SAVANNAH – The Savannah Technical College Foundation Community Council will host the 2016 Tribute to Community STARs at noon on Friday, April 1, 2016, in the Eckburg Auditorium on the College’s Savannah Campus, 5717 White Bluff Road. The event, now in its tenth year, honors some 30 individuals, nominated for their service and dedication at work or in the community.

The keynote will be given by Diana Rivenburgh, author of The New Corporate Facts of Life: Rethink Your Business to Transform Today’s Challenges Into Tomorrow’s Profits. She is the CEO/President of Strategic Imperatives, Inc., a strategy, leadership and organizational development consulting firm helping clients to build sustainable, prosperous organizations. Diana consults, speaks and writes on strategy, culture, sustainability, change and the leadership capabilities important for enduring success.

Prior to launching two consulting practices, Rivenburgh held executive and management positions with Gartner, Gentiva Health Services, Olsten Corporation and NEC. She serves as a faculty member for Singapore’s Sequoia Group and Sustainability Institute, and has served on the Global Council for Appreciative Inquiry Consulting. As a Board of Advisor member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Diana serves on the Chamber’s Global Commerce Committee, the Environmental Policy and Sustainability Committee, and the Clean Tech Council. She earned her M.S. in Positive Organizational Development and Change from Case Western Reserve University, and a B.S. in Business Administration from NYIT and has studied internationally at Ashridge Business School (UK) and Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium).

The Tribute event is held each spring and is sponsored by the STC Foundation Community Council, a group of young professionals charged with expanding the local knowledge and profile of Savannah Technical College and its mission and with raising funds to support the college, its programs and students. The Community Council is co-chaired by Alethia Zadach and Mike Miller.

Nominations will be accepted through March 4, 2016 space permitting. Sponsorships begin at $1,000 to nominate a STAR and include a table for 10.

In celebration of the event’s tenth year, local artist Anita Ross, has created a pen and ink star design. A limited number of signed giclee star prints will be available at the event with proceeds supporting student scholarships.

Tickets cost $100 per person – seating is limited. Call 912.443.3022 for information. Proceeds from the event benefit Savannah Technical College.

Founded in 1984, the Savannah Technical College Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization that exists to raise and disperse funds to support the College’s efforts to enhance learning, workforce training and economic development in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties. The Foundation also supports student success through its privately funded scholarships.

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#1626 | February 16, 2016

STC Executive Director Advancement and Communications: Gail Eubanks
912.443.3022 or geubanks@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College has selected Rachel E. Gruic as its Department Head for Drafting Technology. In this role, Gruic is responsible for oversight of all instruction, curriculum development, administrative and budgetary aspects for the College’s Drafting program.

Gruic holds a Master of Urban Planning, Design and Development degree with a concentration in sustainability from Cleveland State University. She also has a Bachelor of Architectural Studies from Kent State University and an Associate of Civil Engineering degree with a concentration in architecture at Stark State College of Technology.

Previously, she was an AutoCAD Instructor at the University of Akron. She has experience working for architectural and engineering firms. Her projects have included redesigning, cost estimating and scheduling a new design for an existing warehouse building and turning into an office, redesigning an office to make it more functional and user friendly for an advising office at Kent State University and generating a new concept plan at a neighborhood scale.

Whether it’s AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, or CATIA, the STC Drafting department works hard to stay on the cutting edge of all the designing software available in industry.  The department allows students select a specialization within their program of study – either architecture or mechanical design. Students may also start in high school with dual enrollment certification options. For more information visit: www.savannahtech.edu/Drafting.

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#1625 | February 2, 2016

Drafting Technology Academic Advisor: Secene Dorsey
912.443.5859 or sdorsey@savannahtech.edu 

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Debra Geiger, Esq. has been selected as the Savannah Technical College 2016 Instructor of the Year and is the College’s Rick Perkins Award winner. The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction honors outstanding faculty members at each of the Technical College System of Georgia institutions. Geiger will represent Savannah Technical College in regional and statewide events.

“Debra is a creative and innovative educator, who is committed to providing the best educational experience possible for our students, as evidenced by the many professional and civic activities she offers each semester,” said STC President Dr. Kathy S. Love. “Under her leadership, the recruiting, retention, graduation and placement rates have progressively and consistently increased each year in Paralegal Studies. Her continued dedication and commitment to our students, along with support for our faculty, position her as an ambassador to promote technical education in Georgia.”

