Tallahassee State College Named Entrepreneurial College of the Year by NACCE

October 7, 2025

Tallahassee State College (TSC) has been named the 2025 Entrepreneurial College of the Year by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), North America's leading advocate for entrepreneurship education. The award was presented today during the NACCE 2025 Annual Conference in Coronado, California.

The award was accepted by Shelly Bell, Vice President for Workforce Development; Cerissa Fondo, Director of Business and Workforce Development, and Dr. Angela Long, Chief Engagement Officer.

TSC has distinguished itself as an entrepreneurial leader through innovative initiatives, including:

• Reef restoration and sustainability - Led by the Wakulla Environmental Institute, the College has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Tall Timbers to deploy more than 1,000 concrete reef domes off the coast of Wakulla County in Florida's Panhandle. These structures support oyster cultivation, protect shorelines from erosion, and mitigate the impacts of rising sea levels.

• Advancing Artificial Intelligence - In partnership with the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce, TSC hosted the inaugural AI Innovation Summit, bringing together regional leaders from education, business, government, technology, and healthcare to explore how AI is transforming the way we live, work, and learn. Building on this momentum, TSC and the Chamber now co-host a monthly webinar series to help the community better understand and embrace AI. President Jim Murdaugh also shared TSC's approach on a global stage, serving as a panelist at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland.

• Excellence in workplace culture - TSC has earned multiple national recognitions that underscore its commitment to employees and institutional innovation. In 2025, the college was named one of the Great Colleges to Work For® and one of the Most Promising Places to Work for in Community Colleges by NISOD. The college also received the 2024-2025 Innovation of the Year Award from the League for Innovation for its professional development program, a data-driven framework that aligns training with strategic goals.

"On behalf of TSC, I am honored to accept the Entrepreneurial College of the Year award," said Dr. Jim Murdaugh, president of TSC. "This recognition affirms the spirit of innovation and collaboration that defines who we are as an institution. By fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, we empower our faculty, staff, and students to turn challenges into opportunities. This is a reflection of the collective energy, creativity, and commitment that make TSC a force for positive change."