SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College recently selected Wendy Herndon as department head for Dental Assisting. She will develop, manage and teach classes, develop and coordinate curriculum, conduct assessments, evaluate effectiveness of courses through student data, graduate surveys and employer surveys, and ensure compliance with dental assisting accreditation standards of the national accrediting agency.

Herndon has nearly four decades of experience as a dental assistant and dental hygienist. She has taught both dental hygiene and dental assisting. She has been a dental hygiene instructor at Savannah Technical College for the past 2.5 years.   

She has earned a bachelor of interdisciplinary studies from the University of North Carolina in non-profit/public administration. She earned an associate of applied science in dental hygiene from Fayetteville Technical College and has an associate of arts from the University of Maryland. She is pursuing a master in public administration from the University of North Georgia.

She earned a certificate of achievement in 2017 from the Dental Assisting National Board. She is a member of the American Dental Hygienists Association and the Georgia Dental Hygiene Association.

STC’s Dental Assisting program prepares students for employment in a variety of positions in dental offices. This training provides learning opportunities that introduce, develop, and reinforce academic and occupational knowledge, skills, and attitudes required for job acquisition, retention, and advancement. Additionally, students have opportunities to upgrade present knowledge and skills or to retrain in the area of dental assisting. Satisfactory completion of all program courses entitles students to participate in the Dental Assisting National Board Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) examination and certification process. Dental Assisting graduates have had a 100% placement in field rate for the past two years.

#2220 | November 29, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College Construction Management student Cristian Veloso is one of 11 students in the U.S. to receive a $2,500 scholarship from Fine Homebuilding. This honor makes him a member of the #KeepCraftAlive class of 2021.

Veloso is president of STC’s SkillsUSA chapter. His OSHA team won gold/first in the national SkillsUSA competition, after winning gold in the state competition. He is also a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society and National Technical Honor Society.

He moved to Savannah from New Jersey to attend SCAD for an undergraduate degree in architecture, but dropped out after a year due to tuition. As a graphic designer, he had worked in visual merchandising and furniture assembly/installation at IKEA. So, shifting to Construction Management at Savannah Tech was the logical next step. He is poised to complete an associate of applied science in construction management next month.

“Cristian was voted the one of the best students in the Construction Management program at this year’s SkillsUSA State Conference,” said STC’s Dean of Industrial Technology and former department head for Construction Management. “He has shown a high level of maturity and is respectful to his peers. He is also a great team player, who not only takes pride in his work, but also takes his work seriously.”

Fine Homebuilding awards scholarships to SkillsUSA high school or college/post-secondary students continuing their education or certification programs in construction-related fields.

Construction Management prepares students for careers in some aspect of construction supervision. Basic carpentry skills include laying footings and foundations, framing, roofing, and interior and exterior finishing. Management skills include principles of accounting, construction drafting, code review, scheduling, and contracting. Construction Management graduates have had a 100% placement in field rate for nearly a decade.

SkillsUSA is a career and technical national student organization that annually serves more than 320,000 high school, college and post-secondary students–and their instructors–in technical, skilled and service-occupation instructional programs. It has developed more than 10 million workers through active partnerships between employers and educators.

#2219 | November 23, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College recently selected Bridget Betterson as department head for Surgical Technology. She will develop, manage and teach classes, develop and coordinate curriculum, conduct assessments, evaluate effectiveness of courses through student data, graduate surveys and employer surveys, and ensure compliance with surgical technology accreditation standards of regional and national accrediting agencies.

Betterson has more than 19 years of experience as a certified surgical technologist with the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting. She has been a full-time Surgical Technology instructor for the College since 2018. While employed at Memorial Health University, she had the opportunity to work in many surgical specialties to include General, ENT, Plastics, Orthopedics, and Neurology. 

A Savannah native, she is a graduate of Herschel V. Jenkins High School and a STC Surgical Technology graduate. She is a member of the Association of Surgical Technologists.

STC’s Surgical Technology Associate Degree program requires a competitive admissions process. It is taught at STC’s Savannah campus. Surgical technologists work under the supervision and delegatory authority of a surgeon to facilitate the safe and effective conduct of invasive and non-invasive surgical procedures, ensuring that the operating room environment is safe, that equipment functions properly, and that the operative procedure is conducted under conditions that maximize patient safety. Graduates test to be certified with successful completion of the national Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) examination to be awarded national certification as a surgical technologist. In AY2020, program graduates had an in-field placement (employment) rate of 93.3%. For more information visit savannahtech.edu/SurgicalTech.

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#2218 | November 17, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

Savannah Technical College and its Foundation received two awards when the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) gathered for its annual leadership conference in Savannah, October 25-26, 2021.

STC Foundation Board of Trustees earns Role Model Board designation

Savannah Technical College Foundation Board of Trustees earned the designation of Technical College Foundation Association (TCFA) 2021 Role Model Foundation Board Certification for the sixth consecutive year for fiscal year 2021.

