CCCS Honors ACC Employees of the Year
Lewis DeHerrera, Jr., Scott Guenthner, Erin Jordheim, and Dr. Liliana Renteria Mendoza were all honored as Arapahoe Community College’s (ACC) 2025-26 Employees of the Year during the annual Colorado Community College System (CCCS) Employee Excellence Awards luncheon and celebration on Wednesday afternoon, April 8, at Social Capitol in Arvada.
De Herrera, Jr. (Custodian II) was named Classified of the Year for his enthusiastic leadership and service on the Classified Assembly Board and the Shared Governance Committee, consistently performing his job duties at a high level, and willingness to go above and beyond in assisting his coworkers with professional development opportunities. De Herrera, Jr., who has been at ACC for two years, serves as an ex-officio member of the ACC Leadership Team. Prior to his arrival at ACC, he spent four years at Red Rocks Community College (2017-20 as Custodian I; 2022-23 as Structural Trades I), and one year with the Department of Human Services (2021-22 as Custodian II; Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center and Jefferson County Juvenile Assessment Center).
Guenthner (English Department Chair/Faculty) was selected as Faculty of the Year for his dedication to student success, commitment to ACC’s culture of innovation, and fostering an inclusive, enjoyable and engaging learning environment in his classes. Gunthner, whose current committee work includes Achieving the Dream and the Academic Collaborative Council, has been teaching for a total of 25 years, including nine years of service at ACC. During the 2019-20 academic year, he earned ACC Distinguished Faculty and Outstanding Colorado Community College Educator (from CU Boulder) recognition. Scott also garnered Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees Educator of the Year accolades – and was a two-time Phi Theta Kappa Golden Apple honoree – during his time at Century College.
Jordheim (Mathematics) was honored as Instructor of the Year for her enthusiasm in supporting all levels of learners in the classroom and the Math Support Center, commitment to department trainings and professional development activities, and dedication to the further development of the college algebra support lab. Jordheim, who has been teaching math at ACC for nearly five years, was a petroleum engineer for 15 years before shifting careers to education. She earned her bachelor’s degree (Applied Mathematics with a Chemical Engineering emphasis) from the University of Colorado Boulder before going on to complete her graduate degree (Applied Mathematics) from the University of Washington. Jordheim was also selected as ACC Instructor of the Year in 2022-23.
Dr. Renteria Mendoza (former Associate Dean for Instructional Operations) was selected as ACC’s 2025-26 Administrator of the Year for her professionalism and cross-departmental collaboration in developing operations and instructional process improvements that positively impact student completion and social & economic mobility. Dr. Renteria Mendoza exemplifies a commitment to continuous improvement and community building through her demonstrated leadership for CTE programs and the college. She was honored as the Colorado Association for Career & Technical Administrators Inclusion, Access, Equity, and Diversity Champion in the spring of 2025 for her commitment to ensuring equitable access to - and support for - CTE programming, including the development of a comprehensive improvement plan to address gender disparities within ACC’s CTE programs.