{"id":236,"date":"2012-12-26T12:11:12","date_gmt":"2012-12-26T17:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/12\/education-and-startup-funding-chamber-quarterly-luncheon-vlcoc-2012-12-18.html"},"modified":"2012-12-26T12:11:12","modified_gmt":"2012-12-26T17:11:12","slug":"education-and-startup-funding-chamber-quarterly-luncheon-vlcoc-2012-12-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2012\/12\/education-and-startup-funding-chamber-quarterly-luncheon-vlcoc-2012-12-18.html","title":{"rendered":"Education at Wiregrass Tech and startup funding, Chamber quarterly luncheon @ VLCoC 2012-12-18"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\n<\/a>\nEducation at Wiregrass Tech, startup competition and awards by Guardian Bank,\nand more!\nChamber president Tim Jones invited me to the quarterly luncheon of the\nValdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce,\nheld 18 December 2012 at the Rainwater Conference Center.\nI counted about 70 people there, and only maybe a dozen were Chamber\nboard and staff, so that was a very well-attended meeting.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\nKeynote speaker\n\nDr. Ray Perrin<\/a>,\npresident of\n\nWiregrass Technical College<\/a> said:\n<\/p>\n

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\n“Strong education systems are the heart of economic development.”\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\nHe congratulated\n\nVSU on the recent football win,<\/a>\nas well as the various other local school systems, government bodies,\nand businesses, and proceeded to give an overview of what Wiregrass Tech is\nand what it does, which includes everything from automobile repair\nto computer science; from adult education for high school equivalency\nto advanced courses, in the eleven counties it serves,\nthrough the campuses in Valdosta, Fitzgerald, and Adel, as well as\nat Moody AFB and online overseas.\nHe noted that changes in the HOPE scholarship and economic improvement\nhad decreased enrollment, but Wiregrass Tech still has a large\nstudent body and is adding programs, such as in nursing\nand respiratory therapy.\nPlus a 97.5% placement rate.\n<\/p>\n

\nAlso in the plans is an\n\nAllied Health Education building\n100,000 square foot facility that would cost about $20 million,<\/a>\nfor which Wiregrass Tech will be approaching the Georgia General Assembly\nin the next few years.\nDr. Perrin invited feedback and requested assistance,\nboth financially and\nin getting the word out about what Wiregrass Tech can do.\n<\/p>\n

\n\n<\/a>\n\nTim Jones remarked<\/a> that he was also on the board of the\n\nWiregrass Tech Foundation<\/a> which was in a fundraising drive,\nso anybody who wanted to donate could see him.\n(And it turns out you can also\n\ndonate online<\/a>.)\n<\/p>\n

\nHere’s\n\na video playlist<\/a>\nof the entire meeting, followed by a few notes.\n<\/p>\n\n\n

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