access magazine Spring 2016

SPRING 2016FOR THE ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF ALBANY TECHNICAL COLLEGE magazineaccess

Teraycia Lovett, 2016 Graduate, ATC Electronics Technology Degree Program, credits MOWR with enhancing her learning and helping her to experience new avenues

Anthony O. Parker, Ph.D.President

Tanjula Petty, Ed.D.Vice President for Academic Affairs

Kathy SkatesVice President of Administration

Pamela HeglarActing Vice President of

Student Affairs & Enrollment Management

Matt TriceVice President of Center for

Business Solutions

Kim Lee, Ph.D.Executive Vice President/Vice

President for Institutional Effectiveness

Linda CostonVice President of Adult

Education

Lorraine AlexanderSpecial Assistant to

the President

Wendy HowellExecutive Director of Marketing

& Public Relations

Judy JimmersonAssociate Vice President

of Career Services

Evera MoyeBaker County Representative

Dougherty County Representatives:

Joe Austin, ChairCol. Jeffrey Hooks

Ben BarrowBetty White

Werhner WashingtonDr. David Mosely

Neil LoweCalhoun County Representative

Carl Childs, Jr.Clay County Representative

Robert ChesterEarly County Representative

Winston OxfordLee County Representative

Kuanita MurphyRandolph County Representative

Rhonda GordonTerrell County Representative

ALBANY TECHNICAL COLLEGESENIOR ADMINISTRATION

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Joe JamesEmerson Electrical

Cathi JonesProcter & Gamble

Suzanna MacIntoshCommunity Volunteer

Kirt PhillipsMerrill Lynch

Glenn SingfieldArtesian Contracting

Katrina BarankoMerle Norman Cosmetics

Mike ClarkInterstate Warehousing

Dr. Willie AdamsRetired

Joey MagaddinoSB&T Bank

Celinda DennisonSB&T Bank

C.W. GrantRetired

Lem GriffinFlint River Services

Alfredia HamptonSB&T Bank

Ronnie HinsonMetroPower

Jim WilcoxWALB-Channel 10

Jeanette McDowellPhoebe Putney

Memorial Hospital

FOUNDATION TRUSTEES

accessmagazine Spring 2016

FOR THE ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF ALBANY TECHNICAL COLLEGE

PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE2 Securing a Powerful Future

GOAL FINALISTS3 Finalists Presented at Albany Rotary

ATC RANKS NO. 14 “Best Community Colleges in Georgia” Listing

ATC FOUNDATION 2016 ROAST5 Robert “Bobby” McKinney

ATC COVER FEATURE6/7 Teraycia LovettATC/EGSC SIGNING8 ATC/EGSC FSC AgreementATC TREE PLANTING9 ATC Plants for Arbor DayEAGLE/PERKINS10 Isom/Courtney RepresentATC/GMC SIGNING11 ATC/GA Military Sign Agreement in ProgramsCULINARY COMPETITIONS12 Albany’s Next Titan Chef/ Chopped Competition3D PRINTING DEMO13 ATC Drafting Program FACES/EVENTS14-19 Recent Happenings at ATCMCSC CONTRACTOR20 BLM Student FeatureATC LEAN SIX SIGMA21 ATC Employees Join Ranks2016 SPRING COMMENCEMENT22/23 TCSG Commissioner, KeynoteATC FIRE SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY24 FESHECertificationFACULTY/STAFF RECOGNITIONS25 Lorraine Alexander Tracy Wallace

DOUGHERTY COUNTY CAMPUS:229 430.3500

RANDOLPH COUNTY LEARNING CENTER:229 732.5280

ONLINE:albanytech.edu

Access is a quarterly news magazine published by the Marketing and Public RelationsOfficeatAlbanyTechnicalCollege. Send direct inquiries to Wendy Howell, Executive Director ofMarketing & Public Relations, at 229.430.3816 or email [email protected].

A Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, Albany Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or citizenship status (except in those special circumstances permitted or mandated by law). Inquires should be addressed to the VP of Administration, ATC, 229.430.3524 or email [email protected].

#myalbanytech

Contents

FEATURES

page 3

GOAL FINALISTS PRESENTED AT ALBANY ROTARYpage 4

ATC NAMED #1 IN “BEST COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN GA” LISTING

page 5

2016 ATC FOUNDATION ROAST

page 9

ATC TREE PLANTING

pages 14-19

Faces/Events: Recent Happenings Around ATC

pages 6-7

Faces/ Events

ABOUT OUR COVER:Lovett credits MOWR dual enrollment with enhancing her learning and helping her experience new avenues.

ATC/EGSC SIGNING

page 8

ATC/GMC SIGNING

page 11

page 12

ALBANY’S NEXT TITAN CHEF/CHOPPED COMPETITION

from the President

We definitely kicked spring off right here at Albany Technical College. From sign-ings held with four-year universities, to tree planting and more successful stories we are sharing with our Move On When Ready graduates, we are continuing to secure our Powerful Future.

I’d like to note how proud I am of ATC for several recent accomplishments. One is the Best Community Colleges naming us as #1 in Georgia. We work hard to maintain our job placement rates and other criteria we are graded on and to be recognized for these efforts is refreshing.

Another great accomplishment is the FESHE accreditation received for our Fire Science Technology program from the National Fire Alliance. With this ac-creditation, our students can continue on to earn their bachelor’s degree through a pathway agreement we recently signed with East Georgia State College, who is also FESHE accredited.

Speaking of Pathway agreements, we also recently signed with Georgia Mili-tary College for several of our academic programs. These pathways continue to secure powerful futures for our graduates who wish to continue on to earn a bach-elor’s degree.

Finally, I’m particularly proud of the ATC Faculty and Staff who branched out to earn their Lean Six Sigma Green Belts and Black Belts through our program. This program is helping to ensure that the functions of the college will be secure for years to come.

We hope that you will enjoy reading about all the exciting happenings taking place on our campus in this edition of Access, and as always, thank you for your continued support of Albany Technical College.

Through your support, we will continue to secure ATC’s Powerful Future.

