Susan Barnard, Interstate Compact Coordinator for the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation has been awarded the Southeast Community College Distinguished Alumni Award for 2021. 

Barnard holds two degrees from Southeast Community College (SCC), an Associate’s Degree in Business (1991) and an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice (2012).  She later obtained her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Peru State College (2013).  Barnard said that while she enjoyed working in the business field, she always wondered if she made the right choice. In 2010, a few weeks prior to her father’s passing, the two talked about life and he encouraged her to pursue further education and “make it happen.”   At the time, Susan was raising her daughters who were 15 and 9 at the time but she took a huge leap of faith, left a full-time job and became a full-time student at SCC once again, sometimes working three part-time jobs in addition to school and raising the girls.

Barnard reflected that her SCC education helped prepare her for her current career.  Her academic advisor and instructor of many of her criminal justice classes, Keith Mabon, was one of the most inspiring.  She recalled that he pushed her when she needed the push and believed in her.  He encouraged her to go on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.  Barnard’s SCC education gave her a solid foundation in the criminal justice world, giving her an introduction to some of the Supreme Court cases studied in textbooks, which she now refers to in her current position as the Adult Interstate Compact Transfer Coordinator with Nebraska Probation and the Nebraska Judicial Branch.

Barnard’s current position is a perfect combination to use both her business degree and criminal justice degree.  In her role, she oversees the transfer process of adults on probation supervision who want to transfer their probation supervision into or out of Nebraska. She processes and reviews transfers and ensures compliance with compact rules while always keeping in mind public safety, client accountability, and victim’s rights. She enjoys being able to train new Nebraska Probation Officers through the New Probation Officer Training academy and also working with other states in order to ensure successful transfers of supervision.

In a ceremony being held at the Kennedy Student Center on August 26, 2021, Barnard will be presented with the annual award.  She was chosen for her professional accomplishments and nominated by a former colleague.  Toni Landenberrger, Assistant Campus Director and Dean of Students at Southeast Community College, Beatrice Campus, will present her award.