Two HGTC directors become board certified
 
James Malone and Sandra McNeal, members of the Board of Directors of Heart of Georgia Technical College, recently completed the requirements to become Certified Board members, as determined by the Technical College Directors’ Association of Georgia.
In order to become certified, Mr. Malone and Ms. McNeal, attended five required workshops and one elective workshop, in addition to completing 10 of 15 activity criteria. The five required workshops were: New Board Member Orientation; Governance of Technical Colleges; Community Advocacy; Building Relationships with Elected Officials-Part 1; and Budgeting and Financial Management.
Mr. Malone represents Laurens County on the HGTC board, and Ms. McNeal represents Wheeler County.
Pictured: Beth Crumpton, HGTC acting president, presenting the certificate to James Malone, and Ms. McNeal (back row, third from left) as she receives her certificate at the Leadership Conference held in Savannah, Georgia.
Westerfield named to HGTC Foundation board
The Heart of Georgia Technical College (HGTC) Foundation recently elected David Westerfield of Dublin to the Board of Trustees.
The HGTC Foundation is the fundraising arm of the college dedicated to raising and providing resources for HGTC’s educational excellence and innovation. The Foundation is guided by a volunteer board of trustees composed of business and community leaders from the Heart of Georgia Tech service area.
Westerfield is the human resources director for Mohawk Industries Carpet Division. He is the Chairman of the Board of Communities in Schools. He is a member of the First Baptist Church, the Board of Certified Literate Community Program, Board of Directors for Easter Seals, the Dublin/Laurens County Chamber of Commerce, and the Dublin Rotary Club. Westerfield also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Laurens County Commission for Children, Youth, and Families.
“We are excited to have someone with (David’s) his background and experience to join the Foundation Board,” said Helen Harper, HGTC Foundation president.
Westerfield and his wife, Fay, have two sons and one granddaughter.
Local Business Fills Government Order to Repair 15,000 Pallets
Wild Bore Machine Shop owner Kevin Baggett has his work cut out for him. In his fourth year of business, Baggett and his two partners landed a contract with Warner Robins Air Force Base to repair 15,000 cargo pallets. The pallets, designed to hold all types of cargo for aircraft carriers are aluminum with a wood core. The project requires onsite inspectors.
Baggett graduated from West Laurens High School and studied Welding at Heart of Georgia Technical College. After working with a local welder, he went to work with an industrial contractors business. He later decided to open his own business. He and his partners own Wild Bore Machine Shop and MCC Industrial Contractors. MCC Industrial Contractors has locations in Dudley and Macon where they send field crews to industries to perform fabrication jobs.
Although the pallet job and other government contracts make up a large part of their business, industries have used them for projects, also. Hercules of Macon, Electrolux of Eastman, and Parker Aerospace of Dublin have all used Wild Bore’s services. One half of the Wild Bore shop is dedicated to repairing of cargo pallets. The other half is used for fabrication. The demand for their services continues to grow.
David Hall, Machine Tool Instructor at HGTC, says the demand for good machine work shows no sign of slowing down, “The need for good machinists is strong. There are many avenues a machinist can take when he/she graduates. The jobs are available in all markets. What we need are people willing to do what it takes to become the best machinist along with good work ethics. The employers will line up with opportunities to hire them. I get calls every week looking for qualified people.”
Baggett’s good natured personality gives Wild Bore a pleasant feel. The workers are productive and knowledgeable. He hopes to continue to find favor with the government and industries that have grown to trust his business.
Denim & Diamonds Dinner to benefit HGTC Foundation
The Sixth Annual Denim & Diamonds Dinner will be held Saturday, February 3, 2007 at the Heart of Georgia Technical College Porter Center. The event will be hosted by the Heart of Georgia Technical College Foundation.
The Foundation is the fund raising arm of the College dedicated to raising and providing resources for HGTC’s educational excellence and innovation. The Foundation is guided by a volunteer board of trustees composed of 16 business and community leaders from HGTC’s six-county service area: Bleckley, Dodge, Laurens, Telfair, Wheeler, and Wilkinson Counties.
Funds raised are used to purchase equipment for credit programs and help with the matching funds needed to support the Tools for Outstanding Occupational Leadership Students (TOOLS) program. The TOOLS program is a matching grant opportunity where Morris State Bank and the Evelyn and Louie Livingston Family Foundation offer a $15,000 award that the Foundation matches in order to give graduating students the tools necessary to begin their new career. The proceeds are also used to support other initiatives of the College.