Geiger has been the Paralegal Studies department head at Savannah Technical College since 2012. She is admitted to practice law in the State of Georgia and has general practice experience.  Geiger earned her law degree from the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida and is a member of the Georgia Bar Association, Savannah Bar Association, and Port City Bar Association. Last year, Geiger was elected to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors for American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) as Director of Associate Programs.

By utilizing her partnerships and affiliations in the legal community, Geiger helps Paralegal students find internships and employment opportunities in the legal field. One of the most successful examples of her innovative projects is the Paralegal Experience Program (PEP). In 2014, Geiger formed an exclusive partnership with the Savannah Regional Office of Georgia Legal Services Program (GLSP), a statewide non-profit law firm serving 154 counties in Georgia, to allow STC Paralegal students to gain legal work experience each semester.

By participating in PEP, STC students not only gain practical work experience, but they also give back, in a significant way, to the community through dedicated volunteer service. PEP gives STC students a competitive advantage when seeking employment, because they will have experienced at least a year of legal work experience and community service in addition to a Paralegal Studies degree, making them more marketable to employers. In fact, GLSP has hired three STC Paralegal graduates and more than half of the currently-enrolled Paralegal students who have participated in this program have already been hired by local law firms.

The award has been an ongoing statewide event since 1991 and is designed to recognize technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields.  Formerly known as the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence, the Rick Perkins Award was renamed in memory and honor of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor at West Central Technical College, now West Georgia Technical College, who received the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death. The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) provides oversight for the Rick Perkins Award program through the System Office’s programming staff, the presidents’ Academic Improvement committee and the state planning committee.

STC’s Paralegal Studies program prepares students for a career in the paralegal profession. The knowledge and skills emphasized in the Paralegal Studies program include ethical obligations; research in state and federal law; legal correspondence preparation; family law matters; basic concepts of real property law; criminal law and procedure; civil litigation; substantive contract law; and wills, trusts and probate. Paralegals, also called legal assistants, work closely with attorneys, judges, prosecutors or public defenders. Graduates receive a Paralegal Studies Associate of Applied Technology degree. Contact Geiger at 912.443.5715 ordgeiger@savannahtech.edu for more information or visit:www.savannahtech.edu/ParalegalStudies.

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#1624 | January 28, 2016

Paralegal Studies: Debra Geiger
912.443.5715 or dgeiger@savannahtech.edu 

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or  ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts student Jennifer Case has been selected as the 2016 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner for Savannah Technical College.

Case is a top-performing student in her program. “Jenn has shown great leadership skills within the Culinary Arts program,” said STC Culinary Arts Instructor Chef Gearry Caudell. “Technical education is extremely important to Jennifer. She knows that if she attains a high level of technical and conceptual knowledge and pairs that with a strong work ethic, then she will be unstoppable in her chosen career path.”

GOAL honors outstanding students at each of the Technical College System of Georgia institutions. She will represent Savannah Tech at regional and statewide events to select a student to serve as the ambassador for technical education across the state. The highly competitive process involves academic success, community engagement and public speaking. Winners are nominated by their instructors and selected after interviews with a panel of business and community leaders.

Case, expects to graduate this year with associate degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts. She was named Student Chef of the Year in 2015 by the local American Culinary Federation (ACF) chapter. She was also a member of the STC Knowledge Bowl team that won first place in the Southeastern Regional competition and placed third in the U.S. at the 2015 ACF National Convention. She is a member of the Junior ACF chapter and the National Technical Honor Society. For the past two years, she has been selected to receive scholarships from Les Dames D’Escoffier, an organization that supports young women in the culinary and hospitality industry.

She will represent Savannah Tech at the regional competition in March before heading to the statewide competition in April in Atlanta, where the statewide GOAL winner will be selected.

About the Savannah Technical College’s Culinary Institute of Savannah
Under the direction of the American Culinary Federation’s 2014 Chef Educator of the Year Jean Vendeville, Savannah Technical College offers associate degrees in Culinary Arts along with Baking and Pastry. The Culinary Institute of Savannah has earned distinction as one of the top four culinary programs in the country according to the American Culinary Federation (ACF). Vendeville has assembled a top-notch team of faculty, who has each earned national ACF certification under his leadership. For more information about STC Culinary Arts visit:www.facebook.com/ChefJeanVendeville.

