ACCET’s First Annual 2017
Tom Tillia Community Service Award

Winner & Honorable Mentions


Winner – The HOFT Institute
(Austin, Texas)

The HOFT Institute (HOFT), originally known as the House of Tutors, was purchased in 1980 by the Malik Family. They have continuously managed the company through both location and service changes while evolving the business from its simple beginning as a typing and tutoring service into the multi-dimensional global educational company of today.
Over the last 37 years, HOFT staff, faculty and founders have dedicated countless hours to both the local Austin community as well as increasingly becoming involved in the wider, international global stage through service outreach, scholarship support to those underserved, the hosting of fundraising events, as well as a myriad of other unique contributions that extend beyond the classroom to include:
  • Supporting students in the hospital or bedridden at home
  • Offering scholarships and resettlement assistance to victims of war (from nations such as Bosnia and Afghanistan)
  • Offering scholarships and resettlement assistance to victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.
  • Partnering with Syrian American Relief Aid (SARA) to provide ESL classes and professional development training
  • Hosting clothing and book drives to help defray educational expenses for refugee families
  • Partnering with the Neil Kocurek Medical Scholars Program of the St. David’s Foundation to deliver tutoring and mentoring to aspiring healthcare professionals in support of local and national workforce development needs

HOFT’s Mission Statement:

Provide the best educational services to our clients and an intellectually stimulating work environment for our associates, which will help propel innovation in learning and understanding within a global, cross-cultural framework.”

HOFT’s Core Values:

R.I.S.E.

  • Respect for clients and associates is the key to continued success
  • Integrity is gained through honest and faithful exchange of ideas
  • Service is priority in establishing success in our community
  • Excellence is earned through hard work and persistence

Runners Up


The Electrical Training Center
(Copiague, New York)

The purpose of the Electrical Training Center is to educate all workers in the Electrical & HVAC/R industry. We are committed to keeping the Electrical & HVAC/R industry a professional skilled trade. Education is our top priority. The Electrical Training Center also prides itself on integrating vocational education into community service. Our students apply their new trade skills in the field on job sites through partnerships with Habitat for Humanity and Families to the Rescue. The Electrical Training Center has also partnered with Copiague High School, Hempstead High School and Roosevelt High School (located in Long Island New York) to offer programs that will educate the upcoming generation of trade labor.

The International School of Hospitality
(Las Vegas, Nevada)

TISOH’s mission from day-one was to emphasize active collaboration and professional relationships. The institution’s community service philosophy is to serve using its strengths to create lasting industry relationships, instill networking and service in students, and lead through research and development. Since its founding, TISOH has followed this philosophy: to support trade associations, to perform research, and to operate and serve with direct charitable purposes in mind.

USA English Language Center at San Diego University of Integrative Studies
(San Diego, California)

USA English Language Center believes that its students, faculty, and staff have the capacity to make a difference in our collective future as agents of change.  This effort begins by making strides in their own personal lives, by becoming involved in the life of the local community, and by being dynamic participants in the community that inhabits the globe.  As an example, instructors at USA English Language Center have traveled to the south of Brazil to educate orphans with the goal of supporting their development into skilled, employable citizens.   The USA English Language Center also routinely hosts a robust Salvation Army Toy Drive as well as having started an annual Firefighter Appreciation Day at the campus to recognize the service of San Diego emergency response professionals. Another notable service to the broader community both at home and abroad is the school’s initiative to send Girl Scout cookies to U.S. soldiers serving overseas.