The TCFA Role Model Foundation Board Certification is an annual certification process sponsored by the TCFA of Georgia, a membership organization that represents the 22 Technical College System of Georgia foundations and more than 600 trustees statewide.

The TCFA Delegate Council presents this award to encourage and recognize foundation boards that engage in outstanding business practices and demonstrate the highest level of commitment. In order to obtain the certification, not only does the board as a whole have to meet certain requirements, but each individual board member must meet specific requirements.

To be eligible to receive the certification a foundation must engage in best practices in nonprofit governance, board management, and operations; have policies in place to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, especially in financial matters; be led by a Board of Trustees whose members are actively engaged in the foundation’s development activities; and support the professional development and state-level participation of their Trustees, Executive Director and college advancement personnel.

All trustees must demonstrate active engagement in the work of the board through regular attendance at board and committee meetings and college and foundation events, participation in leadership activities and personal professional development, and fundraising on behalf of the board.

The STC Foundation Board of Trustees 2020-21 membership includes: Gary Sanchez, Chair; Kay Ford, Vice Chair; Sam McCachern, Past Chair; Stewart Bromley, Treasurer; Robyn Iannone, At-Large; Dr. Bertice Berry; David Burkoff; Scott Center; Lisa Colbert; Patrick Connell; Jesse Dillon; Dr. Franklin Goldwire; Nina Gompels; Mary Morrison; Nick Nichols; Nick Puhala; Alfonso Ribot; Cecilia Russo Turner; and Michael Traynor

Founded in 1984, the Savannah Technical College Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization that exists to raise and disburse funds to support the College’s efforts to enhance learning, workforce training and economic development in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties.

Local Board earns TCDA of Georgia, Inc. board certification for all members

Savannah Technical College’s Board of Directors earned 100% board certification for all members for academic year 2021. All local board members become members of the Technical College Directors’ Association (TCDA of Georgia, Inc.) when they join their respective local board. TCDA provides the training necessary to become a certified board member. To achieve the status of “certified board member,” board members are required to attend a series of professional development classes consisting of: new board orientation/governance; building relationships with elected officials; community advocacy; understanding the legislative budgeting process and financial management of technical colleges and an elective workshop.

In order to become TCDA Certified, a local board member must complete the four required workshops, one elective workshop plus two required and eight selected activities. Selective activities include attending 80% of local board meetings, going on a tour of the technical college, attending a TCSG State Board meeting or TCSG Leadership Conference, etc.

The STC Local Board of Directors 2021-22 membership includes Todd Hoffman, chairman (Effingham); James Williams, vice-chairman (Chatham); Brandt Herndon (Effingham); Dr. Kathleen Benton (Chatham); Donald Lovette (Liberty); Tom Ratcliffe (Liberty).

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#2217 | November 4, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – Savannah Technical College Foundation announced today that Bank of America has committed $250,000 in funding to support workforce development initiatives at Savannah Technical College. Funding will be split over two years and will be focused toward removing financial barriers for low- to middle-income, underrepresented minority students. The gift will support gap funding for students in high demand industries, fast-track non-credit training and emergency/last-mile financial assistance.

“Bank of America’s investment in our community will pay dividends for many years to come. This funding supports our students as they prepare for careers that earn family-sustaining wages throughout our local economy,” said College President Dr. Kathy Love. “This kind of comprehensive support for workforce training is exceptional and we are most appreciative.”

The funding from Bank of America will be used to provide training to support students pursuing careers in high demand fields of manufacturing, industrial maintenance, aviation technology, welding, nursing and logistics. Funds will support tuition, fees, books, required tools and equipment – effectively removing all financial barriers for students.

The fast-track training offers short-term, non-credit training in key industry areas like manufacturing, logistics and welding, and was developed to meet hiring needs of local industries and provides certifications for high demand jobs identified by local hiring partners.

The emergency/last-mile funding will provide financial assistance for students who are at risk of dropping out for financial reasons. The Technical College System of Georgia has identified last-mile funding as a priority statewide.

“Savannah Technical College is providing technical training and job placement services that equip members of our community to perform in high-demand roles that are critical to the stability and growth of Savannah’s economy overall,” said Patrick O’Neil, President, Bank of America Savannah. “Bank of America’s support of fast-track training furthers our commitment to supporting solutions that advance economic opportunity for all in our community.”

This investment in Savannah Technical College is a part of Bank of America’s $1.25 billion commitment to supporting racial equality and economic mobility, with a focus on those from historically underrepresented backgrounds. Bank of America’s commitment will deepen and extend ongoing initiatives that help workers acquire the skills they need to fully participate in the new economy.

About Bank of America
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).

#2216 | November 2, 2021
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu