Biltmore Who's Who News and Events

Diane Lynn Prieur

Biltmore Who’s Who Selects Diane Lynne Prieur as this week’s Honored Member of the Executive and Professional Registry for 2011.

Diane Lynne Prieur, Teacher and Adjunct Professor at Edsel Ford High School and Henry Ford Community College has been selected as an Honored Member of the Biltmore Who’s Who Executive and Professional Registry. The selection recognizes Diane Lynne Prieur’s commitment to excellence in the field of Education.

Prieur, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and English from Arizona State University and a Master’s Degree in Bilingual and Bicultural Education from Wayne State University, began teaching in 1991 as a high school teacher of English and English as a Second Language (ESL).

In addition to teaching English and ESL, Prieur also teaches business and technical writing at the university level.  Over the years, she has taught American Literature, British Literature, Geography, American History, Research and Analysis and Ninth to Twelfth Grade General and Honors English.

“Teachers have the opportunity to have an incredible impact on young people as they develop skills that will benefit society,” Prieur said.  “Teaching is more than just a job, it’s a lifestyle.”

With aspirations of continuing teaching at both the high school and college level, Prieur is enthusiastic for the future.  Currently, she is an active member of DFT, AFT and NCTE (spell these out).  She volunteers with numerous educational programs in third world countries and through her local church, and she also serves as a volunteer bible school teacher.  When she isn’t busy teaching or volunteering her time, Diane enjoys playing golf, reading and traveling.

© 2007, Biltmore Who's Who
www.biltmorewhoswhoblog.com

Diane Lynn Prieur
Posted by Biltmore Who's Who on Friday, October 28, 2011

Rita L. Harrison

Biltmore Who’s Who Selects Rita L. Harrison as this week’s Honored Member of the Executive and Professional Registry for 2011.

Rita Harrison, Management Analyst for US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), has been selected as an Honored Member of the Biltmore Who’s Who Executive and Professional Registry. The selection recognizes Robert Gimbl’s commitment to excellence in the field of Goverment.

Harrison, who is certified in business administration through Sawyer Business College, has spent over thirty years working with the US Government.

Beginning in 1980 as a GS-3 procurement clerk for the USDA, Harrison has held numerous administrative positions throughout her federal career, including purchasing agent, support services supervisor, administrative officer, director of management and program support branch, program analyst, and now as a management analyst.  In her current role, she works with the web management and accessibility team, internet and intranet branch, division of business partnership and support and office of information management within the FDA.

Having been visually impaired most of her life and later suffering from complete blindness after chemotherapy treatment, Harrison has been able to bring different qualities, ideas and feedback to her team that would normally go unnoticed. 

“The work I’m currently doing is so rewarding,” Harrison said.  “I’d like our agency to get to the point where anyone will be able to work for us without problems accessing programs or applications and still be able to perform every portion of their job seamlessly.  Complete access to all is my ultimate goal, not only at work, but also in my personal life as well.”

Harrison works with and serves as a mentor to youth who are blind or visually impaired.  She has received numerous awards during her time working with the USDA, FDA and with different state agencies, local organizations and within her community.  She currently serves as chairperson for the FDA Commissioner’s Advisory Committee for Employees with Disabilities, where they work to improve the work environment and quality of work life for FDA employees with disabilities and provide awareness.  She is also a member of Alumni Leadership Atlanta and People to People International.  Harrison is also proud to be the first blind person who uses a guide dog to ever be accepted into and graduate from the Leadership Atlanta Program, class of 2008.  When Rita isn’t busy working or volunteering her time with the youth, she enjoys reading and travelling.

For more information, visit http://www.fda.gov/ or http://www.disability.org.

© 2007, Biltmore Who's Who
www.biltmorewhoswhoblog.com

Rita L. Harrison
Posted by Biltmore Who's Who on Monday, October 24, 2011

Lamar F. Jones

Biltmore Who’s Who Selects Lamar F. Jones as this week’s Honored Member of the Executive and Professional Registry for 2010.

Lamar F. Jones, Pastor at Galilee Baptist Church, has been selected as an Honored Member of the Biltmore Who’s Who Executive and Professional Registry. The selection recognizes Lamar F. Jones’s commitment to excellence in the field of Religious Services.

Jones, who holds an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from Kilgore Junior College, began preaching in June of 1985.  He became a pastor for Union Grove First Baptist Church of Easton two years later.  During the time between preaching and becoming a pastor he served at the Galilee Baptist Church in Longview under Reverend J. B. Dunlap.

