COTC Recognizes Legends of Loyalty Award Recipients

Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) President John M. Berry, PhD, presented five Legends of Loyalty awards at the annual Legacy and Leadership Dinner on Sept. 22. The Office of the President established the Legends of Loyalty award in 2011 to identify and recognize individuals who have, over the years, made a significant impact on the history of the college and have gone above and beyond their required duties and proven unselfish allegiance.

This year’s honorees are Bonnie Buchanan, David Brillhart, Vorley Taylor, Julius S. Greenstein (posthumously) and the Licking County Foundation.

Bonnie Buchanan

Buchanan, a COTC alumna and Navy veteran, currently serves as a faculty member in the business management technology program where she provides instruction in business, software applications, marketing, communication, workplace skills, customer service, team building and field experiences. She has 25 years of service to the college and has been nominated every year for the COTC Teaching Excellence Award. She is also a past recipient of the COTC Transitions Alumni Award, which recognizes COTC alumni currently working at the college in either a faculty or staff capacity who help advance the college and make a difference in the lives of current students.

David Brillhart, EdD

During his 26 years working for both COTC and The Ohio State University at Newark, Brillhart has overseen the fiscal health of both institutions. He is responsible for all business and finance functions including organizing, planning and administering campus budgets, policies and procedures relative to purchasing, payroll, student financial services, business affairs, accounting and facilities. His research, development and implementation of the COTC Promise tuition guarantee programs in both Coshocton and Knox counties have changed the lives of hundreds of underserved students.

Vorley Taylor

A 1996 graduate of COTC’s business management technology program, Taylor has 26 years of service to COTC and Ohio State Newark. As the program manager of multicultural affairs, she has developed relationships with internal and external partners to facilitate and grow educational and awareness opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members. Programs like the annual Community Intercultural Relations Conference and Diversity Through Artistry have garnered her state-wide and national recognition. She received the COTC Transitions Alumni Award and the President’s and Dean/Director’s Diversity Award in 2022.

Julius S. Greenstein, PhD

Greenstein served as the second president of COTC from 1980 to 1994. During his 14-year tenure, he increased enrollment; added eight new academic programs; secured financial grants to improve student service offerings; oversaw the construction of LeFevre Hall and the south addition of Hopewell Hall; and built the modern infrastructure for traffic control, parking and pedestrian access. He also worked diligently to ensure that COTC had its own identity and was identified by campus constituencies and the community at large as an equal partner in its relationship with Ohio State.

Licking County Foundation

The Licking County Foundation’s relationship with the Newark campus dates back to the mid-1960s when it served as the fiscal agent for the community-wide fundraising campaign led by J. Gilbert Reese to construct Founders Hall. Over the years, it has contributed several million dollars to COTC and Ohio State Newark to support student scholarships, capital projects, student success initiatives and event sponsorships. In 2022, the foundation made its largest contribution to COTC and Ohio State Newark to support the renovation of Founders Hall.