SAVANNAH, Ga. – Audrey King was sworn in as a member of the Savannah Technical College Board of Directors at the January meeting by Chatham Recorder’s Court Chief Judge Tammy Stokes. King was appointed to serve on the STC board by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) state board.

King is the vice president for Georgia Power’s South Region, which represents a 62-county area. She has held various positions for more than 30 years at Georgia Power in customer service, sales, distribution and external affairs.

She is the past board chair of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs board and continues to serve on its board of directors. She also serves on the boards of the State Housing Trust Fund for Homeless, the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Union Mission, Inc. and on the advisory board for BankSouth. Previously, she was a member of the United Way Executive Board, Homebuilders Association, Valdosta North Rotary Club Past-President and Honorary Commander for Moody Air Force Base.

She is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Savannah and Leadership Lowndes. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Troy University.

The College’s Local Board of Directors is comprised of community and industry leaders, who strive to keep the College at the highest standard of excellence in education.  The local board facilitates the delivery of programs, services, and activities as directed by the TCSG State Board, advises the President and the TCSG State Board of local industry and community needs for the programs and services to be provided by the technical college, and advocates within the community and within the state on issues of importance in support of TCSG and Georgia’s workforce development efforts.

#2229 | January 31, 2022
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College recently selected Jonathan Hinnant as department head for Welding & Joining Technology. He will develop, manage and teach classes, develop and coordinate curriculum, conduct assessments, evaluate effectiveness of courses through student data, graduate and employer surveys.

Hinnant has worked for the College as a welding instructor through its economic development training program. He has two years of industry experience fabricating structures and producing weldments on different metal alloys. He was a squad leader for the U.S. Army for eight years, training more than 600 recruits with basic skills and knowledge before progressing to other military units. He also assessed training needs and evaluated training effectiveness for his platoon/team.  He is a STC graduate with a Welding & Joining diploma.

Welding & Joining Technology training prepares students for careers in all types of welding including shielded metal arc, gas metal arc, gas tungsten arc and flux cored arc. Graduates master all types of welding with a degree or diploma or may take short-term technical certificates of credit to focus on specific types of welding. Welding and Joining Technology is offered at the Savannah and Effingham campuses, along with welding labs in Hinesville and Richmond Hill, Ga. Welding diploma graduates have had a 100% placement in field for AY19 and AY20.

For more information about Welding and Joining, contact STC Industrial Technology Advisor Secene Dorsey at 912.443.5859 or ssdorsey@savannahtech.edu.

#2228 | January 27, 2022
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College recently selected Kenneth McKenzie as department head for Construction Management. He will develop, manage and teach classes, develop and coordinate curriculum, conduct assessments, evaluate effectiveness of courses through student data, graduate surveys and employer surveys.

McKenzie has 35 years of experience working in all aspects of construction for commercial and residential projects. He was an interim Construction Management instructor for the College during the past year. He worked as a journeyman carpenter for the New York City District Council of Carpenters (Local 926) working on major corporate building projects. He also worked for projects like hospitals and university buildings for the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters (Local 408 – now part of Local 1912).

He is a Savannah Tech graduate with an associate of applied science degree in construction management. As a student, he was a member of the National Technical Honor Society, Phi Theta Kappa honor society and competed on the College’s SkillsUSA Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) team that won gold in the 2021 state competition. In 2020, he was one of STC’s GOAL finalists for student of the year.

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. For more information about Construction Management, contact STC Industrial Technology Advisor Secene Dorsey at 912.443.5859 or ssdorsey@savannahtech.edu.

#2227 | January 26, 2022
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Civic leader Bill Cathcart will be honored at the 17^th annual Opportunity Award Gala, Friday, April 22, 2022. Reception begins at 6:15PM followed by dinner at 7PM. This is a black-tie event.

The event, hosted by the Savannah Technical College Foundation, honors deserving leaders in our community for a lifetime of service in creating and enhancing opportunities for others to succeed. Proceeds will support the College’s Freedom Fund military scholarship.

