Sonny Dixon to deliver 2015 Commencement Address

SAVANNAH – Sonny Dixon, local media legend, will deliver the commencement address at Savannah Technical College’s 2015 graduation at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 23 in the Johnny Mercer Theatre at the Savannah Civic Center.

Savannah Tech has awarded 491 degrees and diplomas for students that completed coursework from fall 2014 through spring 2015. Also, 105 GED diplomas have been earned during that time. Savannah Tech expects more than 375 degree, diploma and GED recipients to participate in graduation.

Dixon retired from his 18-year career as a news anchor with WTOC-TV in May 2015. He became Savannah’s only Best Anchor Emmy Award Winner ever in 2011. (The “Best Anchor” category is the only Emmy competition that includes all markets, large and small, while all other categories are divided by market size.) He was chosen Georgia’s Best Anchor/Reporter by the Associated Press in 2005.

He is a proud Savannah native, who has readily volunteered to help out in and around his hometown for decades, serving on numerous boards, including various Chamber of Commerce Boards, the United Way of the Coastal Empire, Savannah Technical College, Rape Crisis Center, American Cancer Society, Savannah Speech and Hearing, Boy Scouts of the Coastal Empire and many more. He currently serves on the Board of the Coastal Georgia Area Arthritis Foundation and the Savannah Area Florida Gator Club.

Dixon was elected to five terms in the Georgia House of Representatives, where he held key offices and served on prominent committees, before retiring from elected office in 1997. He was twice elected to the Garden City Council before moving on to the legislature.

Due to the increased number of graduates participating in commencement, graduates will receive five tickets for guests to attend the ceremony.

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1538 | June 4, 2015
Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, Savannah Technical College (Savannah Tech) is the premier provider of career-ready technical education in Coastal Georgia, offering a comprehensive range of nearly 150 market-driven programs, preparing students for high-demand careers including Aviation Technology, Cybersecurity, Health Sciences, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Automation & Robotics, Information Technology, Culinary Arts, Public Services and more. With campuses in Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty Counties, Savannah Tech serves more than 13,000 credit and non-credit students with a variety of pathways to success, including dual enrollment programs for high school students and specialized support services for military veterans and their families. Beyond academics, Savannah Tech is an economic and community development partner, collaborating with industry leaders to provide customized training programs, assessment services, and continuing education opportunities. For more information, visit www.savannahtech.edu.

Savannah Technical College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees, diplomas and technical certificates of credit. Questions about the accreditation of Savannah Technical College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).

Savannah Technical College complies with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The TCSG State Board prohibits discrimination on the basis of an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status (“protected status”). No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, harassment, or retaliation under, any TCSG program or activity because of the individual’s protected status; nor shall any individual be given preferential treatment because of the individual’s protected status, except the preferential treatment may be given on the basis of veteran status when appropriate under federal or state law.