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STC Foundation Board Recognizes Service, and Welcomes New Leadership/Members

SAVANNAH – At its June 25 annual meeting, the Savannah Technical College Foundation Board of Trustees recognized long-serving members, announced leadership changes including a new Chair and Vice Chair and welcomed four new members.

Jennifer Abshire, Ben Price and Pete Liakakis were honored for their service to the Board.  All of them had served for more than ten years. Scott Center was honored for his long-time service to Executive Committee; he will remain a member of the Board.

Brian Foster, recently retired CEO of First Chatham Bank was announced as the new Board Chair; Sam McCachern, President and CEO of Thomas & Hutton was announced as the new Vice Chair. They, along with Past Chair Jim LaHaise, Secretary Helen Downing and Treasurer Stan Sparks constitute the Board’s Executive Committee.

Foster retired last year after a 45-year banking career. During his more than 25 years in Savannah, he served as chairman of United Way Campaign and board, chairman of the Chamber twice and chairman of SEDA. He was also the first chair of SDRA and of CHSA. He also served on the boards of Union Mission, Candler Hospital, and the Telfair where he is a committee chair for this year’s Telfair Ball. He is also a past President of the Rotary Club of Savannah.

McCachern is registered as a Professional Engineer in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.  His 29 years of experience includes site assessment, rezoning, preliminary engineering, permit applications, engineering design, contract documents and specifications, construction administration for a wide variety of projects.  He earned a BS in civil engineering from North Carolina State University and is Level II – Erosion and Sedimentation Control Program Certified.

Bill Dickinson, Lynn Marini, Michael Traynor and Ansley Williams were welcomed as new members.

Dickinson is a licensed, practicing psychologist in Savannah since the early 1980s. He is also the CEO and President of Wet Willie’s Management Corporation, one of our area’s fastest-growing businesses. He is also very active in the Savannah Riverfront Association and the Tourism Leadership Council. Dickinson is the driving force behind the Patrick Ansley Williams Scholarship Fund at Savannah Technical College and is also an Army veteran.

Marini is the Chief Executive Officer for The Center for Digestive and Liver Health and The Endoscopy Center, the largest gastroenterology practice outside of Atlanta for the past 12 years.  She oversees the finances, medical billings, operations, and compliance for the group. She has been responsible for new facility development and strategic planning and served as a consultant for other medical practices. She served more than a decade as Director of Operations for Physician Practice Management with St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System and had oversight of 20 primary care and internal medicine practices.

Traynor is the publisher of Savannah Morning News and has been with the newspaper for more than twenty years. He is the current chair of United Way of the Coastal Empire and serves on the Savannah Community Foundation, Union Mission, and Savannah Chamber Board among others.

Williams studied aviation engineering at Georgia Tech, but quickly found his way into the hospitality industry and has never looked back. Now owner, operator and partner in Live Oak Restaurant Group, which includes some of our area’s most successful restaurants, Williams has always been active in the community. He has been involved with Savannah Technical College for several years through the establishment of the Patrick Ansley Williams Scholarship Fund that honors his late son and supports students in hospitality and culinary arts.

Savannah Technical College Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that raises funds to support Savannah Technical College, is currently involved in a $10 million campaign to support growth and expansion in precision manufacturing, health sciences, culinary arts and heritage tourism, technology and student support.

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#1602 | July 8, 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.