Here’s what you need to know about tonight’s inductees
ASU, and a PHD from Walden University. She began teaching at AWC in the 1990s and held a variety of roles, including Department Chair of Modern Languages, Dean of Instruction, and VP of Learning Services before retiring in 2020.
Dr. Linda Elliott-nelson has been involved in various community initiatives over the years, and she’s currently active in the Southwest Arizona Town Hall, Yuma Orchestra Association, Arizona Town Hall, and Arizona Women in Higher Education.
“Her current activities have focused on community engagement, education, and development, in the Arizona/california/ Sonora/baja California mega-region,” Education Foundation of Yuma County board secretary Nancy Blitz writes. “Her volunteerism and devotion have certainly made a signi cant impact in Yuma County and beyond.”
James “Jim” Shay, Estelle Dingus Award
Finally, James “Jim” Shay will be honored with the Estelle Dingus Award tonight. This award recognizes a locally educated individual “who has made a signi cant impact outside of Yuma County.”
Graduating from Kofa High School in 1966, Shay earned a bachelor’s in architecture from ASU in 1971 before working on domestic and international projects. In fact, he lived in Tehran, Iran, for a year while helping to design a new university, and he established a San Francisco-based architecture practice in 1971.
In 1999, Shay was elected to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows for his “notable contributions to the profession of architecture.”
Shay currently lives in Sonoma, Calif., and works as a painter while “doing only occasional interesting architecture projects,” Arizona Historical Society board member Bruce Gwynn writes.
Stay tuned for the Teacher of the Year winner and categorical honorees.