For immediate release, September 8, 2009

ROCK HILL— In a year of shrinking budgets establishing community partnerships is extremely important and thanks to two local companies the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement has received $1,000 to continue its work with the State Teacher of the Year residency program.

“We are grateful to The Duke Energy Foundation and to Piedmont Medical Center for their generosity. Both of these community businesses recognize the importance of education and of high quality teachers,” said CERRA executive director Gayle Sawyer.

South Carolina continues to be a national leader in and model for enabling the state teacher of the year to serve as an ambassador and advocate for the profession. Last year’s state teacher of the year traveled more than 40,000 miles serving teachers, students, and education stakeholders in the state.

The Duke Energy Foundation values a strong commitment to its communities and continues to honor its commitment with support of organizations like CERRA. The $500 gift was made possible through the efforts of Rick Jiran, district manager with The Duke Energy Foundation. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company and is one of the largest electric power companies in the United States.

A second $500 grant was made possible through Piedmont Medical Center and President/CEO Charlie Miller. Located in Rock Hill, Piedmont Medical Center’s mission is to provide high quality health care services in a caring and financially responsible manner to residents of York County and surrounding communities.

The gifts assist CERRA in its work to support its State Teacher of the Year residency program. While serving as the 2010 South Carolina Teacher of the Year, Bryan Coburn of Clover will represent the state’s 50,000 educators as he completes a one-year residency with CERRA.

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About the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention, & Advancement:
CERRA, an independent state agency located on the campus of Winthrop University, is the oldest and most established teacher recruitment program in the country. The purpose of CERRA is to provide leadership in identifying, attracting, placing and retaining well-qualified individuals for the teaching profession in South Carolina. CERRA is a national model and its programs have been adopted at school, district and state levels in more than 30 states in the United States.