The Northeast Alabama Community College Foundation Board is hosting its annual Holiday Gala on Thursday, December 11 in the Tom Bevill Lyceum. The gala is an exciting evening starting with the President’s Reception at 5:45 pm, followed by dinner at 6:30 pm. Christmas music will be performed by NACC’s Chorus. This year’s honoree is Joey Bunch, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. Bunch is a journalist for The Denver Post and has been a reporter for more than 25 years.

Bunch is 1981 graduate of Sylvania High School. He attended NACC from 1981 to 1983. While attending NACC, he was the editor of the school paper, sophomore class representative in the student government association, and a member of the last basketball team in 1982-83 under Coach Harold Brookshire. He earned a scholarship to the University of Montevallo and graduated first in his class from the College of Fine Arts in 1985.

Early on Bunch began covering high school football games at the Sand Mountain News. He began a full-time career as the sports editor at the Times-Journal in Fort Payne and has worked at CNN and at newspapers in Fairhope, Pensacola, Mobile and Biloxi before moving to Denver. He has covered environment issues, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.

“Northeast was an important doorway for me, and my only doorway to continue my education,” stated Bunch. “I’m endlessly grateful to Kent Horner, who found a scholarship for me and encouraged me to live up to his expectations of me, plus all the excellent instructors I had at Northeast. They prepared me academically, and helped me grow up enough to take on the challenges I faced when I left Sand Mountain. I’m proud to be a Mustang.”

“We are very excited to be honoring Joey Bunch,” state Heather Rice, Development Director. “The NACC Foundation Holiday Gala is a premier event for the College and a great opportunity to highlight outstanding former students. The Gala is also a festive opportunity for board members and the community to celebrate a successful fund-raising year.”
You can reserve your seat by contacting Heather Rice at college phone ext. 2301 or emailing riceh@nacc.edu. Seating is limited for this event.

For additional college information, go to www.nacc.edu or download the college’s free App at the Apple App Store or by going to www.naccmobile.com.