As current pastor for his church, Jones serves as the leader of the church, caring for “the whole person”, including physically, mentally and spiritually.  He also serves in the local community by teaching, preaching, training and servicing the residents.  One of his biggest joys is being a positive role model for the children, acting as a mediator in the schools by helping resolve conflicts involving parents, students, teachers and administrators.

“Whatever I can do to be of help to the members of the church, this is my role,” Jones said.  “My involvement in the community has allowed me to work with others and learn from them.”

Having obviously been influenced by God to work for him and serve his people, Jones has also been inspired by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to make a difference in the community that he lives in.  Hoping to continue serving in his church and community, he also aspires to further his education and become a full-time minister of the gospel rather than a bi-vocational minister.

Jones serves as co-chairman of the MLK Committee for Longview City and chairman of the Martin Luther King (MLK) Committee for Hallsville city, is a board member for Habitat for Humanity and is on the executive committee for his local chapter of the NAACP.  He is also the board chairman for Community Out-Reach Mission, serves as vice-president-at-large for the Texas Educational Baptist State Convention and is board chairman for the Texas Educational Baptist Congress of Christian Education.  He serves as moderator for East Mount Olive Baptist Church since September of 1998, serves as instructor, coordinator and director in the Youth Department Division II for the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education and is also past president of Longview Area Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance for over five years.  He celebrated twenty-five years in the ministry and was honored on June 11 of last year.  Jones has received numerous awards, including the MLK Humanitarian Award for the city of Hallsville in 2007, was named Moderator of the Year through Texas Educational Baptist State Convention, was named Outstanding Rural Minister of the Year during his time with Union Grove First Baptist Church, won the Milton Bean Award through the National United Ushers Association of American Young Adult Department, and has also received an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Shreveport Bible College in 2004.  When Lamar isn’t busy working or volunteering his time, he enjoys going bowling and playing card games.

© 2007, Biltmore Who's Who
www.biltmorewhoswhoblog.com

Lamar F. Jones
Posted by Biltmore Who's Who on Friday, October 14, 2011

Maria Stefanova

Biltmore Who’s Who Selects Maria Stefanova as this week’s Honored Member of the Executive and Professional Registry for 2010.

Maria Stefanova, String Specialist at Taylor Middle School, has been selected as an Honored Member of the Biltmore Who’s Who Executive and Professional Registry. The selection recognizes Maria Stefanova’s commitment to excellence in the field of Music and Education.

Stefanova, who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and Music Performance from the California Institute of Fine Arts and a Master’s Degree in Music and Performance from the University of New Mexico, began teaching five years ago for a Title 1 school.

After growing up playing the violin since the age of five and studying music in her native country of Bulgaria, Stefanova decided to come to the United States and pursue a college degree in music.  Now teaching five heterogeneous string instrument classes to middle school-aged children, she teaches students at all different levels.  In addition to teaching her courses, she also prepares students for concerts and festivals, and works with the local community for upcoming performances. 

In addition to her teaching career, Stefanova owns her own private violin studio in Albuquerque. She is trained in the Suzuki method of teaching violin and teaches ages four and up.  She also recently started working as a coordinator for the University of New Mexico’s String Pedagogy Department.  She works under the direct supervision of Professor Susan Kempter, where she teaches after school classes at the Music Preparatory School, works with intern teachers on creating lesson plans and ideas and provides feedback to the intern teachers. 

“I am always reading and getting ideas from teachers in different subjects,” Stefanova said.  “I am always trying to think of and implement new ideas in my classroom.”

Hoping to collaborate with other professionals in the education field not only in New Mexico but in other states as well, Stefanova would love to combine her love for travel and education to work with others.  She is also giving back to her community by working with a local community center developing a summer program for children from lower economical backgrounds so that they too can appreciate the arts.  She also hopes to do more guest presentations as well as clinician/guest teacher work at other schools and organizations.

Stefanova is a member of the American String Teachers Association, Music Educators National Conference and the Suzuki Association.  She speaks at numerous state conferences for the American String Association and has just completed her first book with Professor Susan Kempter and four others, titled New Mexico Folk Tunes, which teaches materials to young violinist-based students in New Mexico Folk Music.  In 2008 she was named Best Emerging Teacher through the American String Teachers Association’s New Mexico Chapter and was also nominated for the Golden Apple Foundation Award in August of 2011.  When she isn’t busy working or volunteering her time, Maria enjoys playing tennis.

© 2007, Biltmore Who's Who
www.biltmorewhoswhoblog.com

Maria Stefanova
Posted by Biltmore Who's Who on Monday, October 10, 2011