Sweeden receives Excellence Award from the NISOD

Sean Sweeden, United States Marine Corps, a tribal member originally from McAlester, Oklahoma, was recently recognized by Collin College as a 2023 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award (NISOD) recipient.

The NISOD Excellence Awards have a 30+ year history of recognizing and honoring extraordinary faculty, administrators and staff whose service to their students, colleagues and community deserves special recognition. Out of 35 nominations received this year, Sweeden rose to the top as one of 12 overall winners at the college.

Held during NISOD’s annual conference, Excellence Awards recipients are recognized and honored during the Excellence Awards Dinner on May 28, 2023, in Austin, Texas.

“This award really speaks to the collaboration of the team and leadership that I work with at Collin College Technical Campus and organizations like The Choctaw Nation, among others,” said Sweeden. “I see this as recognition of what we all do together as a team. I cannot do what I do daily without a fantastic network of subject matter experts.”

Sweeden’s career at Collin College began in February 2018 as a veteran resource specialist. In 2020, he started his role as a Program Coach (Workforce) at Collin College Technical Campus in Allen, Texas.

Sweeden’s present duties include developing community outreach, cultivating community-based organization partnerships, student recruitment activities, providing career counseling, maintaining up-to-date labor market information data while assisting in career placement and providing tracking student success in workforce programs.

Sweeden graduated from Savanna High School in Savanna, Oklahoma. Sweeden earned his associate degree in correctional counseling from Eastern Oklahoma State College in 1992 and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from East Central University, Ada, Oklahoma, in 2003.

Sweeden actively volunteers with The Marine Corps League, Jacob D Hayes-Collin County Marine Corps League Detachment #1426, The Marine for Life Mentoring Network and with The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR/DOD). He continuously seeks opportunities to be involved in the community and support Native American families, veterans and milspouses in whatever capacity he can most effectively and contribute.