Deanne F. Schaffner

Member, Seminole Community College District Board of Trustees

Deanne "Dede" Schaffner's first passion is education. Her entire professional career is decorated with commitments and accomplishments revolving around her dedication to benefit the education of others. As a member of the Seminole County School Board, Schaffner's days involve appropriately communicating key elements that impact education in Seminole County.

Early in her career, she started the Dividends School Volunteer Program with 17 helpers in three schools, and today, more than 26 years later, the program operates with 12,000 volunteers serving all 53 schools in the district. Originally intended to tap parents as a resource, the program now counts community leaders and numerous business executives as partners.

"I'm an SCC graduate who sees how my time there opened the world for me," commented Schaffner. "I have a passion for what SCC is all about and look forward to being part of the vision that impacts tomorrow."

Schaffner and her late husband, Bill, were instrumental in establishing the annual Seminole Community College Dream Auction, one of the College's biggest development programs. The 1999 edition of the SCC Dream Auction, its 16^th annual, generated more than $150,000 for the school.

In addition to her full-time county commitment, Schaffner is heavily involved in the community, actively associated with and serving on more than a dozen boards and committees, including the SCC Foundation Board.

A three-time Walt Disney Community Service Award recipient, Schaffner is also a four-time winner of the National Apple Tree Award. In addition to these prestigious honors, she has been bestowed more than 10 regional and national citations exemplifying her efforts.

Schaffner earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education and a Master of Education degree in administration and supervision from the University of Central Florida. She is the mother of three and has six grandchildren.

Did you know?

In a recent survey, 95 percent of responding graduates said they would attend SCC again and 43 percent rated their overall SCC experience as "excellent."