A Northeast Community College ag instructor has been honored nationally for his excellence in teaching both inside and outside the classroom.
Brandon Keller was chosen as the recipient of the 2025 Association of Community Colleges Trustees (ACCT) Western Regional Faculty Award. The award will be presented during the Annual ACCT Leadership Congress, which will take place in New Orleans on October 22-25. The announcement was made Thursday.
Leah Barrett, Northeast president, said Keller creates a positive classroom experience and is an active college community member, leading and collaborating throughout Northeast.
“Brandon is an exceptional instructor. He connects contemporary issues with hands-on classroom experiences in ag business and farm management practices. Moreover, he provides out-of-the-classroom learning by taking students to programs like the USDA Ag Outlook Forum in Washington, D.C., ag business competitions and international experiences in Costa Rica, the United Kingdom and Scotland.”
Keller will be the sole nominee from the Western Region for the prestigious Faculty Member Award that will be presented at the annual Awards Gala on Friday, October 24. All Regional Award winners will be recognized, with the national Faculty Member Award chosen from the regional nominees.
In addition, Keller is an integral part of the campus community. He is a grants specialist; serving as a grant administrator on awarded grants and as a review panelist for the National Science Foundation (NSF) and USDA as well as being an NSF Mentor-Connect Fellow.
Charlene Widener, vice president of Educational Services, noted Keller's extensive involvement on- and off-campus in her nomination letter.
"Mr. Keller is a respected member of the faculty, campus community, and northeast Nebraska community," Widener said. "He puts students’ success first and is dedicated to personal growth. His work on campus and communities supports the development of people across the region."
Widener noted that Keller developed and currently advises the Ag Business Club. This club organizes monthly speakers, some of whom are open to the public. He has also been part of two Innovation Mini Grants developed to support institutional strategic goals.
"Four years ago, Brandon redeveloped the Agribusiness curriculum to better reflect workforce needs and to ensure that students have the flexibility to take courses tied to career goals. This was part of the collegewide Rural Guided Pathways process."
Keller is working on his PhD coursework in Ag Leadership. He also has active roles with the Boy Scouts of America, the Norfolk Community Theatre, and the Norfolk Family YMCA. Due to his service to both the college and community, he was recognized as a Norfolk Connect Top 20 Under 40 in 2023. In 2026, Keller will be leading the 2026 United Kingdom Contingent for the Pony Express Council, Scouting America.
Barrett was able to share this honor with the college community earlier this week. As his peers provided a standing ovation, she concluded by saying, “The entire college community is so proud that Brandon is receiving this well-earned honor.”
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ID: Brandon Keller
