News and Features

Congratulations are extended to Central Piedmont’s culinary arts alumnus Gene Kato ‘99, on being named a 2020 James Beard Award nominee. The awards are distributed by the James Beard Foundation, a nonprofit organization that celebrates, nurtures, and honors chefs and other leaders making America's food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. 

The James Beard Awards are given in many categories, including chefs and restaurants, books, journalism, and broadcast media, plus restaurant design, leadership, humanitarian work, and lifetime achievement. Kato is one of six chefs nominated in award’s “Best Chefs: Great Lakes” category.

The category recognizes chefs who set high culinary standards and also demonstrate integrity and admirable leadership skills in their respective regions. Nominees may be from any kind of dining establishment, but must have been working as a chef for at least five years, with the three most recent years spent in the region.

Kato is the executive chef at Momotaro Restaurant, a Japanese restaurant located in the heart of Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood. Known as an innovator of Japanese cuisine, Kato is devoted to elevating Japanese cuisine while remaining authentic to tradition. His upbringing in a Japanese household in Charlotte, NC, helped him learn how to cook the foods considered so integral to his heritage and culture.

Should he win the award, Kato will receive a certificate, a silver medallion engraved with the James Beard Foundation Awards insignia, and a complimentary professional membership for one year to the James Beard Foundation.

This year’s winners will be announced on Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, from Chicago, broadcast live via the James Beard Foundation’s Twitter feed.

The results of an economic impact study conducted for Central Piedmont found the institution contributes $1.2 billion annually to the Mecklenburg County economy, an amount equal to one percent of the county’s gross regional product.

Central Piedmont’s measured annual $1.2-billion economic impact includes $155.4 million in operations spending, $36.5 million in construction spending, $42.1 million in student spending, and a $919.5-million impact made by college alumni who live and work in Mecklenburg County.

“For more than 56 years, Central Piedmont Community College has established a record and reputation for making a positive impact in Mecklenburg County,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont president. “We know generations of students and hundreds of employers have been benefitted from having a comprehensive college and workforce development partner such as Central Piedmont serving Charlotte-Mecklenburg. We also know Central Piedmont makes a significant impact as an economic engine, boosting the county’s economy and generating an excellent return on the investment made by students and taxpayers.”

The economic modeling firm Emsi conducted the study, looking at college data from the 2017-18 fiscal year. The study found that for every dollar students invest in their Central Piedmont education they receive $3.20 in future earnings for an annual rate of return of 15.5 percent. For every dollar of public money invested in the college, taxpayers receive $1.70 for an average rate of return of 4.5 percent.

For more details about the economic impact study, review the economic impact fact sheet (PDF).

Community colleges are often the way you can have it all when it comes to higher education: You can have “the dream without the bill.”

That’s how WSOC-TV, the region’s ABC affiliate, described the excellent option of community college for earning a degree without the stress of heavy debt hanging over your head. At Central Piedmont, it's possible to achieve the dream of higher education minus the nightmare of crippling debt that can sometimes follow.

Getting a high-quality education at an affordable price is a reality for many Central Piedmont students, including the following alumni who were featured in a two-part WSOC-TV news story on the student debt crisis.

Congratulations are extended to Central Piedmont’s nursing students for earning a 100%-employment rate and passing rate on their respective NCLEX-RN certification exam in 2019.

National certifications are considered the highest credential in the nation’s healthcare system and are widely recognized by today’s employers. That may be why our nursing graduates continue to be heavily recruited by many of today’s leading healthcare providers, including Atrium and Novant Health (as referenced in the following video).

Are you ready to #ConquerPossibility at Central Piedmont and join this in-demand career field? Learn more about Central Piedmont’s nursing program.

Do you know a Central Piedmont Community College graduate who is making a tremendous difference in the community? Nominations are currently being sought for the 2020 Richard H. Hagemeyer Educational Advancement Award and the 2020 Young Alumni Award of Excellence. These awards recognize Central Piedmont graduates who have significantly benefited from their experiences at Central Piedmont and whose efforts have helped the community.

Nominations are being sought for individuals who have:

• demonstrated community involvement/professional involvement, social responsibility and impact
• acquired scholastic and learning skills that have led to continued personal and educational growth
• improved his or her economic status and social capital as a result of attending Central Piedmont
• invested in the lives of others and is seen as a role model
• graduated within the last 10 years (Young Alumni Award of Excellence only)

Individuals interested in applying should note:

• attendance at graduation is preferred
• political candidates may not be selected or honored in a year in which they are actively pursuing election or re-election

The college will recognize this year’s winners at Central Piedmont’s commencement ceremony on Thursday, May 14, 2020, and a one-year scholarship will be granted to a Central Piedmont student in an area of study reflective of the winner’s background.

