ECC Trustees Name a Building to Honor Retiring President

Dr. Deborah Lamm speaks with Gus Tulloss, a member of the NC Board of Transportation, during a retirement reception held in her honor on May 22. She will retire as president of Edgecombe Community College on May 31.

During a retirement reception honoring Dr. Deborah L. Lamm, president of Edgecombe Community College for 14 years, the College’s Board of Trustees announced plans to name a building in her honor.

The tribute was announced by Dr. Jerry Price, chair of the ECC Board of Trustees, during a retirement reception held May 22.

The Biotechnology and Medical Simulation Center on the Rocky Mount campus will become the Dr. Deborah L. Lamm Building.

“This is the greatest honor imaginable,” Dr. Lamm said. “I never dreamed of such a tribute. It is incredibly humbling and gratifying.”

About 200 area business leaders, elected officials, College retirees, faculty, staff, students, and other friends attended the event to pay homage to Dr. Lamm and honor her many accomplishments at Edgecombe Community College.

“Dr. Lamm has enabled this college to move forward,” Dr. Price said. “She has raised the bar in education and training and has worked tirelessly to ensure that Edgecombe Community College continues its tradition of outstanding service to its students, the Edgecombe community, and all of North Carolina.”

Under her administration, the College kept pace with the evolving needs of the community and provided educational programs to support economic growth.

Dr. Lamm designed and developed the creative EDGE Scholarship program, a three-year pilot program which fully funds the education of qualified students. She expanded the horizons of many individuals through global education initiatives that include an annual symposium, travel abroad, and partnerships with international schools.

She provided leadership for career preparedness initiatives, including the Work Ready Communities Designation, in partnership with Edgecombe County, Edgecombe County Public Schools, and local industries.

Under her direction, the College increased its footprint by adding four new instructional facilities: a Cosmetic Arts Building, a Collision Repair Building, and a historic house that serves as a preservation trades lab on the Tarboro campus, and the Biotechnology and Medical Simulation Center on the Rocky Mount campus.

Dr. Lamm says the Biotechnology and Medical Simulation Center is among her greatest accomplishments for the College.

The Biotechnology and Medical Simulation Center on the Rocky Mount campus will be named in honor of Dr. Lamm. Construction of this facility is among her most significant achievements as president of the College, a position she has held since 2004.

The Board of Trustees agrees. Dr. Price told the audience, “From day one, Dr. Lamm worked tirelessly to identify funding sources, to secure important partnerships, and to lead discussions and plans to build a health education center like no other in Eastern North Carolina.”

He described the state-of-the-art training facility. “The simulated hospital includes an emergency room, ICU, operating room, imaging lab, phlebotomy lab, obstetrics/neonatal room, and a nurses’ station. This center has everything you can imagine. Everything, except a name.”

Trustees voted May 3 to name the building to honor Dr. Lamm.

Dr. Price added, “Dr. Lamm, your legacy will be etched in stone, and we could not be more pleased or more proud.”

“As I retire from this institution, I’m so proud of the journey that we’ve taken in student access and completion and the edge that we’ve given students as a result,” Dr. Lamm told the gathering.

“It’s been my honor and privilege to serve this community. I’ve had the most wonderful job in the world – and for that and much more, I am thankful.”