The evening will include a sit-down dinner served by area celebrities and business owners from the six-county service area. The celebrity waiters will creatively serve the guest at his/her table in hopes to generate tips for the event. “Each year we utilize leaders in the community in hopes to build relationships and support for the Foundation,” said Helen Harper, president of the HGTC Foundation. “The event always stimulates natural competition between the waiters, and it makes raising funds through ‘tips’ fun.”
Western attire with a little glitz and glam are recommended for the evening. “It’s always fun to see folks dressed in jeans with black tie or sequin top and jean skirt,” said Harper.
“We especially appreciate Dennis Holley at JT Hanna for providing the event t-shirts each year,” Harper said. “The event shirts make the volunteers recognizable throughout the evening, and they are great advertising for us as folks wear them year-round.”
Back by popular demand is The Rocky Creek Band. The group is based out of Eastman, Georgia, and will provide the entertainment for the event. They play all types of music and are a crowd pleaser. Band member, Danny Howard, said that they are pleased to be coming back for the annual event.
The evening will begin with a social at 6:00 p.m. Dinner will be served shortly after 7 p.m. Tickets for Denim & Diamonds are $50 each or $400 for a table of eight. To purchase a ticket, call June Moore at 478-272-7775, or contact a member of the Foundation.
A Chance Meeting Brings Success for One Family
Putting in her time at a local retail business, Melisa Brinson had a chance encounter that would change not only her life, but the lives of her children. Libby Lester, New Connections Specialist at Heart of Georgia Technical College, stopped to ask Brinson if it would be alright for her to post a flyer about an upcoming Community Workshop.
Upon meeting Lester and hearing about the workshop, Brinson decided to attend and bring her son.
Brinson had attended East Laurens High School, but dropped out at age 14 to marry her sweetheart upon learning she was pregnant. “I tried to go back to school after my son was born, but it was just too hard. I earned my GED and after my two children started school, I went to work,” says Brinson.
When she went to the workshop, she and her son, Christopher entered a drawing for a free application fee and won. They applied to HGTC that day. Since that time, Brinson has earned an Associate Degree of Business Technology with a Business Specialist Diploma and Customer Service Specialist Certificate. She now works as a Customer Service Representative with Capital City Bank at their East Dublin branch.
Brinson’s son is currently studying Diesel Equipment Technology. Her daughter, Kristy, loves children and is enrolled in Early Childhood Education at HGTC.
Brinson was apprehensive about college at first because she felt she would be much older than the other students, but she found there was diversity in the ages of her classmates. She found her instructors to be very helpful, “The teachers are great. It was fun to be in class and I would recommend anyone try HGTC.”
Working as a Customer Service Representative is a good fit for Brinson. She is very comfortable talking to and helping customers, “I really enjoy the atmosphere of my bank and the clients are great. I love the people I work with. I never thought I’d be where I am today. I have a wonderful job with great benefits.”
"Build a Future, Buy a Brick" kicks off at HGTC
The Heart of Georgia Technical College Alumni Association in partnership with the HGTC Foundation has launched the “Build a Future, Buy a Brick” campaign. Commemorative bricks will accentuate the lobby and staircase of Louie Livingston Hall, which is scheduled to open in 2008 on the Dublin campus.
Bricks are $100 for four-by-eight inch brick pavers and include up to three lines of engraved text.
Brick engraving is a unique way to permanently show your support of the college. “The project gives supporters of the college a means to recognize special people,” said Laurie Wicker, director of development. The bricks may honor, commemorate, or congratulate a loved one. “A student may want to honor a parent who helped him or her through college or a business may want to be recognized for the long-standing partnership with the college,” Wicker said.
“The alumni want you to think outside the ‘brick’ and help make this project the most memorable and recognizable on the Heart of Georgia Tech campus,” Wicker said. Groups of individuals, local clubs, and civic organizations are all encouraged to participate. “The possibilities are endless,” she said.
Proceeds from the brick project will establish a Heart of Georgia Tech Alumni Scholarship, help grow the Mary Alice Watson Scholarship, and provide resources for college-wide projects.
