MESA, Arizona — Oct. 20, 2026 — Eleven accomplished alumni, faculty, staff and athletes will be inducted into the Mesa Community College (MCC) Hall of Fame in recognition of their professional and personal accomplishments and contributions to the college and the community. The event will be held Oct. 22 at the Southern and Dobson Campus, 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa. The award ceremony will be live streamed at mesacc.edu/live.
The celebration begins with a 6 p.m. hors d’oeuvres reception on the stage of the MCC Theatre followed by the ceremony at 7 p.m. in the MCC Theatre. The event is free and open to the public with an RSVP.
“The achievements of these honorees symbolize the enduring impact and values that MCC has provided to its students and the community for more than six decades – academic excellence, leadership, dedication to service and knowledge of the world beyond the classroom,” said MCC President Dr. Richard Daniel. “ I am proud that MCC continues to welcome and support the students who rely on us to assist them in reaching their goals and dreams on their path to career and personal success.”
The 2026 honorees, by category, are:
Alumni Achievement: Lorena Austin, Randy Bennett, Nicholas Martinez, Anthony Occhiuzzi and Michael Trevillion, Ph.D.
Excellence in Teaching: Brian Dille, Ph.D. and Erin Rawson
Outstanding MCC Athlete: Peace Amukamara and Kody Funderburk
Distinguished MCC Staff: Michael Voss
Service: Leah Palmer
Alumni Achievement honorees have each accomplished distinguished levels in their chosen professions and were selected based on professional success such as leadership and impact; innovation; mentoring; awards and honors; service and volunteerism.
Lorena Austin is an elected Arizona State Representative for Legislative District 9, State of Arizona, now serving a second term for the cities of Mesa and Tempe. Through a college internship, they were instrumental in creating the Maricopa Community Colleges Student Senate. Having served as Student Government Advisor for Associated Students of Mesa Community College, Rep. Austin is one of MCC’s greatest advocates.
Randy Bennett is the newly appointed Arizona State University head basketball coach and one of the most accomplished and distinguished head coaches in the nation. During his 25 season tenure as head coach at St. Mary’s College, he compiled a 589-288 overall record and led the program to the NCAA tournament 12 times and the National Invitation Tournament seven times. His time as a student-athlete at MCC was the beginning of a career in college basketball that would span more than four decades.
Nicholas Martinez is the Senior Manager of Baseload Gas Generation at Salt River Project (SRP). A graduate of MCC’s welding program, he serves as the American Welding Society Arizona Section Chair and District 21 Director and is a member of the SRP Joint Apprenticeship Committee. He has been instrumental in facilitating donations of materials to MCC’s welding program and in placing MCC graduates within the ranks of SRP.
Anthony Occhiuzzi is a retired, award-winning elementary, high school and 30-year MCC instructor. Honors awarded to him during his prolific teaching career include Outstanding Earth Science Teacher from the National Association of GeoScience Teachers and Science Teacher of the Year from the Arizona Teacher’s Association. He was a 1985 Teacher-In-Space semifinalist for Arizona.
Michael Trevillion, Ph.D., has more than 29 years of distinguished service in education across Arizona and Illinois. His professional accomplishments include successfully turning around a failing school as principal, developing university-level courses and educator licensure programs, and securing and managing millions of dollars in federal and state education grants in his current role as Director of Federal Programs and Grants for Community Unit School District 300 in Illinois.
The Excellence in Teaching category recognizes residential faculty members who, over a number of years, have distinguished themselves as exceeding expectations in their contribution to the classroom, the college, the Maricopa County Community College District, the profession and the community.
Brian Dille, Ph.D., has been a respected MCC residential faculty member since 1999, teaching political science in the Behavioral Health Sciences department. His accomplishments include authoring two textbooks, serving as co-director of the Arizona Civic Education Project, leading MCC's Model United Nations program for high school students and training K-12 educators in civic education pedagogy as a guest scholar for the “We The People” summer institutes sponsored by the Arizona Bar Association.
Erin Rawson is a retired MCC Communications faculty member, serving in numerous roles from 1995-2025. Her professional journey includes leadership roles as Department Chair and Director of Speech Activities, during which the Speech and Debate program experienced remarkable growth and visibility.
Outstanding MCC Athlete honorees are chosen based on their contributions to sports while at MCC including earning All-American, All-Conference and All-Region honors and championships; earning NJCAA All-Academic recognition; and helping the Thunderbird teams to national championships or top national finishes.
Peace Amukamara, in 2014, helped lead MCC to its first NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship in program history. She was named NJCAA Division II Player of the Year and the NJCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship Tournament MVP. After competing at the NCAA Division I level and completing her bachelor’s at Arizona State University, she now works in the fashion industry.
Kody Funderburk is a left-handed relief pitcher with the Minnesota Twins. Playing for the Thunderbirds in 2017, he was named a National Junior College Athletic Association Division II First Team All-American, First Team All-Conference, and First Team All-Region selection. He credits MCC as an important part of his journey as a baseball player and a person, learning what it means to compete, work and believe in himself.
The Distinguished MCC Staff award honors sustained, outstanding contributions in areas like development of programs at MCC, enhancement of the college’s reputation, excellence in serving students and their commitment to shaping the future.
Michael Voss is MCC Dean of Instruction, overseeing Allied Health, Applied Sciences & Technology, Business and Computer Information Systems programs. He is the recipient of numerous awards, most recently being recognized as the Association for Career and Technical Education AZ Postsecondary Professional of the Year. He is a three-time winner for the Innovation of the Year award for initiatives and project teams he has led.
The Service honoree is an alum or member of the community who has provided significant and exemplary service to MCC and/or the community.
Leah Palmer is Executive Director of the Arizona Advanced Manufacturing Institute, a multi-college advanced manufacturing workforce initiative serving MCC, Maricopa County Community College District, employers and communities across the state. She was named a 2024 Manufacturing Champion of the Year by the Arizona Manufacturers Council and Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Visit mesacc.edu/hall-fame for more information about MCC’s Hall of Fame program and inductees.
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Media contact: Dawn Zimmer, [email protected], 480-461-7892
Mesa Community College (MCC) is nationally recognized for its excellence in university transfer, career and technical programs, civic engagement, and innovative education. Serving more than 23,000 students annually, MCC offers a range of degree and certificate programs across its two campuses and additional locations. MCC students contribute more than 5,677 hours of community service annually. MCC serves as a key resource for education, workforce development, and lifelong learning. The college enhances student success through Guided Pathways with Integrated Support Services. A Hispanic Serving Institution, nearly 50% of MCC students are first-generation college attendees, and it boasts the largest Indigenous student population among Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) colleges, supporting students from 22 Arizona tribes and additional out-of-state tribes. Our award-winning faculty are committed to helping students achieve their goals through high-quality education, training and undergraduate research opportunities. Located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, MCC is one of 10 MCCCD colleges. Learn more at mesacc.edu/newsroom.
MCC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org.
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is an EEO institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or national origin. A lack of English language skills will not be a barrier to admission and participation in the career and technical education programs of the District. MCCCD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age in its programs or activities. For Title IX/504 concerns, call the following number to reach the appointed coordinator: (480) 731-8499. For additional information, as well as a listing of all coordinators within the Maricopa College system, visit www.maricopa.edu/non-discrimination.