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From Staff Reports

AMERICUS – Three South Georgia Technical College employees with over 50 years of combined institutional knowledge will be accepting new challenges and positions beginning June 1, 2023, announced South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford.

Michelle McGowan, Director of Business and Industry Services for the Crisp County Center, has been promoted to the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs on the Crisp County campus.  South Georgia Technical College Basic Law Enforcement Program Director Brett Murray will now serve as a Dean of Academic Programs for the Americus campus and Admissions Coordinator Katrice Martin will become the SGTC Institutional Effectiveness Director and will work from the Americus campus.

“Please join me in congratulating these three individuals.  This is a win-win situation for South Georgia Technical College,” said SGTC President Dr. John Watford.  “All three of these individuals have been an integral part of South Georgia Technical College’s past successes.  This is a tremendous professional opportunity for these three individuals and for the college.  Student success is of upmost importance to everyone at South Georgia Tech and I am confident that our college will become even stronger as they assume their new roles.”

Michelle McGowan began her employment with South Georgia Tech in 1999 as the Director of High School Initiatives/College Connections.  In 2015, she was named the Director of Business and Industry Services for the Crisp County Center and has remained in that role for the past eight years.

As the new Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs on the Crisp County Center, McGowan will report to Vice President of Academic Affairs Julie Partain ad President Dr. John Watford.  She will be responsible for both the academic and economic development activities on the Crisp County Center campus as well as perform other duties for the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

McGowan has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology (Journalism Minor) and a Master of Science Degree in Administration from Georgia Southwestern State University.  She also worked as the Director of Housing and Testing at Middle Georgia College, and the Family Self-Sufficiency/Resident Services Coordinator for the Housing Authority of Americus before joining South Georgia Tech.

She is a Georgia Academy for Economic and Leadership Development Graduate, has Career Pathways Leadership Certification, a Certified CATS Testing Proctor and a DDS Certified Driver’s Education Instructor.

Brett Murray will begin serving as an Academic Dean for the college.  He will be report to SGTC Vice President of Academic Affairs Julie Partain and President Dr. Watford.  In his new role, Murray will be responsible for the development and administration of a division of the college’s academic programs and supervision of the academic personnel in that division.

Murray joined South Georgia Technical college in 2008 as the Program Director of the SGTC Basic Law Enforcement Academy.  He has remained in that role for the past 15 years.  He brought nearly 20-years of law enforcement service to the college serving as the Major-Chief Investigator/Jail Director for the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and as a Sergeant, Criminal Investigations from the Americus Police Department.  He also worked as a Deputy Sheriff for the Stewart County Sheriff’s Department and as a Police Officer for the Dawson Police Department.

In addition to his law enforcement background, Murray also served as a part-time instructor for Abraham Baldwin College in Tifton and a faculty member at the University of Phoenix.  Murray has a B.S. in Criminal Justice and a Master of Public Administration from Columbus State University in Columbus, GA.  He also studied at Tulsa Junior College in Tulsa, OK.

He has more than 2,000 hours of professional training including:  Certified Law Enforcement Instructor in numerous disciplines, FBI National Academy Session 227, Georgia Chief’s Command College and the Georgia Resiliency Program Master Instructor.

The third SGTC employee to assume new duties June 1, 2023 is Katrice (Taylor) Martin.  Martin has 14 years of experience at South Georgia Technical College.  She is currently serving as the Admission Coordinator and is housed on the Crisp County Center campus.  She has been in that role since 2019.  Martin came to South Georgia Tech in 2009 as an English Instructor for the Crisp County Center.

As the Director of Institutional Effectiveness Director and Grants Coordinator for South Georgia Technical College, Martin will be responsible for planning, organizing and directing the college’s accreditation and strategic planning processes and related reviews.  She will also be responsible for development and administration of a division of the college’s academic programs as well as developing grants applications and administering and monitoring all grant projects.  She will also report to SGTC Vice President for Academic Affairs Julie Partain and President Dr. John Watford.

“These changes should result in greater efficiency and overall effectiveness for the college and we are pleased to be able to promote from within,” said President Watford.  However, this means there may now be more opportunities for employment at South Georgia Technical College as we backfill positions.”