Sincerely,

Dr. Anthony O. ParkerPresident

FROM OUR PRESIDENT DR. ANTHONY O. PARKER

2 | access | Albany Technical College | Spring 2016

Securing a Powerful Future.

ARBOR DAY 2014

access | Albany Technical College | Spring 2016 | 3

GOAL Finalists Recognized at Albany RotaryThe 2016 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner for Albany Technical College was announced during the Albany Rotary Club lunch on January 28th by Interim Albany Area Chamber President, Barbara Rivera-Holmes. This year’s winner is Kozman Dwayne Barnum, Environmental Horticulture student.

During a banquet held in November, twelve nominees for GOAL were present-ed: Jeremy Baumgartel (Civil Engineering Technology); Kozman Barnum (Environ-mental Horticulture); Jameisha Copeland (Practical Nursing); Mary-Katherine Fowler (Dental Assisting); Wyllen Jackson (Phar-macy Technology); Evelyn Jenkins (Culi-nary Arts); Melinda Medley (Accounting Technology); Ndubuisi Okeze (Computer Support Specialist); Anissa Pait (Medical Assisting); Jill Peterson (Practical Nursing); Norman Stringer (Electronics Technology); and Brittani Whitehead (Medical Assist-ing).

ThefinalfiveGOALnomineesthatwereinterviewed by a panel comprised by the Albany Chamber of Commerce earlier in January included: Kozman Barnum (Envi-ronmental Horticulture); Evelyn Jenkins (Culinary Arts); Jill Peterson (Practical Nursing); Norman Stringer (Electronics Technology); and Brittani Whitehead (Medical Assisting).

Barnum had an opportunity to compete at the Regional Competition for GOAL, which was held for the Southwest Georgia consortium on March 8th at Southern Regional Technical College’s Tifton cam-pus. He also competed at the State GOAL

competition that was held April 18-21 inAtlantaandwasamongninefinalistsfrom across the state of Georgia.

“It’s my goal to start my own landscaping business in Albany, Georgia, and utilize the skills and practices that I’ve learned through my course load,” said Barnum. “I wanttoworkalongsidecityofficialstoredesign and help beautify the city that I call home.”

Barnum stressed in his speech how technical education is more personal and offers hands-on training. He said he knew that once he completed his degree that he would have the skills needed to suc-ceed in his career.

“My education at Albany Technical Col-lege has impacted my life substantially,”

said Barnum. “Although I’m still working towards my degree, I’ve been offered severaljobsinandoutsideofmyfieldofexpertise. I chose to complete my educa-tion before taking a full-time job load, however, I know there are options avail-able when I’m ready,” he added.

Working for iHeart Media, Barnum was named Radio Personality of the Year by Black Albany Magazine in 2013. He has also completed volunteer work as Concert Host for Albany State Rams in theRosesCampaign;floatdecoratorinawinningfloatforAlbanyTechinthe2015Homecoming Parade for ASU; volunteer for Charity Carwash for Dougherty County Extreme; Volunteer, C-H-Y Foundation; Turkey Giveaway for the Steve Harvey Foundation; and Volunteer DJ services for local schools.

Pictured (left to right): Jill Peterson, Brittani Whitehead, Norman Stringer, Evelyn Jenkins, and Kozman Barnum.

Kozman Barnum (left) accepts congratulations as the 2016 Albany Tech GOAL winner by Barbara Rivera-Holmes, Interim President of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce.


Albany Technical College Ranks Number One in “Best Community Colleges in Georgia” Listing by Schools.comAlbany Technical College (ATC) was recently ranked the number one technical college of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) in the “Best Com-munity Colleges in Georgia” listing by Schools.com.

Albany Tech earned the ranking by offering reason-able tuition costs, life experience credit, weekend/evening degree plans, and on-campus daycare. ATC was also noticed as being number one in distance education participation, with its 58 percent online enrollment rate earning it the distinction of being the only technical college in the state to have more than half of its students taking distance education courses at least part-time.

Ranking methodology that Schools.com scored each college on included percentage of students enrolled in distance education; cost of attendance; student-to-faculty ratio; average retention rate for full- and part-time students; graduation rate in 200 percent of typical time over a two-year rolling average;jobplacementinrelevantfieldsfortheclassof2013;andflexibilityscore,basedonthreedata points from the National Center for Education Statistics.

“Albany Technical College feels privileged to be recognized as the best technical college in Georgia,” said Dr. Anthony O. Parker, President of Albany Tech-nical College. “We have worked hard to assist our graduates to have the best possible outcome after graduation. Matching talented, technically educated graduates to employers is the most important thing that we do.” For more information and for the full listing, visit http://www.schools.com/articles/top-community-colleges-in-georgia#Methodology.


Albany Tech Foundation 2016 “Roast” Honored Guest: Robert “Bobby” McKinney, Chair of Albany Convention & Visitors BureauThe Albany Foundation held its annual “Roast” event on Friday, March 11th at 7pm in the Kirkland Conference Center, with a Silent Auction at 6pm in the atrium of the Kirkland Conference Center. This year’s honored guest was Robert “Bobby” McKinney, Chair of the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Roasters” for this year’s event included: Ben Barrow, President and Co-owner of LRA Constructors; Rashelle Beasley, Direc-tor of the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau; Ken Boler, General Manager of the Albany Herald; Jim Deal, General Manager of Albany Communications, Inc.; Walter Kelley, Senior Partner, Kelley, Lovett & Blakely, P.C.; and Jim Leek, Chairman and Owner of JLA Global.

Robert “Bobby” McKinney has been a sup-porter of Albany and Dougherty County for many years. He currently serves as the Chairperson of the Albany Conven-tion and Visitors Bureau. He is also a current member of the Dougherty Rotary Club, Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, Flint Stakeholders and the ACF Transition Co-ordinating Council, as well as a member of the Albany State University Real Estate Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce.

Retired since 2010, McKinney has served the Albany community as Chairperson of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce in 2005; Interim President and CEO of

the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce in 2012; President of the YMCA; and Past Chairperson of the Dougherty County Board of Registrations and Elections.