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#1623 | January 27, 2016

Culinary Arts/Public Services Academic Advisor: Amber Robinson
912.443.5715 or arobinson@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or  ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – When Michelle Methot was a drafting student at Savannah Technical College three years ago, she had no idea that her design concept would set a new standard for exterior signage at the college. Three short years later, she beams with pride when standing by the newly-erected digital sign at the college’s Savannah Campus. Similar signage is installed at the Aviation Technology Center at the Crossroads Campus and will soon be installed at the Liberty Campus in Hinesville, Ga.

“It is inspiring and encouraging for a design of your own making come into reality,” said Methot. “No matter what the scale or purpose of the project, the gratification of the final product coming to life is what drives designers.”

The sign was originally designed to incorporate multiple disciplines within the Industrial Technology division at the College including welding, solar, electrical, mechanical drafting & design and 3-D computer modeling departments. The idea was to afford other students within these disciplines the opportunity to contribute to a student-based design that would both benefit the school and show the varied array of skills and talent that this school has to offer in one small scale project. Her design incorporates roof trusses found on campus buildings, so the sign would be consistent with existing structures.

Methot had a professional master of architecture from Savannah College of Art & Design and was designing houses when the housing market crashed. She enrolled in 3D modeling drafting classes at Savannah Technical College to master mechanical drafting software. In 2012 she was a student in the STC CATIA class, taught by Joseph Powell, now Dean of Industrial Technology at the college.

“When you design something that is actually built and used as you intended it – that’s what it’s all about,” says Powell. Of the 13 students in the class, all but Methot used Auto CAD, computer-aided design and drafting software for the project, while Methot used CATIA, software primarily used for aviation projects. Her design stood out immediately, says Powell. From there, the concept was validated by industry professionals and fine-tuned for construction.

“Michelle was a great problem solver,” says Powell of his former student. “She was always self-motivated, curious and quick to assist other students.” Now Methot is a business owner, who plans to resume her career in architecture.

Having students design project for real-world applications is a hallmark of the STC drafting program and is consistent with the college’s focus on community engagement. Over the years, drafting students have worked with the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum to design parts for a World War II bomber, with Savannah Morning News to redesign news racks, with Forsyth Farmer’s Market for Farm Truck 912 – a mobile farmers’ market, with Serenity Gardens for a potential expansion, and with St. John’s Episcopal Church for lighting ideas in the historic sanctuary. “Projects like these provide invaluable experiences for our students. They get to test their design ideas and practice presenting like they will present to clients in the field,” says Powell.

STC’s Drafting program prepares students for a career in mechanical or architectural drafting. Whether it’s AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, or CATIA, the Drafting department stays on the cutting edge of all the designing software available in industry. Students may earn an associate degree, diploma or technical certificates of credit. For more information visit www.savannahtech.edu/Drafting or contact the Industrial Technology Academic Advisor 912.443.5859 or sdorsey@savannahtech.edu.

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#120 | November 18, 2015

Industrial Technology Academic Advisor: Secene Dorsey
912.443.5859 or sdorsey@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College has partnered with the Georgia Driver’s Education Commission (GDEC) to offer scholarships for a driver’s education course. The state-approved Joshua’s Law course meets the requirements for anyone under the age of 17 seeking to obtain a driver’s license.

The course, valued at $350, has been made possible by a $23,086 grant through the GDEC. The grant, which runs from July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, will help finance driver’s education locally by providing classes with thirty hours of classroom instruction and six hours of behind the wheel experience with a trained instructor.

“Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers and we are committed to providing students with the education and experience needed to avoid tragedy” said GDEC chairman Harris Blackwood. “This grant will help Savannah Technical College equip young drivers in the community to be safer when they get behind the wheel.”

Courses will be offered in Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties. To be eligible to receive the scholarship for driver’s education, the student must have a valid learner’s permit and be a Georgia resident, who is at least 15 years of age. Scholarship eligibility ends on a student’s 19^th birthday or six months after the student completes the 12^th grade, whichever occurs later. Anyone that does not meet the qualifications, but would like to attend may sign up and pay the $350 tuition fee.

