, special recognition goes to Daniel Dylla for coordinating the college’s NISOD recognition efforts.