James P. Lucas of Miles City, former Miles Community College Board of Trustee and founder and member of the MCC Endowment Board, was recently honored at the ACCT (Association of Community College Trustees) 39th Annual Community College Leadership Congress. The ACCT Congress announced the recipients of its Annual Association Awards and Regional Awards for community college leaders at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square, October 29-November 1. Jim Lucas was selected as the 2008 ACCT Regional Trustee Leadership Award Recipient for the Western region. Mr. Lucas attended the Congress with his wife Carol, his daughter Leslie, MCC President Stefani Hicswa, and MCC Board of Trustee members Sharon Wilcox and Garret McFarland.

ACCT's Annual Association Awards recognize the tremendous contributions made by trustees (M. Dale Ensign Award), chief executive officers (Marie Y. Martin Award), faculty members (William H. Meardy Award), professional board staff (ACCT Professional Board Staff Award), and equity programs (Charles Kennedy Award). Those recognized at the regional level contended for the National Association Awards. For each category, one outstanding award recipient was selected from one of the five U.S. regions: Central, Northeastern, Pacific, Southern, and Western.

"Community colleges represent a specialized sector of higher education," said ACCT Board Chair and Orange County Community College (N.Y.) Trustee Arthur Anthonisen. "The people who govern and operate these institutions are exemplary leaders, and those recognized by ACCT's Regional Association are among the hardest-working and most talented in the country." "The community college sector tends to garner less recognition among the general public than that of four-year colleges and universities," said ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown. "It is ACCT's privilege to be able to promote the great contributions made by those who dedicate their lives to working in this vitally important, challenging, and often-underappreciated field.

Jim Lucas was nominated by the current MCC Board of Trustees as an "exemplary mentor to many trustees and college presidents over the decades." He began his education at Miles Community College and completed post-secondary degrees in business administration and law from the University of Montana. He has been a practicing attorney in Miles City for over 50 years. He has been an active trustee/adviser to Miles Community College for over 40 years, a member of the College Athletic Booster Club, and has been a member and served as president a number of times of the College Board of Trustees, and the College Endowment Board since its inception. As well, he served as a charter member and appointee of FIPSE (National Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education) and as Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives. Mr. Lucas has been involved in numerous community and state boards, committees and projects such as: Kiwanis, Chair of the committee creating and funding the MCC Centra, Range Rider Museum Board, five terms as County Attorney, Montana Ambassadors, and board of director positions on Mountain States Legal Foundation (Denver), Montana Chamber of Commerce, University of Montana Foundation (Missoula), and Burton K. Wheeler Center (MSU-Bozeman). Jim has also received numerous community and state honors as an outstanding citizen and for outstanding service.