The classes are limited to 15 students per class and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis until the grant funding is no longer available. Completed registration, a copy of the student’s learner’s permit, and a signed waiver are required. The first session will take place December 21, 22, 28 and 29 from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the Crossroads Technology Campus (190 Crossroads Parkway, Savannah, GA, 31407). Priority will be given to students who self-register by visiting www.savannahtech.edu/DriversEd.

Savannah Technical College’s Professional Continuing Education Department provides short-term classes in both the traditional and online classroom setting. Courses cover a variety of skills and workforce development options that match local employer’s needs.

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#1619 | November 5, 2015

Driver’s Ed Class Registration (online only)

SAVANNAH – Twenty-one students from the Savannah Technical College Peace Officer Academy celebrated graduating from the program with a completion ceremony today.

The three women and 18 men have completed coursework containing the entire Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training (P.O.S.T.) Basic Law Enforcement Training Course. Their successful completion of the program qualifies them to be state-certified peace officers.

This is the 17^th group of students to complete the program since its inception in 2009. To date, the program has graduated 253 P.O.S.T.-certified officers. Many candidates are in various stages of the application process with statewide agencies. Savannah Tech’s Peace Officer Academy has a 98% placement rate.

Each cohort selects a fallen officer for whom the graduating class will be named. The cohorts have a tradition of giving the family of the fallen officer a challenge coin dedicated to the officer. A challenge coin is a symbol of an unbreakable bond of dedication and allegiance among military personnel and law enforcement officers. The challenge coin tradition started as a military tradition in World War I and was later adopted by law enforcement.

This cohort elected to honor APO Ransen Y. Daily Sr., Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) Police Department. He passed away suddenly on June 19, 2013. He is survived by his wife Ayanna and family.

Daily, a New York native, former Army soldier and father of two, was a member of STC’s first Criminal Justice graduating class and was POST-certified in 2005. When interviewed years ago after being hired by the GPA as a peace officer, Daily said he had always been attracted to the field of law enforcement. “My preparation from Savannah Technical College was right on. Everything they went over in the Police Academy, I already knew,” Daily said.

After working nearly a decade in a variety of security jobs, Daily was glad to finally be working as an officer. To him, working at the GPA was a long-anticipated next step. “Now, I feel like I’m making a difference,” said Daily. “To me, getting up every day being happy with what I do, that defines success.”

The Basic Law Enforcement Technical Certificate of Credit provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to become competent law enforcement officers. The 18-week cohort program utilizes classroom instruction pertaining to criminal justice theory and the prevailing principles of modern law enforcement, as well as practical application of pertinent enforcement skills. College coursework contains the entire Georgia Peace Officers Standards & Training (P.O.S.T.) Basic Law Enforcement Training Course so that successful completion of the program will qualify the student to be a state-certified peace officer.

For more information about the Peace Officer Academy visit www.savannahtech.edu/PeaceOfficerAcademy or contact Sheree Rogers at 912.443.5191 or srogers@savannahtech.edu.

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#1618 | November 4, 2015

 Basic Law Enforcement: Sheree Rogers
912.443.5191 or srogers@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College’s Fire Science program received a donation of surplus Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) equipment from B & T Enterprises, LLC. The donation includes 19 air packs, 32 bottles and 11 masks.

SCBAs are critical safety components in the fire service to supply adequate breathing air for firefighters when working in life-threatening and hazardous environments.

This donation will support STC Fire Science program’s new accelerated schedule that offers students the opportunity to earn a degree in one year instead of two. The STC Fire Science program office is located to the Crossroads campus (190 Crossroads Parkway, Savannah, 31407). All Fire Science class schedules designed to support our student’s balancing their home/life/work schedules with a combination of evening and online classes with practical hands-on training occurring at various area fire departments.

The Fire Science programs at Savannah Technical College prepare graduates for successful careers in the fire and emergency service field, whether they are looking to obtain required certifications to apply to fire departments nationwide or wish to obtain their degree to qualify for promotion into leadership positions at their department. Many of the classes meet the educational criteria established by the Georgia Firefighter Standards and Training Council (ProBoard) allowing students to challenge various national fire service certifications including Fire Officer I & II, Incident Safety Officer, Fire Instructor I, Hazardous Materials Operations, Fire & Life Safety Educator, etc. Interested students should contact Faust at afaust@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.3386.

