Elena Carne’ Lorenz and Alton Ford join South Georgia Technical College Board of Directors and earn TCDA certifications
Elena Carne’ Lorenz of Americus and Alton Ford of Butler, have been named to the South Georgia Technical College Board of Directors. They participated in training through the Technical College System of Georgia’s (TCSG) Technical College Director’s Association (TCDA) to achieve the coveted individual certified board member status.
Elena Carne’ Lorenz is a Fashion Designer – Entrepreneur and owner of Tepuy Apparel Design, Inc., DBA T31 Design House in Americus. She has been in business in Americus since 2014 providing inspired handcrafted apparel. She is a sewing contractor as well as clothing Design and Manufacturing, Marketing, Sales, Product Development and Apparel Uniforms Supplier.
She received an associate of arts in Business Administration & Marketing from Miami Dade College, an Associate of Science in Fashion Design – Magna Cum Laude from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and her Bachelor in Applied Science in Supervision and Management from Miami Date College.
She attended the Galeo Institute of Leadership as well as received The University of Georgia South Georgia Leads and South Georgia Leads 2.0 certifications. She is currently pursuing the John Maxwell Leadership Certification as a speaker and coach. She was named one of the 50 most Influential Latinos in Georgia in 2023 and was the Sumter County Manufacturer of the Year in 2022. She earned the Sumter County Small Business of the Year designation in 2016.
Alton Ford of Butler works at Flint Electric Membership Corporation in Reynolds as the Supervisor of Member Solutions. He has been with Flint Electric since 1985. He has held a number of positions including Building Maintenance, Print Production Manager, Manager of Flint Appliance Store, and been with Member Solutions since 1995. He became the Supervisor of Member Solutions in 2020.
He is a resourceful supervisor trained in resolution of critical issues with a time-sensitive environment with successful track record of building and maintaining talented teams. He is a highly organized, energetic and versatile leader committed to continuous improvements with a proven history of motivating staff to work together to achieve targets.
Ford and Carne Lorenz participated in training sessions offered by TCDA Executive Director Adie Shimandle. Both Ford and Carne’ Lorenz were approved to be added to the SGTC Board of Directors in October. South Georgia Technical College is a member of the 100% Club for a fully certified board. Only 16 other colleges have 100% of their board certified.
These two new members were recognized for this achievement at the TCDA – TCFA Leadership Conference in Savannah in October with other members of SGTC’s Board of Directors.
Members of the local board of directors of the 22 state-managed technical colleges are automatically members of TCDA. Workshops are provided throughout the year and at the annual conference to assist members in becoming board certified.
In order to be certified each board member must attend required workshops on: New Board/Governance, Community Advocacy, Elected Officials and Budgets.
To be selected to serve on the local SGTC Board of Directors, members must be recommended by community leaders and area legislators and then confirmed by the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia. The board is made up of community leaders representing the SGTC service delivery area, which includes Sumter, Schley, Crisp, Macon, Marion, Webster and Taylor counties. Members are appointed for three-year terms.
In addition to Ford and Carne’ Lorenz, the South Georgia Technical College Board of Directors consists of Chair Jake Everett of Webster County, Vice-Chair Jamie Penoncello of Marion County, Grant Buckley of Crisp County, and Michael Coley of Sumter County.