The STC Foundation will honor Cathcart for his visionary and exemplary leadership in supporting and serving the military community throughout Coastal Georgia. He holds a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in Mass Communication (Ohio State), and a Bachelor’s degree in History (Hope College). Following ten-years as a university professor in Illinois, he transitioned to commercial television station work in Minnesota.  Then, in 1985, he bade farewell to his snow-blower, and welcomed the opportunity to come to Savannah and WTOC-TV.  He retired from WTOC-TV in 2014, after 29-years of service, the last 24 as the station’s Vice-President & General Manager.

Cathcart’s Savannah-area community involvement includes past-Board Chair of the National Museum of the Mighty 8th Air Force (and a current board member), as well as a long-time continuing membership on the Savannah-Area Chamber of Commerce Board, where he served as a past-chairman, and is its current Military Affairs Council chair. He is also a Board member of the STARBASE Savannah Foundation (STEM instruction for area 5^th grade students, hosted on Hunter AAF), a past Board member of USO Savannah, and a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Savannah.

He holds honorary member status with Hunter Army Airfield’s 1st of the 75th Rangers; Hunter’s 3rd of the 160th Night Stalkers; and the 3rd Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade (Hunter).  He has also been named a Third Infantry Division “Rock Star” (“Rock of the Marne”) at Fort Stewart.  Additionally, he served for many years as the Honorary Wing Commander of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 165th Airlift Wing in Savannah

In 2013, Cathcart was nominated by then-3^rd Infantry Division Commander, Major-General Robert B. “Abe” Abrams, and selected by the Department of the Army, to become the first Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) for the Coastal Georgia Region, a position in which he continues to serve.

The Opportunity Award Gala is a fundraiser for the Savannah Technical College Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that raises funds to support Savannah Technical College. STC Foundation Board officers and event co-chairs, Gary Sanchez and Kay Ford, are leading the fundraising efforts.

The event gathers 300 community and civic leaders for a celebratory evening honoring a special individual. The evening also showcases the talents of students enrolled in Savannah Technical College’s award-winning Culinary Arts programs. Past recipients include: Former Governor Zell Miller, Arnold Tenenbaum, Judge Griffin Bell, Tom Coleman, Dick Eckburg, Arthur M. Gignilliat, Jr., Bob and Alice Jepson, Howard Morrison, Stratton Leopold, Chef Jean Vendeville, Ted Kleisner, and Kevin “Catfish” Jackson. For ticket and sponsorship information visit savannahtech.edu/gala or contact Gail Eubanks (geubanks@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.3022).

 

About STC’s Freedom Fund Military Scholarship:

STC’s Freedom Fund has supported 219 military-affiliated students with $130,151.11 in scholarship awards during the last five years. This needs-based fund provides up to 95% for out-of-pocket expenses for soldiers, veterans and spouses, whose tuition assistance does not cover tuition, fees, books, or equipment. Examples of support for those who serve includes:

• buying books and tools for active duty service members;
• paying registration fees each semester for military spouses (MyCAA) students;
• covering unpaid tuition and registration fees up to 95% for those with VA benefits less than 100% education benefits;
• supporting a veteran who has run out of education benefits before completing their program of study.

One in four STC students is a veteran, active duty service member or a military dependent/spouse. Last year, the College was ranked as the top Military Friendly® and Military Spouse Friendly School in the U.S. (2021-22). For the past four years, the College has been ranked as one of the top Best for Vets public technical and career college in the U.S. by Military Times.

The College waives all general mandatory fees for active duty service members using military tuition assistance. Other services Savannah Tech offers for veterans include workshops and grants.

#2226 | January 24, 2022
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College recently selected Jacqueline E. Korengel, Ed.D. as Dean for Adult Education. She will manage adult education programs for individuals and employers throughout the College’s four-county service area (Bryan, Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty counties). Her other responsibilities include:

• Administering instructional services for adult education students;
• Promoting the adult education program to public and private organizations;
• Preparing the specifications and managing the program budget;
• Overseeing administration of assessment and student placement tests for adult education students;
• Creating and maintaining a high performance environment characterized by positive leadership and a strong team orientation

She has more than 15 years working in adult learning including professional development, technical assistance, policy development, monitoring and accountability, and programmatic and curricula/training development.

She has a bachelor’s of business administration in Marketing from Kennesaw State University, an MBA in international business from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Education (VTEdD) from Clemson University with a focus on occupational training/human asset management, workforce development and training.

