South GA Technical College Foundation awarded grant from Sumter EMC Foundation

January 7, 2022

South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford (l) and SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the SGTC Foundation, Su Ann Bird (r), is shown above accepting the Sumter EMC Foundation check from Sumter EMC’s Whitney Johnson for an endowed scholarship at South Georgia Technical College.

Americus, GA —The Sumter Electric Membership Corporation Foundation, Inc. awarded a grant in the amount of $5,000.00 to the South Georgia Technical College Foundation, Inc. Proceeds from the grant will be used to continue the Sumter EMC Foundation endowed scholarship fund for students. Dr. John Watford, South Georgia Technical College President and Su Ann Bird, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and SGTC Foundation Executive Director accepted the donation for the SGTC Foundation.

“One of the seven guiding principals that govern the way Sumter EMC operates is involvement in the communities we serve. This project is a great example of how good things happen when people in a community work together for a common goal. Through this grant from our Foundation, Sumter EMC is proud to be part of the effort to support local education by providing scholarship funds to deserving students,” said Andrea Walker, Chairman of the Sumter EMC Foundation.

South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford thanked Walker and the Sumter EMC Foundation for their support of the SGTC Foundation and South Georgia Technical College. “We are so appreciative of the support that our college and students receive from Sumter Electric and their foundation,” said Dr. Watford. “Partnerships are crucial to our success and we appreciate the partnership that we have built with Sumter EMC. They are truly impacting student success at South Georgia Technical College.”

The Sumter EMC Foundation was founded in 2003 and is funded exclusively by cooperative members participating in Sumter EMC’s Operation Round Up^®. Every month Sumter EMC ‘rounds up’ the electric bill of participating members to the next whole dollar amount and deposits the difference into an interest bearing account. The proceeds of the account are administered by the Sumter EMC Foundation’s board of trustees through grants to local schools, civic and charitable organizations. One hundred percent of the money collected is given back to the community through these grants. To date the Foundation has awarded over $1 million to community organizations in Sumter EMC’s service territory.

Sumter EMC is a locally owned and operated electric cooperative serving Chattahoochee, Dougherty, Lee, Marion, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Terrell and Webster counties.

The Sumter EMC endowed scholarship at South Georgia Technical College is designed to help the students who reside in Sumter EMC’s electric cooperative area and who are enrolled in one of the following programs: Electrical Lineworker, Industrial Electrical, and/or Drafting Technology.

“On behalf of the South Georgia Technical College Foundation, I would also like to express my appreciation to Andrea Walker and the Sumter EMC Foundation,” said South Georgia Technical College Foundation Executive Director and SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement Su Ann Bird. “This scholarship is a tremendous asset to the South Georgia Technical College students today and for the future. By providing this financial assistance to students from these communities, Sumter EMC is impacting the lives of the students today but also impacting the lives of their families as well as future students.”

For more information about endowing a scholarship at South Georgia Technical College, contact SGTC Foundation executive director Su Ann Bird at 229-931-2110 or sbird@southgatech.edu.

The South Georgia Technical College Foundation has awarded two Sumter EMC Foundation scholarships since its endowment. Michael Slade and Owen Deal were the two scholarship recipients.

South Georgia Technical College offers over 200 associate degree, diploma, or technical certificate of credit classes. The college has a 99% job placement rate for graduates and offers lifetime career placement services. Financial aid is available for qualified students. For more information about applying to South Georgia Technical College, visit www.southgatech.edu or contact the admissions office at 229-931-2394 in Americus or 229-271-4040 in Cordele.