August 12, 2025

Forsyth Technical Community College is proud to announce that President Dr. Janet N. Spriggs has been named the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Southern Region Chief Executive Officer of the Year. 

This regional honor is part of ACCT’s prestigious Marie Y. Martin Chief Executive Officer Award program, which recognizes community college leaders who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to excellence in advancing the community college movement. ACCT is a national nonprofit organization representing the governing boards of over 1,200 community, technical, and junior colleges and more than 6,500 trustees across the United States. Each year, ACCT selects one outstanding community college CEO in each of its five regions (Central, Northeast, Pacific, Southern and Western) for their tremendous contributions to their colleges and communities. 

Having served as Forsyth Tech’s president for the past six and a half years (since 2019), Dr. Spriggs has led the college with passion, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to its mission and students. Under her leadership, Forsyth Tech has advanced student success through a focus on excellence, community engagement and creating opportunities for economic mobility for all. 

“This recognition is a well-deserved honor and a testament to the remarkable impact Dr. Spriggs has made not only on our college, but on our community and beyond,” said John Davenport, Chair of Forsyth Tech’s Board of Trustees, acknowledging her visionary leadership and dedication to student success. 

ACCT’s regional award highlights Dr. Spriggs’s exemplary leadership among community college chief executives. The award itself is named for Marie Y. Martin, a pioneering community college leader whose career epitomized positive influence on the two-year college movement. By earning the Southern Region CEO Award, Dr. Spriggs joins a select group of regional honorees across the country. “ACCT’s Regional Awards recognize the tremendous contributions made by community colleges and their leaders to meet the needs of their communities,” ACCT Chair Jay Nardini noted in announcing this year’s awardees. 

Dr. Spriggs’s achievements at Forsyth Tech – from expanding workforce development programs to championing student-centered initiatives – exemplify the kind of impact and excellence this award is meant to celebrate. As the Southern Region award recipient, Dr. Spriggs will now advance to compete for the national Marie Y. Martin Chief Executive Officer Award. 

All regional awardees serve as the sole nominees from their regions for ACCT’s national awards, which will be conferred during the ACCT Annual Leadership Congress. The national Chief Executive Officer of the Year will be announced at the ACCT Awards Gala on Friday, October 24, during ACCT’s 2025 Leadership Congress. This means Dr. Spriggs will represent the Southern Region on the national stage, vying for the top honor among community college CEOs across the country. 

Forsyth Tech is thrilled to celebrate this achievement. Dr. Spriggs’s recognition brings tremendous honor to Forsyth Tech and the broader community it serves. The college community congratulates Dr. Spriggs on being named ACCT Southern Region CEO of the Year and wishes her the very best as she competes for the national award this fall. This accolade reflects not only Dr. Spriggs’s personal leadership excellence but also the collective dedication of Forsyth Tech’s faculty, staff, and students to transform lives through education – a mission that will continue to thrive under her guidance.