McKinney received his bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Geor-gia. He was self-employed in Real Estate Appraisal and Consulting from 1993 to 2010 and was employed by Home/Georgia Federal Bank from 1971 to 1993.

All proceeds from the Roast will go to benefitAlbanyTechstudentsinneedoffinancialassistancethroughtheAlbanyTech Foundation.


Little did Teraycia Lovett know that she would be walking in a college gradua-tion receiving her associate’s degree two weeks before receiving her high school diploma from Dougherty High School.

Lovett is one of many students in Dough-erty County who took advantage of the Move On When Ready program at Albany Tech and says that the program not only enhanced her learning, but helped her to experience new avenues.

“Prior to dual enrollment, I was lacking and struggling in high school,” said Lovett. “Dual enrollment allowed me to take college classes, and get one-on-one help, which helped me to understand my work more and boosted my GPA.”

Enrolling in the Electronics Technology program, Lovett had the opportunity to get hands-on experience in the lab to gainabetterunderstandingofthefieldshe was interested in and she says it gave her a real life experience as if she was already working.

“If I was to go into the workforce now, I would already be well prepared because of the hand-on training,” said Lovett.

Graduating from Albany Tech with an as-sociate’s degree in Electronics Technology with a biomedical specialization, Lovett will enter Columbus State University this fall as practically a junior on her way to earn a bachelor’s degree. She won’t stop there, though. After graduating from Co-lumbus State, she plans to continue on to graduate school to study prosthesis.

“My career choice was inspired by my internship at Limb Care,” said Lovett. “I learned a lot about prosthetics and be-cameveryinterestedinthefield.”

Lovett credits Albany Tech with giving her the jumpstart she needed and says it’s a great choice, whether you want to be workforce ready, or if you just want to start off at a small college prior to moving on to a university.

“My experience at Albany Tech was phe-

nomenal,” said Lovett. “The instructors are great and not only do they teach, but they inspire you and push you to do more.”

Lovett also credits her parents for in-troducing her to such a great program at Albany Tech and encouraging her to obtain her associate’s degree while still in high school. She also said her mentor and some of her instructors helped her and didn’t let her quit.

“I hope that Albany Tech continues to prosper and increase the number of lives they change daily,” said Lovett.

Teraycia Lovett, 2016 Electronics Tech GradLovett credits MOWR dual enrollment with enhancing her learning and helping her to experience new avenues

“My experienceat Albany Tech

was phenomenal.The instructors are

great and inspire youand push you to

do more.”


“If I was to go into the workforce now, I would already be

well prepared because of the

hands-on trainingreceived at

Albany Tech.”


Albany Technical College and East Georgia State College Sign Articulation Agreement in Fire Science TechnologyAlbany Technical College and East Georgia State College held an articulation agree-ment signing ceremony on May 19th on East Georgia State College’s Swainsboro campus.

The goal with the articulation agreement is to provide Associate of Applied Science (AAS) graduates of Albany Tech’s Fire Sci-ence Technology program with an oppor-tunity to continue on with East Georgia State College to earn their Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Fire and Emergency Services Administration.

East Georgia State College is the only Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) approved college in the state. Albany Tech recently received the FESHE accreditation at the associate’s degree level.

FESHErecognitioncertificationistheacknowledgment that a collegiate emer-gency services degree program meets the minimum standards of excellence established by FESHE professional de-velopment committees and the National Fire Academy (NFA). These regionally, or nationally accredited colleges and univer-sities have demonstrated a commitment to the nationally recognized model of

standardized professional development education criteria, which concentrates on degree programs that emphasize firefightingresponse,fireprevention,fireadministration, and Emergency Medical Services management.

“The FESHE aspect of this agreement is a win-winforfiresciencestudentsandcre-ates a true bachelor’s degree pathway in Fire Administration,” said Frank Flanigan, Chair of the Fire Science Technology pro-gram at Albany Technical College.

Accordingly to Dr. Lee Cheek, Dean of the School of Social Sciences at East Georgia State College, “Our new relationship with AlbanyTechwillbenefitbothinstitutions,and especially our students, in many ways. It is also important to consider how the training of these new public service pro-fessionals will also advance the quality of service for all South Georgians.”

EGSC’s Bachelor of Science degree in Fire and Emergency Services Administration began this Spring, and offers online classes to provide upper level courses. The program is designed to create a careerpathwayforfirefighters,emergencyservices personnel, and others interested in public affairs management. Fire service,

emergency service, disaster preparedness and public management courses are blended into a vibrant and exciting de-gree program that will advance students’ knowledge and professional expertise. The online schedule serves to meet the complex schedule demands of emergency service and aspiring public manage-ment professionals. No other bachelor’s program in Georgia offers such a unique combinationofvitalcourseworkinfireand emergency services administration, public management, organizational be-havior and professional development.


ATC Celebrated Arbor Day with Tree PlantingAlbany Technical College, a Tree Campus USA, celebrated Arbor Day on March 24th on the grounds south of the Nathaniel Cross Health Care Technology Building, by plantingatree.Thefirst100attendeestothe tree planting received dogwood and redbud tree seedlings.

George Paul, Environmental Horticulture instructor at Albany Tech, selected a live oak, which is the Georgia state tree. The tree was planted in the large span of grounds between the Center for Excel-lence in Technology and the Nathaniel Cross Health Care Technology building.

Albany Technical College also celebrated another year of being named a Tree Cam-pus USA. The College has been named Tree Campus USA since 2008 for its dedi-cation to campus forestry management and environmental stewardship.

Tree Campus USA, a national program launched by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors college and universities and the leaders of the campus and surrounding communities for promoting healthy urban forest management and engaging the campus community in environmental stewardship. Tree Campus USA is sup-ported by a $750,000 grant from Toyota.

Albany Technical College met the required fivecorestandardsoftreecareandcom-munity engagement in order to receive Tree Campus USA status. Those standards are establishing a campus tree advisory committee; evidence of a campus tree-

careplan;verificationofdedicatedannualexpenditures on the campus tree-care plan; involvement in an Arbor Day obser-vance; and the institution of a service-learning project aimed at engaging the student body.


Helen Isom - ATC 2016 EAGLE WINNER

Helen Isom, ATC’s 2016 EAGLE winner, had the opportunity to compete at the state level the week of March 14th. Pictured (left to right) from the state awards are Gretchen Corbin, Commis-sioner for the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), Helen Isom, and Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.

Dennis Courtney is ATC’s 2016 Rick Perkins winner. He also competed at the state level in Atlanta the week of April 18th. Courtney is an Engineering Technol-ogy instructor at Albany Tech.

Dennis Courtney - ATC 2016 RICK PERKINS WINNER


Albany Technical College and Georgia Military College Sign Articulation Agreement in Several Academic Programs on May 4thAlbany Technical College (ATC) and Geor-gia Military College (GMC) held an articu-lation agreement signing ceremony on May 4th in the Executive Board Room of Albany Tech’s Logistics Education Center.

The goal with the articulation agreement is to provide Associate of Applied Science (AAS) graduates of select Albany Tech programs with an opportunity to continue on with Georgia Military College online to earn their Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) degree. Under the agreement, any Albany Tech student graduating from Albany Tech with their AAS degree and has at least 24 semester hours (36 quarter hours) of technical/occupational credit accepted as transfer credit by GMC, is guaranteed admission into one of GMC’s BAS degree programs.

Academic programs included for ATC students earning an AAS degree that will transfer to a BAS in Business Management include: Accounting, Business Logistics Management, Business Management, Marketing Management, and Operations Management. For ATC students earning an AAS that will transfer to a BAS in Supervi-sion and Management, academic pro-grams include: Business Administrative Technology, Civil Engineering Technology, Computer Programming, Computer Sup-port Specialist, Culinary Arts, Design and

Media Production Technology, Drafting Technology, Early Childhood Care and Education, Electrical and Computer Engi-neering Technology, Electromechanical Engineering Technology, Electronics Tech-nology, Fire Science Technology, Health Information Technology, Hotel/Tourism/Restaurant Management, Industrial Systems Technology, Information Security Specialist, Law Enforcement Technology, Medical Assisting, Networking Specialist, Paramedicine, Pharmacy Technology, and Radiologic Technology.

“The articulation agreement between Albany Tech and Georgia Military College Online is another example of the great opportunities being afforded to our stu-dents,” said Dr. Tanjula Petty, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Albany Tech.

This agreement formally recognizes that Albany Technical College and Georgia Military College are committed to the establishment of an educational partner-ship to better serve currently enrolled and future students at both institutions, as well as, support economic and workforce development in the communities served by these educational institutions. Further, this articulation agreement is consistent with Gov. Nathan Deal’s Complete College Georgia initiative designed to provide an improved educational pipeline from high

school through college graduation.

“We are thrilled to launch our BAS degree programs and look forward to serving the students of Albany Technical Col-lege. Our BAS degrees are designed to build upon the occupational/technical education provided by an associate of applied science (AAS) degree program and provide an excellent pathway toward completion of a bachelor degree. Our BAS degree programs prepare students for career advancement opportunities and management roles in their technical oroccupationalfield.GMChasanannualenrollment of over 12,000 students at eleven campuses throughout the state and online.” Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell, IV, President of Georgia Military College, noted.


Albany Technical College Culinary Arts Program Held “Titans Next Chef” and “Chopped Competition” April 21st and 22ndAlbany Technical College’s Culinary Arts program held an Albany “Next Titans Chef” and “Chopped Competition” on April 21st and 22nd, in the Logistics Education Cen-ter Auditorium.

On Thursday, April 21st, the competition, “Next Titans Chef,” was comprised of Albany Tech Culinary Arts students in a race to cre-ate an appetizer, entrée, and dessert within

a certain time frame for each. With four stu-dents competing, there were three rounds with one eliminated after each round.

During Wednesday’s event, “Chopped Com-petition,” students from Lee County High School and Randolph-Clay High School competed against each other in preparing an appetizer, entrée, and dessert with a time frame. There were four students from

each high school that are dually enrolled at their high school and Albany Tech in the Culinary Arts program.

The competitions provide a fun, but “real world” experience for the students to understand time restraints they are under in the workforce to complete orders in restaurants, while still learning to prepare thefinestqualitycuisineforcustomers.

Pictured (left): Students from the Culinary program at Lee County High School and Randolph-Clay High School; and right: Albany Tech Culinary Arts students who competed for the Albany “Next Titans Chef” competition.


Albany Technical College Drafting Technology Programs Held 3D Printing Open HouseAlbany Technical College’s Drafting Tech-nology Program held a 3D Printing Open House on April 12th in the Drafting Tech-nology Lab in the Center for Excellence in Information Technology Building.

In order to prepare students for employ-ment in the 3D printing world, Albany Tech has added 3D curriculum to the existing

draftingprogram.Thisisthefirstofitskindin the Albany and surrounding area and will be closely aligned with the current drafting and computer-aided designed courses. Graduates of the program will meet the anticipated workforce demand that will be brought about by the 3D revolution in Architecture, Engineering, Manufacturing, Construction, Telecommunications, Fashion,

Business and Medical Industry.

3D printing and rapid prototyping is an emergingfieldthatusestechnologiesto model and construct physical three-dimensional objects by assembling thin layers of material under computer control. This technology is destined to revolution-ize our world as we know it today.

FACES/EVENTS

Faces/EventsThe latest campus happenings ...

Albany Tech was part of the “Albany Go to College” event held on Saturday, February 20th, at Darton State College. Several potential students came out and visited our booth.


Several area students participated in an FFA Nursery Landscape competition held on February 16th in Albany Tech’s Environmen-tal Horticulture labs.

Nine Albany Tech students were inducted into the National Techni-cal Honor Society Spring Induction Ceremony held on March 17th. Students inducted were: Kozman Barnum, Thomas Bernard, Rosie Brown, D’Ari Butler, Brooke Colllins, Jeffery Fordham, Christina Ma-sakilija, Ndubuisi Okeze, and Shameka Williams.

Severalcommercialtruckdrivingindustryofficialswereinvitedfor “Pastries with the President” on March 9th. ATC President, Dr. Anthony Parker, spoke with the group about our CDL program and welcomedquestionsonlocalindustryneedsinthefield.

Three ATC students competed and placed at the SkillsUSA State Competition in Atlanta on March 18th and 19th. Pictured (left to right): Tamiko Marshall (Second Place in Medical Terminology, Health Information Technology program); Theresa Barbosa-Weston (First Place in Masonry, Brick Masonry program); and Brit-aineous Smith (Second Place in Nail Care, Cosmetology program).

Former ATC Titans men’s basketball guard, Gary Clemons, was recently recognized as a 2016 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholar in the April 21, 2016 edition of Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine. Pictured above: Gary Clemons is presented with an award during the Titans Athletics Banquet held in April by ATC President, Dr. Anthony Parker.

FACES/EVENTS



ATC National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) students recently held afundraiserbysellingraffleticketsforaprizebaskettosupportAlbany’s local Strive2Thrive (S2T) organization. On February 25th, the students provided the meeting meal and served it to the families thatbenefitfromtheS2Torganization.

Two Albany Tech students competed in the Georgia Student Government Association/National Technical Honor Society Winter Confer-ence at Callaway Gardens February 26th-28th. ATC’s Gregory Ewings earned Second Place out of 11 competitors in the Prepared Speech category. He also placed First for the NTHS Citizenship Award, which recognizes students for outstanding community service. In addi-tion,hewasselectedtoserveasaStateOfficerforNTHSfortheupcomingyear.ATC’sEvelynJenkinsearnedFirstPlaceinthePreparedSpeech category.

Pictured on the left: ATC Titans Alliance Team #5536 attended a Georgia First event at the International Center in Atlanta on December 5th to learn more about how to compete in FIRST robotics. These same students constructed robots (center and right) that competed at the ATC/GAFirst Robotics “Stronghold” competition held on March 18th and 19th at the Albany Civic Center. F/E

ATC Culinary Arts faculty and students had the opportunity to help out with the Albany Museum of Art’s “Supper Series” with Chef Lara Lyn Carter on April 15th.

FACES/EVENTS



F/E

Albany Tech’s Healthcare Technology programs held Spring Capping and Pinning on April 19th. Students were capped and pinned in Practical Nursing, Pharmacy Technology, Paramedicine Technology, and Radiologic Technology. Keynote speaker for the ceremony was Arvelta Brown, LPN, and Regional Education Nurse Coordinator for Ethica Health and Retirement Skilled Nursing Facilities.

Left: Several Albany Tech Titans and Lady Titans were recognized for their performance during bas-ketball season 2015-2016 at an Athletics Banquet held on Friday, April 8th.

FACES/EVENTS



F/E

Albany Tech held its annual Faith-Based Luncheon on March 30th. Keynote speaker for the event was Rev. Daniel Simmons, Pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Albany.

Albany Tech held the annual Spring Career Fair on April 21st. Over 50 employers were set up in the Conference Center.

Nearly 75 students were recognized during the Spring 2016 Honor’s Day ceremony held on April 26th. Students were recognized in award categories such as American Criminal Justice Association Club, ATC Ambassadors, Collegiate DECA, Engineering Club (E-Club), Honors with Distinction, Mr. and Miss ATC, National Technical Honors Society (NTHS), Phi Beta Lambda (PBL), Presidential Scholar, SkillsUSA, Student Fellowship for Christians (SFC), Student Government Association (SGA), and General Education Development (GED). Keynote speaker for the ceremony was Sharon Subadan, City Manager for the City of Albany, Georgia.

FACES/EVENTS



F/EATC students had a blast at the 2016 Spring Fling held on March 24th with a Carnival theme.

The ATC Titan Alliance Robotics Team participated in the 2016 GeorgiaFirst Stronghold Robotics competition held at the Albany Civic Center on March 18th and 19th. The team won “The Gracious Professionalism” Award.

Albany Tech held a S.W.E.E.T.S. Women’s Workshop on May 24th in the Kirkland Conference Center. S.W.E.E.T.S was a workshop targeted toward the female student population at ATC to assist in eliminating barriers. A panel was led by the ATC Healthcare Technology division, along with input from internal panelists and community partners.

FACES/EVENTS



The local Albany chapter for Women In Construction donated over $37,000 to the Albany Tech Foundation scholarship fund on March 21st with a check presentation to Albany Tech President, Dr. Anthony O. Parker. Pictured (left to right): Dr. Anthony O. Parker, President of Albany Technical College; Martha My-ers, Melba Howard, and Joanne Jamison, representing the Albany Chapter for Women In Construction; and Lorraine Alexander, Special Assistant to the Presi-dent at Albany Technical College.

Carlos Beverly, #15, who played with the Albany Tech Titans 2014-2015 basketball team, signed to play with Valdosta State University on May 26th. Congratulations Carlos!

Nine ATC students were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society during the Spring Induction Ceremony held on March 17th. NTHS is the ac-knowledged leader in the recognition of outstanding student achievement and technical education. Keynote speaker for the evening ceremony was Albany Tech President, Dr. Anthony O. Parker.

The Technical College System of Georgia Commis-sioner, Gretchen Corbin, attended the Marine Corps Logistics Command Spring Graduation at Albany Tech on April 28th. Pictured (left to right): Dr. Anthony O. Parker, President of Albany Tech; Major General Craig C. Crenshaw,CommandingOfficeroftheMarineCorpsLo-gistics Command; and Gretchen Corbin, Commissioner for the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG).

Left: The Albany Tech Special Needs Program held a Transition Extreme Workshop for high school students on May 10th. The informational session was designed to educate these students on assistance that is available when transitioning from high school to college and the services Albany Tech provides. Keynote speaker for the event was Larry Milledge, Owner of Gladiator Services.


MCSC Contractor Applies BLM Program Knowledge in Current JobCurrently enrolled in Albany Tech’s Busi-ness Logistics Management degree program, Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) contractor, Virginia Engle, says that the program has enhanced her knowl-edge and equipped her with skills she can apply in her current position in the workforce.

With the hopes of securing a permanent government position in order to provide more stability for her family, Engle says the online option and affordability of the program has made it much easier.

“I have had a very good experience at Albany Tech,” said Engle. “My experience with the faculty and staff has been very

professional with everyone being always willing to help and accommodate.”

Engle particularly likes the Pathway options offered by Albany Tech so that once she com-pletes her associate’s degree, she can easily continue on to earn her bachelor’s degree.

“Albany Tech works very diligently to provide their students with the pathway to transition to other schools to pursue bachelor’s degrees,” she said.

Other resources Engle has taken ad-vantage of while a student at ATC is the Career Development Center on campus. Through workshops, interviewing skills, and job fairs, Engle said that the center is

efficientinhelpingstudentstopreparefor the job market.

“Even if you are already in the workforce and experienced at preparing resumes and in-terviewing, everyone has room for improve-ment,” said Engle. “The ATC Career Center offers tools that are valuable to all students.”

Engle is slated to complete her degree in the Business Logistics Management pro-gram this summer and will continue on in the fall to work on earning a second asso-ciate’s degree in Operations Management by December. After that, her plans are to continue on to earn her bachelor’s degree through Albany Tech’s pathway agreement with Georgia Military College.


Albany Tech Employees Are Among Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Black Belt Ranks Nearly 40 Albany Technical College employees have completed the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (Quality Assurance Specialist)certificationofferedbythecol-lege and are using it to help improve their respective areas.

Four ATC employees have gone even fur-ther and have become Black Belt (Quality AssuranceProfessional)certifiedinLeanSix Sigma through the college’s program. Twoemployeescompletedtheircertifica-tion prior to coming to Albany Tech.

Linda Coston, Vice President for Adult Education at Albany Tech, completed her BlackBeltcertificationthisspringandcredits the Six Sigma methodology “DMA-IC” with helping her to improve student retention and persistence.

“Many Adult Education students start classes, but fail to attend on a regular basis or persist to completion of the GED, transition to post-secondary education, or employment, which are factors that impact student and program success,” said Coston.

“Thismethodologyhelpstodefinetheproblem, measure, analyze, improve, and

control it. DMAIC is a structured, statisti-cally focused, data driven approach that can help create the business case for the project (improve retention/persistence), measure the cost of not retaining students, identify potential causes of the issue, verify root causes, determine the solution, and develop/implement an action plan to improve the problem,” she added.

Bruce Hopkins, Director of Information Technology at Albany Tech, says that Lean Six Sigma allows you to determine the rootcausesofinefficienciesinyourpro-cesses and allows you to mathematically determine how proposed improvements will affect those processes prior to imple-mentation.

“This allows you to eliminate biases in as-sumptions and determine improvements with the minimal risk to current opera-tions,” said Hopkins.

Daa’iyah Salaam, Data Analyst at Albany Tech, says that ATC’s Black Belt to helping her to better understand various depart-ments’ processes and capabilities.

“With this knowledge, we are building a

measurement tool that allows the college to consistently and effectively monitor our improvement efforts in order to optimize production and service to our students,” said Salaam.

Lavon Ackley, Director of Campus Op-erations at Albany Tech, says that from a facilities perspective, the Lean Six Sigma methodology is utilized to improve opera-tional effectiveness through data collec-tion and having the skills and knowledge to interpret the data in order to make necessary adjustments.

“The results drive cost savings, as well as provide better use of resources, im-prove safety and reliability and enhance customer satisfaction through improved environmental conditions,” said Ackley.

Steve Eidson, Dean in the Center for Busi-ness Solutions at Albany Tech, oversees the instruction of the program for the college. “The Lean Six Sigma Black Belt provides you with the statistical tools to determine if process is performing ef-fectively and to evaluate the effectiveness of any improvement that is made,” said Eidson.

SpringCommencement 2016


Albany Technical College held Spring Commencement Exercises on April 28th at the James H. Gray Civic Center in Albany.

More than 120 candidates for associate degrees, more than 300 candidates for diplomas, and more than 750 candidates fortechnicalcertificatesofcreditgradu-ated. Among these graduates, nearly 80 students were honored at an earlier ceremony on the Albany Tech campus on the Tuesday prior to graduation with such distinctions as General Education Development highest test scores, Geor-gia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL), Presidential Scholar, Honors with Distinction, National Technical Honor Society (NTHS), ATC Ambassadors, Ameri-can Criminal Justice Association Club, Collegiate DECA, Phi Beta Lambda (PBL), Student Government Association (SGA), and SkillsUSA. In addition, over 100 high school students graduated with college credit through Albany Tech’s Move On When Ready program. Over 80 students graduated with their General Education Development (GED®) diplomas.

Among the list of graduates for Thursday evening’s ceremony was Evelyn Jenkins, one offivefinalistsfortheGeorgiaOccupationalAward of Leadership (GOAL) competition held in February. After almost three years of being unemployed, Jenkins knew that she needed to reinvent herself, but wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. After praying and asking God what He wanted her to do, Jenkins said she heard two words – Culinary Arts – and began to seek information about thefield,whichledhertoAlbanyTech.She had graduated from Albany Tech 11 years ago with honors and remembered the doors that technical education opened for her and knew she had to come back to tackle her new journey.

Althoughtherewereafewfinancialaidobstacles Jenkins had to overcome, the newsthatshequalifiedfortheZellMillerGrant because of her 3.88 GPA, made it possible for all of her tuition to be paid. As an already high achiever, her goal was to maintain A’s in all her classes. With God’s help and Albany Tech’s Academic Achievement Center, she was able to get some tutoring to help her through some ofherdifficultcourses.

With the help of a message from her pastor, Jenkins said his “Can Do” message inspired her and gave her fuel she needed to help propel her through college and every time she faced a challenged, she pulled out her

“Can Do” card and placed it on her desk. It reminded her of God’s word and gave her the strength she needed to push forward.

“On this journey, there have been times when I have pulled aside to acknowledge that if it had not been for the Lord on my side, I would not have made it,” said Jen-kins. “I wanted to quit and just throw in the towel, but I remembered that I could do this and strength would come.”Jenkins said the chefs in the Culinary Arts department at Albany Tech were always helping to bring out the best in her and were determined that all students would leave the program successful. She credits them with all the knowledge she has gain and vows to take all she has learned and useittobeaproductiveandprofitablecitizen in her community.

While at Albany Tech, Jenkins was actively involved with the college’s chapter of the National Technical Honors Society (NTHS), where she served as President. She has also received several awards at NTHS competitions. She will be graduating Thursday evening with high honors.“I am now here at the end of my journey and have achieved so much,” said Jenkins. “God has ordered my steps and led me in some very outstanding places … what a journey,” she added.

Another notable Albany Tech graduate was Norman Stringer, who was also one of thefivefinalistsfortheGOALcompetition.Stringer was enrolled in the Electronics Technology program at Albany Tech and credits technical education with giving him the solid foundation needed to help him climb the career ladder.

“I feel as though technical education is a very versatile type of education that has well prepared me, whether I decide to continue on at a four-year institution, or enter the workforce now,” said Stringer.

Stringer said that coming to Albany Tech has opened many doors for him. With the practical application received in the classroom, to being a part of the college’s robotics team, Albany Tech has allowed him to even more application of what he has learned. It also helped him to become President of the college’s Engineering (E) Club and participate in activities that helped him narrow his career choice and determine his path to become an engineer.

Keynote speaker for the ceremony was Gretchen Corbin, Commissioner for the Tech-

nical College System of Georgia (TCSG). Sworn in as commissioner for TCSG in January of 2015, Corbin oversees the state’s 22 technical colleges, including Albany Tech, as well as adult literacy programs, and a host of eco-nomic and workforce development programs, including Georgia Quick Start, the nation’s number one workforce training program.

Corbin has assisted Georgia Governor Nathan Deal with his top priority, job creation in Georgia, in her previous roles as Commissioner of the Department of Com-munity Affairs (DCA), Executive Director of the Georgia Housing and Finance Author-ity, and Deputy Commissioner for Global Commerce at the Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). As Commissioner of DCA and the state’s chief community developer, Corbin was responsible for 65 programs in community infrastructure and development, workforce housing, downtown development and economic developmentfinancing.Sheoversawmorethan $71 million in investment in Georgia communitiesthroughdeal-closingfinanc-ing, housing tax credits and community development block grants.

During her 15 years at GDEcD, Corbin was responsible for economic development at global, statewide, regional and local levels. She served in a wide variety of roles, including Division Director for International Operations, Director of Project Industry and Recruitment, and most recently, as Deputy Commissioner for Global Commerce. In this role, she led the Global Commerce team to great success in locating and expanding companies throughout the state, growing Georgia’s exports and supporting its small businesses. Corbin oversaw 11 international officesandhasmarketedGeorgia’swork-force, logistics and other business assets around the world. Under her leadership as Deputy Commissioner for Global Commerce, GDEcD brought nearly 69,000 jobs and over $13 billion in capital investment to Georgia.

A native Georgian, Corbin is involved in a number of professional and civic orga-nizations, including Leadership Georgia, where she serves as Chairman. In 2014, she co-chaired Georgia’s annual State Charitable Contributions Program. She is a member of the Georgia Tech Manufactur-ing Institute External Advisory Board, a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow, and has twice been named one of Georgia Trendmagazine’s100mostinfluentialGeorgians. She, her husband David, and their two daughters, reside in Rome, Georgia.

Albany Technical College Spring 2016 Commencement Keynote Speaker: TCSG Commissioner, Gretchen Corbin


Albany Technical College Receives National Fire Academy FESHE Recognition

Albany Technical College recently received the Fire and Emergency Services HigherEducation(FESHE)Recognitioncertificatebythe National Fire Academy (NFA). This recogni-tion is acknowledgment that the college’s emergency services degree program meets the minimum standards ofexcellence estab-lished by FESHE professional development committees and the NFA.

The designation marks Albany Tech as the only two-year college in Georgia to receive the recognition, with East Georgia State College (EGSC) in Swainsboro being the only four-year institution in Georgia to be recognized. Albany Tech recently signed an ar-ticulation agreement with EGSC for a pathway in Fire Science Technology, which creates a first-timepartnershipinthestate.

“WhenfirefightersaresearchingforFESHErecognized colleges, ATC will be listed as the only two-year college in Georgia on the FESHE website,” said Dr. Tanjula Petty, Vice President for Academic Affairs atAlbany Tech.

Regionally, or nationally accredited colleges and universities receiving this recognition have demonstrated a commitment to the nationally recognized model of standardized professional development education criteria, which concentrates on degree programs that emphasizefirefightingresponse,firepreven-tion,fireadministration,andEmergencyMedical Services management.

“This accreditation allows current and future firefighterstohaveadesignatedpathway–fromhighschool,tofirefightercertification,to employment, to a college degree – these are all available at Albany Tech,” said Don Laye, Dean of Academic Affairs for the Fire Science program and former chair of the pro-gram at Albany Tech.

“To receive the FESHE accreditation speaks of the quality of the program that we offer to our students at Albany Tech and is also the firstFireScienceprogramwithintheTechni-cal College System of Georgia that hasreceived this accreditation,” said Dr. Petty.

Recognition marks ATC as only technical college in Georgia to receive recognition


FACULTY/STAFF RECOGNITIONS

Albany Techni-cal College President, Dr. Anthony O. Parker, has appointed a new Special Assistant to the President. Lorraine Alex-ander began her new posi-

tion at Albany Tech on Tuesday, March 1, 2016.

Currently serving as the Community Impact Director for the United Way of Southwest Geor-gia, Alexander comes to Albany Tech with over 30 years of experience in community relations. At the United Way of Southwest Georgia, she has acted as a liaison between United Way and morethan20regionalnon-profitorganiza-tions, including communications, allocations, and other community initiatives. She also coordinated the FEMA Emergency Food and Shelter Program for a seven-county region and co-managed United Way’s VISA project.

Her accomplishments with United Way in-clude involvement in strategic planning with the organization’s Board of Directors to focus their business plan and proactively address health and human service needs facing the community; worked with United Way agencies to achieve community impact, while stream-

lining the allocations and reporting process; improved agency and community relations through communications outreach, such as newsletters and other media; and supervised several community events, such as the Sum-mer Youth Volunteer Program, The Volunteer Center Awards Program, Back-to-School Sup-plies Giveaway, VITA Income Tax Preparation Super Saturdays, and Emergency Planning Workshop for United Way agencies.

