El Camino College Honors 2024 Distinguished Faculty and Staff Members

El Camino College recently celebrated its Distinguished Faculty and Staff Award honorees for 2024. Faculty members Reuben E. Jacobs and Chris Jeffries were recently honored, along with staff member Nina Bailey, for their commitment to El Camino’s students, the college’s mission, and colleagues at the annual Distinguished Faculty and Staff Award Reception.

Part-time faculty member Reuben E. Jacobs is an assistant professor of architecture who is also faculty adviser of the college’s Architecture Club and the student chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects, Southern California Chapter (SoCal NOMA). In 2009, Jacobs helped create SoCal NOMA’s Summer Camp for youth; the organization named him Educator of the Year in 2023. Jacobs graduated from Inglewood High and earned a bachelor's degree in architecture from USC. He then taught at community colleges and worked at corporate architecture and interior design firms, later transforming his CAD consulting practice into a residential design company that focuses on single-family dwellings and accessory units. At El Camino, he has planned multiple activities such as guest speakers, firm visits, and construction tours that close the gap between education and profession, allowing students to see themselves in architecture careers.

Chris Jeffries has been a counselor at El Camino since 1992, primarily serving as an athletic counselor and a Health and Community Wellness counselor. She has served in numerous leadership positions on campus, including co-chair of the College Curriculum Committee; co-president of the Academic Senate; and vice president and president of the Federation. Known as the “guru” of athletic rules and regulations, Jeffries has also been involved in statewide committees, serving as the management council rep for the Community College Athletic Association. She has been a member of the California Community Counselors/Advisors Academic Association for Athletes for 32 years and was awarded Counselor of the Year by the association in 2016. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University and a master’s from CSU San Bernardino. Jeffries helped develop El Camino’s SAIL (Student-Athlete Independent Learning) program and has helped countless student-athletes transfer to four-year institutions on athletic scholarships.

Nina Bailey is a student services specialist with Veteran Services who has worked in education for the last 33 years, starting at Los Angeles Unified before joining the El Camino staff full time in 2008. After working in other departments, she moved into Veterans Services, where she has made a difference in the lives of countless student veterans, not only as a certifying official, but in helping them navigate the transition from military to civilian life and higher education. Bailey works tirelessly to ensure student veterans receive the comprehensive support they need to thrive academically and personally. In addition to helping establish the college’s new Veterans Resource Center, she has also served as the ECC Foundation Classified Rep; EER rep for hiring; ECC Union Scholarship Committee; Warrior Wellness Committee and has participated in the Understanding Implicit Bias & Recruiting & Hiring Faculty of Color Forum, to name a few campus activities.