Former State Board chairman brings students to tour South Georgia Tech

February 24, 2022
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford (right) is shown above with former Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education Chairman Dan Rather and his guests from Morgan County. Shown (l to r) are SGTC Vice President of Academic Affairs David Kuipers, Mike Williams of John Deere Ag Pro, Dan Rather, Brynlee Dickerson, Laurie Dickerson, Brayden Dickerson, Mike Dowd, and Dr. Watford.
South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford (right) is shown above with former Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education Chairman Dan Rather and his guests from Morgan County. Shown (l to r) are SGTC Vice President of Academic Affairs David Kuipers, Mike Williams of John Deere Ag Pro, Dan Rather, Brynlee Dickerson, Laurie Dickerson, Brayden Dickerson, Mike Dowd, and Dr. Watford.

   Former Georgia State Board of Technical and Adult Education Chairman Daniel B. Rather of Madison, GA, brought several Morgan County students to visit and tour South Georgia Technical College recently.  South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford conducted the tour.

   “We are honored to have you on our campus,” said SGTC President Dr. Watford when he met with Rather, Morgan County students Brayden Dickerson and Parker Dowd and Laurie and Brynlee Dickerson.  SGTC Vice President of Academic Affairs David Kuipers, SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Su Ann Bird, SGTC Partnership Coordinator Tami Blount, and Mike Williams of John Deere Ag Pro met with Rather and his guests.

   President Watford talked with his guests about the different partnership programs hosted on the South Georgia Technical College campus.  He outlined the Caterpillar Think Big partnership program with the Heavy Equipment Dealer Service Technology Program, the John Deere Agricultural Technology partnership program as well as the different partnership programs with Delta Airlines, Georgia Power Company and other corporations.

   “South Georgia Technical College is the second oldest technical college in Georgia.  We are one of only two technical colleges in Georgia with on-campus housing which make us unique,” said Dr. Watford.  “We offer over 200 associate degree, diploma, and short-term technical certificate of credit programs and have one of the highest graduation, retention, and job placement rates in relation to enrollment of any college in Georgia.”

    South Georgia Technical College offers students the “complete college experience” with on-campus housing and nationally ranked academics, intercollegiate athletics, and student activities.  SGTC has been named the top community college in Georgia for the past three years. After a brief meeting in the President’s conference room, Dr. Watford toured Rather and his guests around the campus.

    They visited the Griffin Bell Aerospace Technology Center which houses the SGTC Aviation Maintenance, Avionics, and Aircraft Structural Technology Programs, and then the Electrical Lineworker Skills Field, the Air Conditioning Technology and Welding Center, the Commercial Truck Driving building and skills field as well as the Heavy Equipment Motorsports Program before touring the John Deere Agricultural Technology classrooms and lab areas and the Caterpillar Heavy Equipment Diesel Technology labs and classrooms.

    Dr. Watford also highlighted the college’s Law Enforcement Academy, Fire Science, EMT, Practical Nursing, Medical Assisting, Health Care, Business Technology, Computer Information and Networking programs as well as Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Barbering, Criminal Justice, Automotive Technology, Automotive Collision and Repair and General Diesel.

SGTC John Deere Agricultural Technology Instructor Matthew Burks is shown above talking about his program with the visitors.
Dan Rather and his guests received a tour of the South Georgia Technical College Caterpillar Heavy Equipment Technology program classroom and lab area.