By the Alumni Association partnering with the Foundation, each brick qualifies for a charitable donation. The Foundation is a separate non-profit organization which exists to support Heart of Georgia Tech.
Bricks may be ordered on-line by visiting the Heart of Georgia Technical College website at www.heartofgatech.edu and selecting the “I want to GIVE” link. For more information or a brick order form, call (478) 274-7627.
Mohawk Industries recently held a graduation for employees who participated in a customized course designed specifically by Heart of Georgia Technical College. The Fixer class, totaling 80 hours of intense curriculum instruction, included topics such as Safety, Computer Systems, Hydraulic and Mechanical Systems and Operations. By participating in this Continuing Education program, these employees will now be eligible for promotions and salary increases within the company. Pictured (l-r): Orlando Daniels, James Page, Aaron Graham, Instructor Mike Klawin, Carl Higdon, Richard Dorsey, and Donald Snyder.
Adult Education Classes Offered in Wilkinson County
Angie Jones is passionate about her job as an Adult Education Instructor partly because she loves teaching, but more importantly she realizes the difference she is making in the future of her students. Jones teaches with Heart of Georgia Technical College in Wilkinson County. Her students are working toward passing the General Education Development Test (GED). Once passed students will be given the GED diploma. Director of Adult Education Dahlia Wren is pleased with the class offerings, “Adult education is a boost for economic development in any community. We’re happy to be a partner with Wilkinson County in that effort.”
The classes are offered four days a week in Irwinton and two evenings a week in Gordon. They are open to the public at no cost. When students come to the class, they are first given an assessment test so that Jones and the student can identify strengths and weaknesses in their education. Individualized lesson plans are developed for each student. Learning in the classroom consists of direct instruction from Jones, workbook exercises targeting specific needs, and an interactive computer program designed like the GED test.
The Even Start program is available free of cost to children of students. It provides daycare and meals while parents work in the classroom next to their children. Parents are excused from class to go to lunch at the school with their children.
Some of Jones’ students are getting close to taking the GED test, “Some have come a long way in improving since I have been here. I am so very proud of them.”
One student, Steven Smith, is in his second year and has already passed parts of the GED test. He has three children, one of which is in Even Start, and his wife recently passed the GED exam. He quit school in 9th grade after becoming disinterested, but “when I got older, I knew I wanted to make better life for me and my family. Wisdom comes with time,” says Smith. He wants to continue his education to learn a skill he can use to better support his family.
Another student, David Wimberly, started the class in July 2006. He dropped out of high school in 9th grade and is now age 16. Rather than continue in high school, he wanted to graduate faster so he could get on to pursuing his lifelong dream of owning his own construction business. His work during summers with a construction crew helped develop his interest. He has gained a new confidence from being in the class, “high school had so much peer pressure and fear of failure. This class has made me think I can do more than when I was in public school. This is a safe place to be yourself,” he comments.
Karen Griffin had fallen behind in school before quitting in 8th grade, but wants to work with kids and would like to get a diploma so she can continue her education. Being a little older has been an advantage over when she quit school, “I’m more focused in my studying.” She also enjoys the small class size, “there are not as many people, or as many distractions.” She has plans to take the entire eight hour test.
Adult education classes resume on January 8. Anyone who is interested in starting classes should contact Mrs. Jones at 946-1080 in Irwinton or Mrs. Williams at 628-9011 in Gordon. McIntyre Baptist Church provides a class for people who need to learn to read, write, and speak English. The class will start in mid-January. Information on this class is available by calling 946-8962.
Pictured: HGTC Instructor, Angie Jones with Steven Smith, Karen Griffin, and David Wimberly.
Bleckley County High School students get hands on training
about Nutrition and Diet!
Bleckley County High School students are "Making it Happen" early at their high school by enrolling in dual enrollment classes offered through Heart of Georgia Technical College's Personal Care Assisting program. The students pictured sampled at least 50 different fruits from different regions and countries. They were able to compare local fruits to those from other areas like the South African pineapples. Fresh coconut milk, mangos, and papaya were among the other tropical fruits sampled. This project was part of their studies in Nutrition and Diet in the Personal Care Assisting program. Robin Howell is the instructor for this class at Bleckley County High School. To learn more about dual enrollment classes in your area, see the high school guidance counselor or call Robbie Hobbs at 478-274-7765. |
