Marianne Duncanson of Friendswood is a proud member of her community and looks for ways to serve her city. Recently she was recognized for her commitment and contribution to the work that she loves as The College of the Mainland honored her with the 2009 Donor of the Year Award.

By day she is a senior lubrication engineer for Exxon Mobil where she has worked for over 30 years. While she enjoys her day job, her real passion comes when she is able to provide for her community by offering Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to those in need. She joined the Friendswood Volunteer EMS Department in 2005 and because of her dedication to serve she went to school to become a paramedic, graduating from the College of the Mainland in 2006, equipped and ready to start giving back.

While she has been honoring those in need with her exceptional care and heartfelt service, she was recently honored by the College of the Mainland Foundation as the 2009 Donor of the Year for her support of the EMS program and the College of the Mainland. “Her donations have helped the EMS program purchase much needed airway training manikins, instructional software, and other instructional resources,” said Cissy Matthews, dean of public service and health occupations.

The COM foundation also offers scholarships to local residents each year, with $100,000 being distributed last year, a resource that would not be possible without companies and people like Duncanson making contributions. Duncanson will be honoring the residents of Friendswood as she continues the work she loves.