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#1617 | November 3, 2015

Fire Science Department Head: Tony Faust
912.443.3386 or afaust@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College Paralegal Studies Department Head Debra R. Geiger, Esq., was elected to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors for American Association for Paralegal Education (AAfPE) as Director of Associate Programs. The election was held at the 34^th annual AAfPE Conference in Milwaukee, Wis.

“As an attorney, I am committed to serving my community,” said Geiger.  “As a paralegal educator, I have the opportunity to encourage student civic engagement through academic service learning and community-based learning experiences. I am honored to serve as a member of AAfPE’s Board of Directors, and I look forward to supporting its continued pursuit of that mission.”

AAfPE is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide greater access to legal services by promoting quality paralegal education.

Geiger is admitted to practice law in the State of Georgia and has general practice experience.  Geiger earned her law degree from the Levin College of Law at the University of Florida and is a member of the Georgia Bar Association, Savannah Bar Association, and Port City Bar Association.

STC’s Paralegal Studies program prepares students for a career in the paralegal profession. The knowledge and skills emphasized in the Paralegal Studies program include ethical obligations; research in state and federal law; legal correspondence preparation; family law matters; basic concepts of real property law; criminal law and procedure; civil litigation; substantive contract law; and wills, trusts and probate. Paralegals, also called legal assistants, work closely with attorneys, judges, prosecutors or public defenders. Graduates receive a Paralegal Studies Associate of Applied Technology degree. Contact Geiger at 912.443.5715 or dgeiger@savannahtech.edu for more information or visit: www.savannahtech.edu/ParalegalStudies.

About American Association for Paralegal Education
Founded in 1981, AAfPE promotes quality paralegal education, develops educational standards and encourages professional growth, in order to prepare graduates to perform a significant role in the delivery of legal services. With more than 400 active members, AAfPE aims to provide a forum for professional improvement for paralegal educators, as well as assistance and consultation to institutions, educators and employers. It promotes research and the dissemination of information on the paralegal profession and cooperates with the American Bar Association (ABA) and other institutions to develop goals and processes for programs. Please visit AAfPE online at www.AAfPE.org  for more information.

 

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#1616 | October 29, 2015

Paralegal Studies: Debra Geiger
912.443.5715 or dgeiger@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Guillermo Hernandez, adjunct Barbering instructor at Savannah Technical College, was one of two honored with the 2015 GED Graduate Outstanding Achievement Award at the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) annual Fall Adult Education Conference awards luncheon. Hernandez received his GED through Savannah Technical College in 2011.  Sheknita Smith-Davis of Macon also received the award.

“We applaud the accomplishments of our exceptional graduates, who represent thousands of Georgians who have chosen to transform their lives and pursue their GED diplomas,” said Commissioner Gretchen Corbin. “These outstanding students are a testament to the hard work of our teachers and administrators, as we work together to achieve our goal of a fully literate Georgia.”

After obtaining his GED Hernandez enrolled in the Barbering program at STC and received his diploma in 2013. That same year he passed the state licensure examination, earning his master barber certification. In 2014, he was appointed to the adjunct Barbering teaching position at the College, after volunteering to help current students. In addition to his adjunct position, Hernandez works in a barbershop in Pooler.  He also participates in a multitude of service projects for his Savannah community, which includes providing free haircuts for students and senior citizens.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a person with a high school or GED® credential earns $10,000 more per year than a non-high school graduate. The income level increases substantially more for those who go on to complete a college certificate, diploma or degree program. There are more than one million Georgians who are 25 years of age or older and do not have a high school education or GED diploma. Savannah Tech’s Adult Education Program serves those who need to improve their basic literacy and math skills, improve their oral and written English, practice for the GED® test to attain a high school equivalence degree, and prepare for college. Instructors also help students with science and social studies test preparation for GED® testing.

Savannah Technical College teaches adult education classes in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties with multiple locations in each community. For information, contact Adult Education at 912.443.5446 or visit www.savannahtech.edu/FreeGEDClasses.

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#1615 | October 27, 2015

Dean of Adult Education (Free GED classes): Dr. Charlene Ford
912.443.4150 or cford@savannahtech.edu

Barbering Instructor: Joycelin Primus
912.443.5879 or jprimus@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu