#1321 | October 25, 2012

Historic Preservation Visiting Artisan Series features Master Plasterers

Father-Son team to teach traditional lime plastering techniques

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College will host its Historic Preservation Visiting Artisan series featuring Jeff and Henry Orton, traditional lime plasterers from Leicestershire, U.K., the week of November 12 – 17, 2012.

   The Ortons are a father-son plastering team. Jeff has more than 40 years in the plastering business, working on a vast array of sites throughout the world. His son Henry, after pursuing his university degree, followed his father into the plastering trades and today is working for a pargetting company. Jeff and Henry will teach students bench running and in-situ crown molding running throughout the week in the STC Historic Preservation lab (5717 White Bluff Road, Savannah, 31405).

   The Ortons will instruct and work with the students to repair damaged plaster at St. John’s Episcopal Church (1 West Macon Street, Savannah) from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 17. This event is free and open to the public.

   Through a full plastering apprenticeship, Jeff Orton gained a “First Class” in the Craft level City and Guilds, followed by a “Distinction” in the Advanced Craft City and Guilds Final Examination in Plasterwork. He is registered with the Worshipful Company of Plaisterer’s (CRP) of which he is a freeman, and is also an Associate of the Plaisterer’s Company (APC) who now publishes a directory of skilled Plasterer’s. In 1981 he attended the San Servolo Architectural Conservation Course for Craftsmen in Venice, achieving the grade “Excellent” in the final examination. He is a member and past chairman of the Plasterers Craft Guild, which was established 60 years ago, to pursue the ideal of craft excellence within the plastering trade; through education and the ongoing development of skills in the industry. He is also a member of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), who towards the end of 2010 awarded him The William Morris Craft Fellowship ‘Queen Mother Memorial Medal’ For Conspicuous Service To The Crafts. In addition he is a committee member of the Building Limes Forum.

   Henry Orton studied fine art at Birmingham School of Art. During his summer breaks from studies he worked as a Plasterer’s Labourer for Trumpers Ltd with his father, Jeff Orton. During these summer months Henry worked at Hardwick hall, Derbyshire repairing the plaster floors in the attic rooms and the Cut Velvet Room. Also, at Stoke Rochford Hall, Lincolnshire he helped save and record surviving fragments of the early Victorian Jacobean plaster ceilings damaged by a severe fire. For his final examination Henry drew from these experiences, reflecting on craftsmanship focusing on plasterwork. Taught by his father, Henry learned how to replicate the cornice work in the art school using fibrous plaster. Displaying the casts in the corridors gained him a first class honors degree.

   The Visiting Artisan series is the first effort of its kind at any of Georgia’s technical colleges, bringing three world-class craftsmen to campus each for a week throughout the year. Savannah Tech has the only hands-on preservation program in the state. The program has gained international recognition and has contributed to a number of community-based preservation projects in the surrounding communities. The program is the cornerstone of new instructional programs in Green Building Technology, which focuses on a comprehensive view of systems and efficiencies in construction.

   For information about the Visiting Artisan series and Historic Preservation at Savannah Technical College, contact Steve Hartley at shartley@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.5864.

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#1321 | October 19, 2012

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College’s Paralegal Studies department will host a Legal Career Information Fair that is open to the public from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 25 at the College’s Savannah Campus (5717 White Bluff Road, Savannah, 31405) in the Academic Commons Building, Room B126.

    The legal career information fair will provide networking opportunities for anyone interested in a legal career. Representatives from Georgia Legal Services, Savannah’s Court-Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA), the Public Defender’s Office and the Southeastern Association of Legal Assistants will be available to answer questions.

    Prospective students will have an opportunity to not only learn more about a legal career, but to also meet with an advisor and sign up for spring advisement/registration. Professional development training will be available as well.

    The Paralegal Studies program is a sequence of courses preparing 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; 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 Paralegal Studies Department Head Debra R. Geiger at 912.443.5715 or dgeiger@savannahtech.edu for more information.

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Paralegal Studies:
Department Head Debra R. Geiger
912.443.5715
dgeiger@savannahtech.edu

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

#1320 | October 18, 2012

New Bistro Savoir to offer treats in time for Thanksgiving

Culinary Institute of Savannah to sell Artisan Breads and Desserts

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College’s Culinary Institute of Savannah proudly offers Bistro Savoir featuring artisan breads and desserts prior to Thanksgiving.

     The artisan breads and desserts will be locally-sourced and handmade under the direction of Chef Jean Vendeville, world-renowned pastry chef. Online pre-order sales are available through November 15 or when quantities are sold out. Artisan breads will include brioche, challah, dinner rolls, pumpernickel, focaccia and fougasse – a French version of focaccia bread made with bacon and herbs. Desserts include carrot cake, flourless chocolate cake, white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake along with apple, pecan and pumpkin pies.

     Baked goods will be available for pickup at the College’s campuses in Savannah, Liberty and Effingham on Tuesday, November 20. Special arrangements may be made to pick up items on Friday, November 16. For a pick-up schedule, a complete list of items for sale and to place orders, visit www.bistrosavoir.com.

     Proceeds from the sale will go toward the purchase of a commercial wood-fired oven that will be used in the College’s new baking and pastry program. This oven will be large enough to accommodate seven 16” pizzas at once, but Chef Vendeville plans to use it for baking bread.

     The baking and pastry program was developed by the College to teach the art of creating tasty baked goods, pastries, and confections, from traditional bread baking to beautiful showpieces. Students will learn a variety of international and classical pastries and desserts using basic and advanced techniques, which meet industry quality standards. Nearly 30 students are currently enrolled in the new baking and pastry program.

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About Culinary Institute of Savannah:

The Culinary Institute of Savannah ACF-accredited culinary arts program has been described as the “best in the U.S.A” by its ACF accreditation review board. Under the leadership of Chef Vendeville, student teams have won three consecutive ACF southeast regional championships – in 2010 in the Hot Food Team competition and back-to-back wins in the Knowledge Bowl competition. In July 2012, the Knowledge Bowl Team earned a silver medal at the national ACF competition. There are more than 200 students enrolled in the program, which expanded to include teaching kitchens in Effingham and Liberty counties this year.

     Under Vendeville’s leadership, the enrollment for STC’s culinary arts program has increased 130 percent since 2008. Now, there are more than 200 enrolled with new classes offered. This spring he opened another teaching kitchen in Effingham, Ga. Vendeville has assembled a top-notch team of faculty, who have each earned national American Culinary Federation (ACF) certification under his leadership. He has embedded many aspects of sustainability into the program including an on-campus organic vegetable garden, an herb garden, and a composting site.

     According to his committee chair, the Culinary Institute of Savannah, offering ACF-accredited diploma and degree programs in culinary arts, is the “best in the U.S.A.,” and it has gone “well over and above the standards and expectations for a technical college teaching facility.” The committee recommended that the program receive the maximum accreditation time of seven years, when the average is three years.

     At the 2012 ACF Southeastern Regional Conference, Vendeville received the top ACF award – the President’s Medallion. This award is the ultimate honor for a lifetime of commitment and service to the standards and excellence ACF exemplifies.

     Vendeville was recently named Instructor of the Year by the Technical College System of Georgia and Chef Educator of the Year by the Low Country Chapter of the ACF. He has led student teams to win three consecutive American Culinary Federation (ACF) Southeast Regional Championships – in 2010 in the Hot Food Team competition and back-to-back wins in the Knowledge Bowl competition in 2011 and 2012. He has achieved his ACF Lifetime Certification as an Executive Pastry Chef and holds a Lifetime Certification as an Executive Chef from the Chef Association of America.

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

#1319 | October 17, 2012

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College’s Professional Continuing Education will offer a new Body Re-Boot class. The three-hour class will meet from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturday, November 10, at the Crossroads campus (190 Crossroads Parkway, Savannah, 31407). Cost for the course is $69 per person.

    This participatory class is designed for anyone who is interested in learning to relieve muscular tension, aches and pains by utilizing a foam roller, whiffle ball and baseball.Participants will not be touching other people nor will they be touched.To ensure the muscles remain relaxed students will also learn to lengthen the tense muscles, so they can maintain a new and painless position.

    The class will be taught by Dr. Bruce Costello, a chiropractor, massage therapist, personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist, who teaches graduate seminars for massage therapists.

    The first part of the class will focus on the lower half of the body, teaching techniques to relieve tension in the low back, hips and legs. The second part of the class will focus on the upper body.Participants will learn to reverse the common round shoulder posture and forward head posture and relieve tension in the upper back, neck and shoulders.

    Participants will be alternately sitting, standing and lying on the floor during this class.It is recommended students bring a dense foam exercise mat and comfortable and modest clothing for movement, along with a light snack and water.Due to the physical nature of this group class those with debilitating and severe medical conditions are not recommended to attend.

    The supplies used in the class are a 4” by 12” foam roller, a large whiffle ball and a baseball.These supplies will be provided for use during the class and available for purchase at the conclusion of the class for $15.

    For registration and payment, contact Reeshemah Johnson, 912.443.5808 or rjohnson@savannahtech.edu. Credit and/or debit card payments may be made via telephone. Money order, personal or cashier’s checks made payable to Savannah Technical College will only be accepted at the Crossroads campus.

     Savannah Technical College’s Professional Continuing Education pledges to provide professional short-term job training and community interest classes for the College’s four-county service area and offers many paths to high-wage, high-performance careers. No previous college experience, entrance exams or high school diploma/GED are required to participate in Professional Continuing Education classes.

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For more information about courses or to register contact: Reeshemah Johnson 912.443.5808 or rjohnson@savannahtech.edu

 MEDIA CONTACT:
Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512
ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

#1318 | October 12, 2012

Savannah Technical College Peace Officer Academy Honors Graduates

Fourteen candidates are now qualified to be POST-certified peace officers by state of Georgia

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

     These students 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 eleventh group of students to complete the program since its inception in 2009. To date, the program has graduated 139 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 selected Advanced Patrol Officer (APO) Frank A. Kania. Officer Kania’s tour of duty ended on Thursday, May 24^th 1979, when his patrol car was struck, head-on, by a drunk driver on Ogeechee Road near Savannah Speedway. The drunk driver crossed the center line, side-swiped the vehicle in front of Officer Kania, and then struck his vehicle. Officer Kania had served with the Chatham County Police Department for seven years and had previously served with the Savannah Police Department. He was 32 years old, at the time of his death, and was survived by his wife, daughter and two sons.

      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, please contact Claire Pimentel at 912.443.5191 or cpimentel@savannahtech.edu.

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Peace Officer Academy Contact:
Claire Pimente:
912.443.5191
cpimentel@savannahtech.edu.

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

#1317 | October 5, 2012

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

SAVANNAH – The Garden City Fire Department has donated six self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA) to Savannah Technical College’s Fire Science Program.

      Garden City Fire Department Chief James Crosby believes in giving back to the community. “Whether it is standing in the road filling the booth for the Muscular Dystrophy Association or cooking spaghetti at the senior center, we want the Garden City Fire Department to be involved in our community,” said Crosby. When the opportunity arose to help in the teaching of new recruits it was no different. “We are very happy to donate some of our old air packs to the new Firefighter I program at Savannah Technical College to help train new recruits.”

     Savannah Technical College will offer all classes needed for the Basic Fire Company Officer Certificate in a combination of online and evening classes during spring semester 2013. Completion of the 15-week firefighter certification program will qualify graduates to begin a career as a firefighter.

     All Fire Science classes are offered at the Crossroads campus (190 Crossroads Parkway, Savannah, 31407) with schedules convenient to firefighter work schedules with a combination of evening and online classes with practical hands-on training occurring at various fire departments.

    The Fire Science programs at Savannah Technical College prepare graduates for success in a fire and emergency service environment, along with the leadership skills to be successful in progressing through the ranks of the fire and emergency services. Most experienced firefights continue studying to improve their job performance and prepare for promotion examinations. To progress to higher level positions, they acquire expertise in advanced firefighting equipment and techniques, building construction, emergency medical technology, writing, public speaking, management and budgeting procedures, and public relations.

     Opportunities for promotion in fire science depend upon the results of written examinations, as well as job performance, interviews, and seniority. Hands-on tests that simulate real-world job situations also are used by some fire departments. Usually, firefighters are first promoted to engineer, then lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, assistant chief, deputy chief, and finally, chief. For promotion to positions higher than battalion chief, many fire departments now require a bachelor’s degree, preferably in fire science, public administration, or a related field. The National Fire Academy requires a bachelor’s degree to be admitted into the Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP).

     Fire Science Lead Instructor Anthony (Tony) Faust retired from the City of Savannah as a Battalion Chief after 25 years of service. Faust rose through the ranks at Savannah Fire and was its first Public Information Officer. He received numerous accolades during his career including a commendation for rescuing flood victims in the mid-1990s.Interested students should contact Faust at tfaust@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.3386.

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Fire Science Department Head: Tony Faust tfaust@savannahtech.edu | 912.443.3386

Garden City Fire Department MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Headrick 334.492.0842 | amysav96@aol.com

October 4, 2012

SAVANNAH – Area public education leaders gathered today along with leaders from business and human service agencies to announce the launch of CAMINO, designed to double the number of Latino students who enroll and complete college in the Coastal Empire. The local announcement followed on the heels of the Lumina Foundation’s national announcement of its Latino Student Success efforts, including a $600,000 investment in CAMINO as the only program selected in Georgia.

CAMINO, the College Access Mentoring Information and Outreach program will double the number of Latino students matriculating at Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah State University and Savannah Technical College by 2015.CAMINO will work with public schools and area non-profits to serve students and families in Chatham, Liberty, Tattnall and Toombs Counties through:

• CAMINO PREP- a pre-college pipeline program that serves students in the 9th–12th grades;
• CAMINO PADRE – a parent engagement program for Latino parents of first-generation college students
• CAMINO ESCOLAR – enhanced college support services for Latino students attending the three participating colleges and universities; and
• CAMINO ABC (Adults Back to College) a targeted marketing, recruitment and admissions counseling efforts to reach older Latino students who have earned some college credit but lack a degree or credential.

In addition to the education partners, CAMINO includes the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, Goodwill Industries of the Coastal Empire, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the United Way of the Coastal Empire, Junior Achievement and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. “Our organizations have defined this partnership and these activities together over the course of this past year to have the greatest collective impact in our community,” said CAMINO Program Manager Ruth Duran-Deffley. “We know that we can accomplish much greater success collectively than any single organization can by itself.”

Latinos represent the largest and fastest-growing population group in the United States, according to US Census data from 2011. Projections are for an 80% population growth among Latinos nationally between 2010 and 2050. By 2025, half of the nation’s workers will be of Latino descent. At that time, 63 percent of all jobs in the United States will require some form of postsecondary education or training, according to labor economist Anthony Carnevale of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

Local census data show that between 2000 and 2010, the Latino population in the 4-county region grew by 78.45% far surpassing the growth rate of any other ethnicity. Savannah-Chatham experienced a Latino population growth rate of 166%. Latino students are not enrolling in and graduating from college at the same rate that their non-Latino peers. In 2011, 21% of Latinos had an associate degree or higher in Georgia, compared with 57% of Asians, 44% of Caucasian and 30% of African-American- as reported by Excelencia in Education (2012).

Says Duran-Deffley, “The bar is often set far lower for all our students than it should be. Even Latino students who are doing well academically are not always steered toward college prep classes. It comes as no surprise, then, that many of our students have only limited expectations for themselves and their future. Our task is to help Latino parents and young people to feel inspired.”

Duran-Deffley joined the CAMINO leadership team this summer. Raised in Mexico City, Mexico, she graduated from the American School Foundation and holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs as well as a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Minnesota. She has a bachelor’s in international relations from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. During her years at Georgetown, Ruth was an AmeriCorps member and served at an inner-city elementary school working with African-American students on literary skills. Duran-Deffley previously worked at the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits as the membership and chapters manager overseeing a membership base of 2,000 nonprofit organizations and three regional offices throughout the state. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for 20 years in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Minneapolis/St. Paul. She received the 2011 “20 on Rise” award from the Minnesota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

CAMINO is housed on the campus of Armstrong Atlantic State University, 11935 Abercorn Street, MCC212. Ruth Duran-Deffley can be reached at 912.344.3050 or ruth.duran-deffley@armstrong.edu .

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