AMERICUS — South Georgia Technical College President Sparky Reeves announced Kowanna Lillard, a marketing management student, as the college’s Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner and Industrial Electrical Technology Instructor Mike Enfinger as the college’s Instructor of the Year during a special banquet at the John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center on the Americus campus recently.

“First of all, I would like to thank God and my family, as well as my nominating instructor Mary Cross, and GOAL Coordinator Cynthia Carter,” said Lillard after she was selected as the GOAL winner. “This is my second time attending South Georgia Tech. I first came to SGTC to study business office technology right out of high school, but cinematography was always my passion. I’ve always had a creative spirit, and that’s why I ultimately decided to return to SGTC to enroll in the marketing management program. I am the primary caregiver for my mother, who is disabled, and SGTC has allowed me to pursue my dream while still being accessible to my mother. I would like to thank SGTC for always being there for me.”

Lillard added that “technical education is important because the instruction is hands-on. Most of the programs have internships, so when you leave SGTC you know how to do what you were trained to do. I’d like to thank the screening and selection committees for seeing something in me, and I am looking forward to the next step of the competition.”

GOAL winner Kowanna Lillard will represent SGTC in consortia preliminary judging, which will include GOAL winners from the other 27 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia as well as the four Board of Regents colleges with technical education divisions. Twelve finalists from consortia preliminary judging (two from each consortium) will attend the state GOAL competition in Atlanta during GOAL Week, May 26-27, 2010.

Following the announcement of the GOAL winner, the instructor of the year was announced. The nominees were Jaye Cripe, Americus campus early childhood care and education instructor, Mike Enfinger, Cordele campus industrial electrical technology instructor and Lisa Penton, Cordele campus early childhood care and education instructor. SGTC’s 2010 instructor of the year, as announced by Sparky Reeves, was Mike Enfinger.

Enfinger has been teaching at South Georgia Technical College for more than 10 years. He is the industrial electrical technology instructor on the Crisp County Center campus, but he has also worked as the air conditioning technology instructor on the Americus campus.

John Watford, vice president of operations for SGTC’s Crisp County center, expressed congratulations to Enfinger.

“Mike has been with SGTC for over ten years, and is very flexible,” said Watford. “In the summer of 2007, we needed him in Cordele. He has the critical ability to teach what he knows,” said Watford. “He is very skilled, and he is noted as being extremely trustworthy and reliable. He really cares about his students.”

“Being named instructor of the year is an honor and a privilege,” said Enfinger. “This is not my first time trying, so I want to thank the judges and administrators, and especially my fellow instructor Teresa Jolly for nominating me. I look forward to going on to represent SGTC at the consortium level.”

Enfinger was presented a check for $500 from Ty Turner, SB&T; President. SB&T; donates to the SGTC Foundation every year on behalf of the instructor of the year award.

Enfinger will represent South Georgia Tech at the consortium level March 24th at East Central Technical College in Fitzgerald against other instructors of the year from technical colleges in South Georgia for the regional Rick Perkins award. Two winners will be chosen from each consortium level (north, central and south), but will not be announced until the Rick Perkins Award banquet in May, where the state Rick Perkins award winner will also be announced.

The banquet began with an invocation from 2009 instructor of the year Cathy Freeman, a practical nursing instructor on SGTC’s Cordele campus. A dinner catered by Aramark followed the invocation.

Following dinner, SGTC President Sparky Reeves recognized guests at the banquet.

“I would like to recognize all the family members and loved ones who have come out to support our GOAL and Instructor of the Year nominees,” said Reeves. “I would also like to recognize our Board of Directors, Janet Siders, Paul Mechler, Willie Patrick, Sonny Shealy, Brad Lafevers, and Paul Hall.”

Reeves also recognized the corporate sponsors for the GOAL and instructor of the year competitions. The sponsors included the Americus Sumter Chamber of Commerce, the Americus Rotary Club, Georgia Power Company, Shiver Lumber Company, Sumter Electric Membership Corporation, CE Minerals, Glover Foods and Sumter Bank and Trust.”

GOAL Coordinator Cynthia Carter recognized all 2010 GOAL nominees, consisting of Charles Butterfield of Arabi, welding and joining technology, George A. Collier of Americus, avionics technology, Robin Corbett of Ellaville, accounting, Ashley Deal of Cordele, early childhood care and education, Marvin Garrett of Columbus, culinary arts, Janice Goodin of Ellaville, cosmetology, Tara Harris of Preston, business administrative technology, Brenda Lane of Americus, criminal justice technology, Kowanna Lillard of Americus, marketing management, Scott McLean of Americus, aviation maintenance technology, Robert Middlebrooks of Cordele, Phyllis Olds of Cordele, barbering, Kent Reagan II of Oglethorpe, computer information systems, Francisco Rico of Ellaville, air conditioning technology, Leroy Thomas of Cordele, marketing, Elizabeth Walls of Rochelle, criminal justice technology, Sally Watts of Americus, aircraft structural technology, Shelia Wilson of Buena Vista, early childhood care and education and Cortisa Woods of Cordele, practical nursing. Janice Goodin, Kowanna Lillard, Kent Reagan II and Elizabeth Walls were selected by the screening committee as the four finalists for the GOAL competition.

Americus Sumter County Chamber of Commerce President and GOAL selection committee member Angela Westra presented each of the nominees with GOAL certificates of excellence.

“On behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, it has been our pleasure for many years to be a sponsor of SGTC’s GOAL program,” said Westra, “and I would like to congratulate all nominees for the achievements that have brought them to this point.”