For 25 years, Renee Pearson has been helping families, particularly women and children, find their way through a variety of issues – from behavioral difficulties to domestic violence problems to sex offense cases.

In late 2015, Pearson, Edgecombe Community College’s chair of Human Services Technology, was honored for those years of service. The School of Social Work at East Carolina University named Pearson as its 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award winner. The award is presented to one individually annually.

“I am honored,” Pearson says. “I feel privileged that my peers chose me for this award.”

Pearson has been head of Human Services Technology at ECC since 2012. Over the years, she’s served as a counselor, child protective services investigator, social worker, clinical supervisor, and family preservation specialist.

In 2003, she founded Pitt Counseling, a mental health clinic in Greenville that deals with child and adult sex offenders and substance abuse issues.

“I work a lot with juvenile sex offenders, which is an underserved population,” Pearson says. “There are not enough people in the field to serve that population.”

Pearson graduated from ECU in 1993 with undergraduate degrees in psychology and social work. She returned to ECU and received her master’s degree in social work in 1998.

To be named an ECU School of Social Work Distinguished Alumnus, judges look at six areas of criteria, including professional experience, participation in the community, and advocacy work.

Pearson says she believes what makes her stand out to her peers is the variety of settings in which she can operate. She is dually licensed as a clinical addiction specialist and a clinical social worker. She also is triple certified as a clinical sex offender specialist, clinical domestic violence counselor, and clinical supervisor.

“We’re very proud that someone with Ms. Pearson’s depth of knowledge and breadth of experience is working with our students, and we’re pleased that her alma mater has recognized her for her contributions over the years,” says ECC President Dr. Deborah Lamm.

Edgecombe Community College offers a two-year degree in Human Services Technology, which enables graduates to work in social services, child care, and school settings. The college also offers a certificate program in substance abuse counseling.

Pearson, who served as an adjunct instructor at ECC from 1999 to 2001, has served the community as past chair of the Pitt Infant Mortality Prevention Advisory Committee.

When she’s not taking long walks with her standard poodle, Flirt, Pearson plays racquetball, lifts weights, and bikes.