Prior to her time with United Way, Alexander served as the Public Affairs Manager for 24 years at Merck & Co., Inc., Manufacturing Division, Albany. In her position at Merck, she designed and managed the public relations and employee rela-tions functions for the plant. She wrote and ed-ited an employee newsletter, conducted creative and effective communications initiatives for the community, including environmental impact out-reach, and acted as the media contact and plant spokesperson in proactive and crisis situations.

“Lorraine brings a skillset to Albany Tech thatwillgreatlybenefitthecollegeandourFoundation,”saidGlennSingfield,Presidentand Owner of Artesian Contracting and Chair of the Albany Tech Foundation Board.

“Mrs. Alexander has served our community well, from both the corporate and philanthrop-ic environment,” said Dr. Anthony O. Parker, President of Albany Technical College. “She supported higher education as the Director

of Community Relations at Merck and in that capacity, she also supported a proposal that was partially responsible for the startup of the ATC Pharmacy Technology program. At United, she played a role in implementing the annual campaignandherskillsetfitsourneeds.Wewelcome her to the Titan family.”

Alexander holds a bachelor’s degree in Jour-nalism and Broadcasting from Brenau Univer-sityandaCertificateinCorporateCommunityInvolvement Management from Boston Col-lege’s Carroll School of Management. She cur-rently serves on the advisory committees for A Place 4 Hope and Albany-Dougherty Coalition to End Homelessness. She is past Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Girls Incorpo-rated of Albany’s Board of Directors, where she also served as both Chair and Co-Chair of the Mistletoe Market. She was a member of the Junior League of Albany from 1995 to 1997.

“I am honored to be joining the dynamic team at Albany Technical College,” said Alexander. “I look forward to bringing a diverse skillset to the work that the college does in our community and with my years of experience in the corporate world andnon-profitsector,Ifeelthatcombiningbestpractices from both of these areas will be my objective as we move forward at Albany Tech.”

Alexander replaces Joe Najjar, who has served the college for 21 years and retired at the end of March.

Matt Trice, Vice President of the Center for Business Solu-tions at Albany Technical Col-lege, appointed a new Director of Continuing Education. Tracy Wallace began her new position at Albany Tech

on Monday, March 14, 2016.

Currently serving as the Director of Marketing and Resource Development for the Albany Area YMCA, Wallace brings over 24 years of experience in management, strategic planning, marketing, com-munications, teaching/training, customer service, event planning, and economic development.

In her current role with the Albany Area YMCA, Wallace has served as part of a ten-person management team, directing the operations of a $2 million organization serving 6,000-plus mem-bers and thousands of program participants. Creating and implementing the communica-tions plans for the association and various pro-grams, activities, and events, she has worked in conjunction with other department managers to develop services, programs, activities, and events designed to actively engage members and vol-unteers, and create a sense of community.

Wallace is no stranger to Albany Tech as she has also served as a part-time adjunct instructor for two Public Speaking classes since 2014. Prior to her time with the Albany Area YMCA, she worked for the Rosalyn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) at Georgia Southwestern State University, where she planned, directed, and oversaw all communications and marketing efforts of the organization, including website maintenance, directed marketing efforts to a variety of stake-holders, and the general public. From 2004 to 2007, she served as the Marketing Director for the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) at the Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, where she collaborated with Marines and Civilian Ma-rines on the installation to plan and implement activities and events aimed to actively engage personnel stationed at MCLB, military family members, and civilian employees.

For 15 years, Wallace was self-employed as a Market-ing Consultant/Freelance Writer and Editor for her company, AdTeam South, Inc. of Albany, where she devised and implemented effective marketing/com-munications strategies for a variety of clients, includ-ing retailers, manufacturers, banks, schools, and politi-cal candidates. She also wrote newspaper advertorial articles and quality of life articles for publication, as well as corporate video scripts and editing services.

“We are looking forward to having Tracy onboard, along with the experience she brings in sales and marketing as we look for opportunities to enhance the area workforce through our continuing education programs,”

said Matt Trice, Vice President of the Center for Business Solutions at Albany Technical College. “Tracy will be immediately tasked with working with the business and industry community to determine needs that exist and how the Center for Business Solutions can assist companies in delivering world class training to their employees,” he added.

“I look forward to being a part of the Center for Business Solutions team,” said Wallace. “My goal is to partner with area employers to create and deliver customized training and workforce devel-opment programs. Our programs will enhance the quality of life for residents in our service area by providing lifelong learning opportunities to advance careers and enrich personal lives.”

Wallace holds a bachelor’s degree in Journal-ism with a concentration in Advertising and a minor in Marketing from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in Com-munications from Valdosta State University, where her non-thesis track was focus on research in business communication, adver-tising effectiveness, communication theory, organizational communication, small group communication, persuasive communication, andconflictmanagement.Sheisagraduateof the Class of 2015 for Leadership Lee and a member of the Junior Woman’s Club of Albany, Dougherty County Rotary Club, and serves as the Nurture Coordinator in the Ark Sunday School Class at Albany First United Methodist Church.

1704 South Slappey BoulevardAlbany, Georgia 31701

Dougherty County Campus: 229.430.3500 | Randolph County Learning Center: 229.732.5280www.albanytech.edu

As set forth in its student catalog, Albany Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, gender, religion, disability, age, political affiliation or belief, genetic information, veteran status, or citizenship status (except in those special circumstances permitted or mandated by law). The following person(s) has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator, Kathy Skates, Vice President of Administrative Services, Albany Technical College, 1704 S. Slappey Blvd., Albany, GA 31701. Phone 229.430.3524 and Section 504 Coordinator, Regina Watts, Special Needs Coordinator, Albany Technical College, 1704 S. Slappey Blvd., Albany, GA 31701, 229.430.2854 or [email protected].

access magazine Spring 2016

Documents

Transcript of access magazine Spring 2016