News from	Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30, 2802 Moore Hwy Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5051 mchason@abac.edu

For IMMEDIATE Release July 20, 2009

ABAC PUBLIC SERVICE DIRECTOR SELECTED FOR GOVERNOR’S AWARD

TIFTON – Diane Kilgore, Director of the Public Service and Business Outreach Center at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, has been chosen as this quarter’s recipient of the 2009 Governor’s Commendation for Excellence in Customer Service. Kilgore will be honored at a ceremony on July 23 in Atlanta.

Kilgore, formerly of Hull, is the daughter of Hildred Parker Benton and a graduate of Madison County High School. She is married to Wayne Kilgore. They have two sons and daughters-in-law and five grandchildren. Their son, David, and his wife, Crystal, and their three children live in Ila.

            The Governor’s Commendation for Excellence in Customer Service was established in 2006. Along with the Office of Customer Service, it was a result of Governor Sonny Perdue’s goal for Georgia to have the best customer service of any state in the nation.

            The award was designed to recognize employees who go “above and beyond” while serving customers and demonstrating Georgia’s five customer service commitments – courteous, helpful, accessible, responsive, and knowledgeable.

“This is a significant honor which speaks highly of your accomplishments, the college, and our agency,” Deborah Scott, Customer Service Champion for the University System of Georgia, said to Kilgore. “Current winners were selected from a very competitive group of 240 nominees from 39 state agencies.”

            Kilgore was nominated for the award for her exemplary service with the Governor’s Office of Customer Service Rapid Process Improvement Project for Financial Aid and Student Accounts. Kilgore and Dr. Chrystle Ross served as the campus leads on the project and worked in conjunction with ABAC, the Board of Regents, the Governor’s Office, and Georgia Tech to implement a new model for student services at ABAC.

“I’m very appreciative of this honor,” Kilgore said. “However, this commendation really belongs to my ABAC family and the Tifton community. When you are able to spend every day doing what you love and enriching the lives of others, it’s never a job. “

Another key accomplishment for Kilgore during the year involved an outreach program she and Dr. Eddie Seagle developed between ABAC and China’s Sun-Yat Sen University. Seagle, an ABAC professor of Agriculture and Environmental Horticulture, took eight ABAC students to China in March to conduct a workshop for golf course superintendents and Chinese turf students. For his effort, he received the Governor’s Commendation for Excellence in Customer Service in May. As a result of the ground work by Kilgore and Seagle, the visit to China by ABAC students will now become an annual event.

Kilgore’s attitude toward customer service has benefitted the Tifton community as well. After discussing the unemployment rate in Tift and surrounding counties with the local manager of the Georgia Department of Labor, free 24-hour classes were developed for displaced managers, supervisors, executives, and professionals. Kilgore wrote the grant to secure the funding and partnered with the Tifton Career Center to implement these classes to the target audience.

Coordinating the Leadership Tifton program for the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce has been another special passion for Kilgore. By assisting the Chamber in securing a start-up grant, the cost of the program was reduced from $500 to $25 per participant. She also recruited many volunteers to assist with the training of emerging leaders in the community.

            In terms of the number of classes offered each year, Kilgore directs the third largest continuing education office in the University System of Georgia. ABAC trails only the University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University.

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