SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has selected John Warenzak as the director of its Peace Officer Academy. He is responsible for oversight of all instruction, curriculum development, administrative and budgetary aspects for the College’s Peace Officer Academy (Basic Law Enforcement) program.

Warenzak has been an instructor with STC’s Peace Officer Academy for eight years. He retired as a Captain with Chatham County law enforcement after 32 years of service. He served as a homicide investigator, special victims investigator, narcotics agent, vice unit detective, violent crimes detective and member of the underwater search and recovery team amongst other specialized units. He is a Specialized POST Instructor possessing certifications in or as a general instructor, applied suicide intervention skills instructor, field officer training Instructor, TASER Instructor, police officer training Instructor, medical emergencies and defensive tactics instructor.

He has a bachelor’s degree in American history and a master’s degree in public history from Armstrong Atlantic State University.

The Basic POST Certification Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC) provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to become competent law enforcement officers. The 11-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. Students that qualify for HOPE may receive additional funds through the HOPE Career Grant with this program.

This TCC offers a first step in law enforcement.  Select courses in the Basic Law Enforcement Certificate program transfer towards an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice.  Many agencies pay all or part of the tuition for officers to work toward degrees in criminal justice, police science, administration of justice, or public administration and pay higher salaries to those who earn one of those degrees.

Visit this link for more information about the Peace Officer Academy or contact the office at 912.443.5191 or njones@savannahtech.edu.

#2407 | August 25, 2023

Savannah Technical College recognized 47 students for excellence in academics for the Summer 2023 Dean’s List. To be eligible for the dean’s list, a student must have at least a 3.5 GPA and have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours (or full-time) for that semester. These students represent 28.3% of the full-time students for Summer 2023.

Jasmine McLloyd is one of the Surgical Technology students on the Summer 2023 Dean’s List. She is a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) at Memorial Health University Medical Center.

 

 

 

 

• Jacob Barnes (Automotive Technology Degree)
• Graham Beard (Sustainable Technologies)
• Antony Bell (Business Management Degree)
• Toyrianna Bennett (Surgical Technology Degree)
• Thomas Bentley (Welding and Joining Diploma)
• Dustin Briggs (Industrial Maintenance Systems Technology)
• Mariana Cabeza Mejia (Aircraft Assembly Technician)
• Isaiah Cable (Aircraft Assembly Technician)
• Nathaniel Carlisi (Technical Studies)
• Rodney Cheatham (Interdisciplinary Studies)
• Lindsey Coletti (Surgical Technology Degree)
• Roxana Drew (Interdisciplinary Studies)
• Alexandra Flath (Surgical Technology Degree)
• Bobbi Garcia (Interdisciplinary Studies)
• Kirsten Garner (Surgical Technology Degree)
• Grace Glover (Culinary Baking/Pastry Arts AAS)
• Ariel Gordon (Surgical Technology Degree)
• Justin Harris (Aviation Maintenance Technology AAS)
• Jeremy Hartman (Electrical Technology)
• Breyona Hepburn (EMS Professions)
• Kallie Howard (Health Care Assistant)
• Summer Johnson (Cosmetology Diploma)
• Amber Jones (Drafting Degree)
• Rebekah Lingenfelser (Culinary Arts Degree)
• Marcus Lo (Automotive Technology Degree)
• Tonja Maultsby (Cosmetology Diploma)
• Trenton McCormick (Welding and Joining Diploma)
• Shatorria Mcghee (Interdisciplinary Studies)
• Jasmine McLloyd (Surgical Technology Degree)
• Daniel Merrill (Air Conditioning Technician Assistant)
• Erika Meyer (Surgical Technology Degree)
• Nicolas Mincey (Cosmetology Diploma)
• Sara Moore (Surgical Technology Degree)
• Myia Natson-Green (Cosmetology Diploma)
• Evan Parker (Automotive Technology Degree)
• Brandon Quintero (Industrial Maintenance Systems Technology)
• Jamara Richardson (Industrial Maintenance Systems Technology)
• Ethan Riley (Industrial Maintenance Systems Technology)
• Nicholas Roebuck (Networking Specialist Degree)
• Dakota-Kayla Smith (Historic Preservation and Restoration)
• Ashley Stokes (Interdisciplinary Studies)
• Hannah Swanerbury (Surgical Technology Degree)
• Nicklas Vanderhoff (Welding and Joining Diploma)
• Jordan Vattiprolu (Cybersecurity Degree)
• Akhalia Wren (Health Care Assistant)
• Jose Zavaleta (Aircraft Assembly Technician)
• Michael Zolno (Technical Studies)

#2406 | August 24, 2023

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Thirteen students from the Savannah Technical College Peace Officer Academy celebrated graduating from the program with a ceremony on August 18, 2023. These graduates 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. Eight have jobs with area departments.

This is the 42nd group of students to complete the program since its inception in 2009. To date, the program has graduated more than 400 P.O.S.T.-certified officers. Eleven of these graduates have been hired by area police departments. STC’s Peace Officer Academy has a 100% placement rate (AY21).

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 honors Sgt. Jacob Gililland of Chatham County Police Department, who passed away on May 26, 2022. Sgt. Gililland had served with the U.S. Air Army/Savannah Metro Police Department and Chatham County Police Department for ten years in various law enforcement positions. He was survived by his wife, daughter, family and friends.

The Basic POST Certification Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC) provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to become competent law enforcement officers. The 11-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. Students that qualify for HOPE may receive additional funds through the HOPE Career Grant with this program.

This TCC offers a first step in law enforcement.  Select courses in the Basic Law Enforcement Certificate program transfer towards an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Criminal Justice.  Many agencies pay all or part of the tuition for officers to work toward degrees in criminal justice, police science, administration of justice, or public administration and pay higher salaries to those who earn one of those degrees.

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

The next cohort begins in September 2023.

#2405 | August 18, 2023

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has selected Jimmie Smith as its Dean of Aviation. He is responsible for managing initiatives related to Aviation programs and instructional services including community, high school and college programs; E-learning and faculty.

Smith has been with an aviation maintenance instructor with the College since October 2017, teaching the FAA Part 147 curriculum. Before coming to Savannah Technical College, he worked for 29 years in the aviation industry. He also served in the U.S. Navy for seven years.

He has a bachelor’s degree in professional aeronautics with a minor in management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

The College’s Aviation division offers specialty aviation continuing education courses and credit aviation programs for Aircraft Structural, Aviation Maintenance and Avionics training. Graduates from STC’s credit aviation programs have an average of 93% placement in field (AY21). Its state-of-the-art Aviation Training Center is located at the Crossroads Campus. For information about the College’s Aviation programs, call 912.443.4094 or visit www.savannahtech.edu/AviationTechnology.

#2404 | August 15, 2023