On Monday, March 11, Donald Lovette, chairman of the Savannah Technical College’s local board of directors, was informed that Dr. Kathy Love was no longer president of the college. Upon this news, Lovette sent an email to his fellow board members.
“Mr. Greg Dozier, TCSG Commissioner, called me to inform me Dr. Love is no longer with Savannah Tech. Mr. Tom Parren will be on campus tomorrow to manage the immediate affairs. The TCSG Board will appoint an interim president possibly as soon as next week. I/we will keep you posted.”
That Wednesday, Dr. Ryan Foley was appointed as interim president, and his first day on campus was Monday, March 18.
At the Tuesday board of directors meeting, Donald Lovette welcomed Dr. Foley and thanked the staff for their resilience and support during this time of transition.
The Technical College System of Georgia will not comment on the reasons for Dr. Kathy Love’s sudden departure as president of the college, but Dr. Foley said of her, “she is someone to be celebrated, and she has impacted many lives."
At the board meeting, Foley told directors, "I'm excited about the opportunity and the potential to lead Savannah Technical College during this transition."
Dr. Ryan Foley is not new to Savannah Tech; last fall he assisted in the hiring of staff leadership positions that had been vacant.
Foley reported that one of his priorities is to continue to partner with high schools in Chatham, Effingham, Liberty, and Bryan counties.
In that vein, dual enrollment numbers for Savannah Technical College are up by 18.5 percent compared to last spring (519 dual enrollment students spring 2023 to 615 dual enrollment students spring 2024).
Georgia's dual enrollment funding program, administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission, allows eligible high school students to maximize their education and career training by taking courses that earn college and high school credit at the same time. This program enables participants to fulfill high school graduation requirements by taking college courses that provide dual credit, so they simultaneously complete high school course requirements.
During his report to the board, Terry Brasier, vice president of student affairs, reported that looking at midterm census data, there is an increase in enrollment of 10.2 percent from spring 2023 to spring 2024.
Tuesday afternoon, both Dr. Ryan Foley and Donald Lovette were on hand to receive a donation of tools from Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, LLC (HMGMA).
Ogeechee Technical College, Coastal Pines Technical College and Southeastern Technical College also received the tool kits, which are valued at over $9,000 each, and include automotive milli meters, multi meters and other related tools.
Savannah Technical College signed a Memorandum of Understanding with HMGMA in 2023 to offer the Electrical Vehicle Professional (EVP) Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC), which was designed to prepare students for entry-level employment in the electric vehicle production industry. The eight-credit hour training focuses on safe and effective automotive shop operations, automotive electrical principles and the operation and service of electric vehicles. Graduates of the program are preferred for employment at HMGMA.
The students in the automotive program are diverse, and range from dual enrollment high school students to adult learners preparing for the next act of their career.
Stephine Still is one of the adult learners enrolled in the current minimester, and at age 58, she is what some people would term a “non-traditional student”.
Previously, Still was a lab technician at LensCrafters, but desiring something new, she enrolled in the EVP TCC program.
Tony Hobbs, department head of automotive technology, states, “I know that the buzz word is non-traditional student, but I don’t think about it one way or the other”, citing that he has taught students ranging in age from 17 to 62.
Upon completion of the program, Still is guaranteed an interview with Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant, and if hired, as a graduate of the preferred training program, her starting wage will be $23.74 per hour and she will receive immediate benefits.
Brent Stubbs, HMGMA Senior Manager of Learning and Development, says that the program at Savannah Technical College helps to feed the entire industry, “the investment of this project is almost 15,000 total jobs, we at HMGMA are going to be about 2,700 of those jobs, so there are a lot of opportunities out there, and I think that it is great that she (Stephine Still) is figuring out if this is for her, and getting that experience with us.”
Savannah Technical College serves Coastal Georgia with quality, market-driven technical education with campus locations in Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties. Serving more than 10,000 credit and non-credit students annually, Savannah Tech offers nearly 150 different instructional programs in aviation technology, business and professional services, industrial technology, and health sciences in addition to adult education classes, industry-specific training and continuing education. The college serves as an economic and community development partner for the region, offering corporate and customized training and assessment programs for business and industry.
