Two DSC officials to be honored during Juneteenth celebration

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 19, 2014) - Two Daytona State College officials were honored as “Hometown Heroes” on Thursday, June 19, during a banquet kicking off the Daytona Beach area’s annual Juneteenth celebration. Juneteenth commemorates African-American freedom and emphasizes education, achievement and community involvement. The recognition of Hometown Heroes is to educate and show by example the accomplishments of people of any stature contributing to their community’s success and growth, giving unselfishly of themselves and inspiring others.

Isalene Montgomery, vice president and chief financial officer for the college, and Costa Magoulas, dean of Daytona State’s School of Hospitality and Culinary Management, were honored for their contributions in the field of education, as well as for the lives they have touched and influenced. They were among 24 individuals identified as 2014 Hometown Heroes by local Juneteenth organizers.

Montgomery joined the college in 2001. Prior to her overseeing the college’s fiscal operations, she was director of Daytona State’s Women’s Center (now called the Center for Women and Men) and broadened the program’s scope to provide educational and supportive services to both genders, including non-traditional students, displaced homemakers, single parents, pregnant teens, first-generation college students and at-risk youth who had dropped out of school.

Magoulas is a member of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and the World Association of Cooks. He holds certifications as a Certified Executive Chef, Certified Culinary Educator, and Certified Culinary Administrator. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Chefs, which is the honor society of the ACF with only 5,000 members worldwide. Juneteenth organizers noted his dedication to helping students by sharing his industry experiences and training, and helping them to succeed in their career choices and achieve their goals.

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