Chatfield instructor receives Outstanding Educator Award

Reverend David Long of Mount Orab has been named the Chatfield College Recipient of the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities Outstanding Educator Award for 2015-2016.

The GCCCU is an alliance of 18 colleges and universities in the Greater Cincinnati area formed to promote cooperation and collaboration among its member colleges and universities. Through association and collaboration, the members strive to enhance the vitality of higher education and strengthen each individual institution, its faculty, its administration and its student body.

Reverend Long received his Associate of Arts from Chatfield College in 1976 and his Bachelor of Arts from Wilmington College, Cum Laude, in 1978. He went on to receive a Master of Divinity Degree in 1982 from Asbury Theological Seminary. He was ordained in the United Methodist Church in 1982 and received a commission into the United States Army in 1986.

Reverend Long was invited to teach at Chatfield in 2011, where over 40 years earlier he had begun to follow his dream, and has since served as an Adjunct Instructor of Religion and Philosophy at the St. Martin campus.

“Reverend Long brings a wide range of life experiences and education to his classroom,” said Alan Simmons, Academic Dean. “He is a wonderful example to our students and of our mission. Depending on his role in your life, you may call him Reverend, Colonel, Chaplain, Instructor or friend, but no matter what role he plays in your life, you will be richer by knowing him.”

Reverend Long served four different churches in Ohio over a 30-year period. During a four year period of that time, he was chosen as Mission Chairperson to educate over 1000 Ohio churches to support various emergency relief and outreach programs. This involved visiting over 10 different countries, numerous US inner city ministries and Appalachian poverty programs.

As an Army Reserve Chaplain, he volunteered to serve in 1990-1991 as an Active Duty Battalion Chaplain during Operation Desert Shield Desert Storm. During his deployment, he provided religious support to over 1600 troops in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. During combat, Long was called to support a mortuary unit during the February 1991 Scud missile attack in Dhahran, which killed over 27 soldiers and wounded over 100. During the post war time period, he helped re-establish contact with the Kuwait Christian Churches and organized food relief to many of the refugees in the country, and was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions.

In 2003, Long was called to serve again on active duty as a Special Operations Forces – Civil Affairs Officer in the Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq. While serving on the Civil Affairs General Staff, he was selected to serve as the Interim Iraqi Government minister responsible to rebuild the Youth Sport Programs and to re-establish the Iraqi Olympic Program with the International Olympic Committee. LTC Long also worked with the Higher Education Ministry helping to reestablish US Fulbright Scholarships. He also met with both Christian and Muslim leaders in Iraq to establish an ongoing dialogue. He was awarded his second Bronze Star for his meritorious actions during this campaign.

Reverend Long retired from the military in 2007 and returned to his hometown of Mount Orab, where he lives with his wife, Roberta. Besides teaching at Chatfield, he enjoys restoring old cars and working on his family genealogy. He continues to serve in his community and works weekly with the disabled.