Nomination forms are available on the Central Piedmont website until the nomination deadline passes.

Completed nomination forms should be submitted online; or mailed to Christa Newkirk, Office of Alumni Relations, P.O. Box 35009, Charlotte, NC, 28235. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 28, 2020, at 6 p.m. For more information, email Christa Newkirk or call 704-330-6808.

A donor who wishes to remain anonymous has made a significant gift commitment to Central Piedmont Community College to support the creation of a new Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence. The center will advance the best practices of impactful teaching at the college to inspire, guide, and support instructors in the key areas of pedagogy, course content and information delivery.

The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence at Central Piedmont will facilitate the professional development of the college’s full- and part-time faculty, with the goal of enriching students’ learning and overall educational experience, motivating them to persist and complete their programs of study.

The gift to help create the center comes as part of Central Piedmont’s ongoing “Powering a Stronger Future” campaign. The five-year fundraising effort seeks to raise $40 million – the most ambitious and comprehensive campaign in the college’s 56-year history. The campaign will run through June 2022, and has raised more than $23.5 million to date.

The center’s focus areas will include:

• developing pedagogy that is inclusive, equitable, and centered on student learning and success,
• using technological tools and resources to enhance classroom teaching,
• encouraging and supporting instructional innovation,
• furthering the continued growth and instructional effectiveness of all faculty,
• fostering and disseminating strategies that improve classroom experiences for students,
• promoting the ongoing assessment of teaching strategies and student learning, and
• developing instructional content and methods that promote critical thinking and skills needed for careers and further education.

Current programming plans for the center include:

• conducting workshops for instructors,
• sponsoring guest speakers to share best practices,
• providing semester-long orientation and training programs for new instructors and skills-refreshment programs for established faculty,
• establishing mentoring relationships for new instructors with successful classroom instructors,
• conducting training sessions focused on the needs of part-time instructors, and
• sharing scholarly research and articles related to best practices in classroom teaching and learning.

“The Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence will be a permanent resource and catalyst for instructional excellence at Central Piedmont,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont president. “The center will be based on Central Campus, but it will serve instructors and offer programming at all of the college’s campuses.  The center will be critical to ensuring outstanding classroom instruction and learning for all of our students.”

The college will hold a ceremony to dedicate the center during the 2020 spring semester. 

Congratulations to Central Piedmont alumnus and 2018 Hagemeyer Award winner Chris Coleman for winning Food Network's "Chopped!"

We are so proud of our alumni and all that they are doing to conquer possibility.

Read the complete Charlotte Observer article.

Central Piedmont alumna Desiree Kinker, a chef at one of the tailgating groups at the Panthers' games, talks about her life transition from a recovering drug addict to a tailgating star in this Nov. 8 Charlotte Observer article. 

Read how Desiree, a graduate of the college's culinary arts program, is using her Central Piedmont education to conquer possibility.

Central Piedmont Community College today hosted its 2018-2019 commencement ceremony at Bojangles’ Coliseum in Charlotte. Almost 875 students “marched” and received their college degrees. More than 2,500 students were eligible to graduate this year.

Since Central Piedmont holds only spring graduation ceremonies each year, 2018 summer and fall semester graduates participated in the exercises as well.

During the morning festivities, Ms. Desiree Kinker, a 2019 Central Piedmont graduate, addressed this year’s graduates. This is the second time Central Piedmont has had a student keynote speaker at graduation. Desiree, a culinary arts student, shared her personal story with her peers – it was a tale of perseverance; her determination to complete her education, despite a period of homelessness; and overcoming the odds. She stood out as a prime example of a student who valued and leveraged the relationships around her, worked hard to build a better life, and brought light to any space she entered.

In addition to hearing from Desiree, attendees also heard from Adam Brooks, senior manager of learning and development for Charter Communications, who was recognized with this year’s Richard H. Hagemeyer Educational Advancement Award, and Brandy Garrett, science department chair for Blenheim Elementary Middle School, who was honored with the college’s inaugural Young Alumni Award of Excellence.

View photos from the day.