Previously she was the deputy executive director for the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, Kentucky Skills U, Office of Adult Education and Training for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and was acting executive director during 2020-2021. Her state leadership roles include: associate vice president for Kentucky Adult Education, Skills U, Director of Strategic Initiatives, and Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

“We are excited to have someone of Dr. Korengel’s experience and knowledge in Adult Education lead this important program for our community,” said STC’s Vice President of Economic Development Brent Stubbs. “We believe she can help bring our Adult Education program to new heights of excellence in the years to come.”

Savannah Tech’s Adult Education Program serves those who need to improve their basic literacy and math skills, improve their oral and written English, practice for the GED® test to attain a high school equivalency degree, and prepare for college. Instructors also help students with science and social studies test preparation for GED® testing. STC teaches adult education classes in the morning, afternoon, evening and online. They are offered in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties with multiple locations in each community. Adult education classes for GED®-prep are currently free for all U.S. citizens. To register for free GED® classes, call 912.443.5446 or visit www.savannahtech.edu/FreeGEDClasses. For GED® testing information, go to www.ged.com to sign up to take test or go to www.savannahtech.edu/testingcenter to learn more about our testing locations.

#2225 | January 24, 2022
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College’s Savannah Culinary Institute offers its ninth annual online, pre-order Sweetheart Sale featuring assorted artisan chocolates, pastries and artisan breads for pick-up prior to Valentine’s Day at www.bistrosavoir.com.

Hand-made chocolates include dipped strawberries (6) and an assortment of 15 handmade chocolate truffles in five flavors: orange, Kahlúa, passion fruit, raspberry, and salted caramel. Truffles will be sold in a heart-shaped cardboard box for $24 or an artisan dark chocolate bon bon box for $40. The sale also features chocolate crème eclairs, dark chocolate coconut macaroons, fudgy brownies, lemon/raspberry mousse cake and chocolate/strawberry mousse cake. Artisan breads include a Nanterre brioche loaf and a sourdough white chocolate baguette.

The Sweetheart Sale features the finest quality ingredients that are locally sourced, milled and handmade. Proceeds will benefit Savannah Technical College’s Junior Chefs Fund, which supports activities like competitions.

Online pre-order sales are available through February 8, or when quantities are sold out. Orders will be available for pickup at the College’s Savannah campus Thursday, February 10 from 4-6PM and Friday, February 11 from 8AM – 1PM in the Eckburg Auditorium (5717 White Bluff Road). By request only, pickup will be available at the Crossroads, Liberty and Effingham Campuses. For a list of items for sale and to place orders, visit www.bistrosavoir.com.

Savannah Tech’s 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 learn a variety of international and classical pastries and desserts using basic and advanced techniques, which meet industry quality standards.  Graduates are working as pastry chefs in the area’s finest restaurants and establishments, including Local 11 Ten, Le Café Gourmet, Savannah Yacht Club, and The Landings Club. There are 40 students are currently enrolled in the baking and pastry program.

With support from the Savannah Technical College Foundation, the College has purchased 7 West Bay Street as the new downtown location for an expansion of its Culinary Arts program, which will more than double the available instructional space. Senior level (second year) students will take classes and work in the bakery and restaurant. The hands-on, real-world experience in the restaurant/bakery will allow students the opportunity to apply techniques learned in the classroom to practical use, complete a required field placement, and gain first-hand experience in restaurant operations. 

New students are admitted to the baking and pastry program year round. The priority application deadline for summer semester 2022 is April 29. For more information about Culinary Arts at Savannah Tech visit: www.facebook.com/SavannahCulinaryInstitute.

About the Savannah Technical College’s Savannah Culinary Institute
The Savannah Culinary Institute, an American Culinary Federation-accredited culinary arts program, has been described as the “best in the U.S.A” by its ACF accreditation review board. According to the ACF committee chair, the Culinary Institute of Savannah, offering ACF-accredited diploma and degree programs in culinary arts, 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. Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry Arts associate degree graduates have a 100% placement rate in their field since 2015. The program has earned regional and national recognition with ACF-sponsored competitions. For more information visit: www.savannahtech.edu/SavannahCulinaryInstitute.