Education Journal A-B Tech Winter/spring 2018 EMS EnhancedProgram K. Ray Bailey Wins Top State Honor A-B Tech Instructor Named Southeast Chef of Year
Student AssociationGovernmentPresident Iris Frost
Chair Mary
Asheville-BuncombeisA-Bcost143,000ofsysteminformationrecordingphotocopying,orbyanystorageretrievalwithoutthepermissionthepublisher.copiesprintedataof.12centseach.TechEducationJournalpublishedbytheTechnical
Community College Office of Community Relations & Marketing. King, Ed.D. Editor Kerri Glover Martha Ball Graphic Designer Perkins Martha Ball Don Perkins Josh Weaver Board of Trustees Ann Rice Chair Parham Jr., M.D. Bell
Writer
Gene
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees, diplomas and certificates. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
John
Equal Opportunity Educational AllInstitutionrightsreserved. No parts of the material printed may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including
Bruce FrancesWilliamRogerKeynonJacquelynMattMikeRonJoeWayneBriggsBrigmanBrumitEdgertonFryarKernHallumLakeMetcalfMurdockRamsey
Honored President Emeritus of A-B Tech receives top statewide community college award
Baking6
Go Gold for Buncombe County K.5 Ray
2 abtech.edu | A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal
Photography
Work4 CommunitiesReady
Don
Works of Art Jasmine Woodbury combines her love of art and baking as a Baking & Pastry Arts student A-B7 Tech’s Top Chef Culinary instructor Chris Bugher wins ACF’s Southeast Chef of the Year A-B7 Tech Alumnus Returns Chef Steven Goff opens AUX Bar in downtown Asheville Sustainable8 Pods Construction Management students build sustainable office pods EMS9 Program Enhanced A-B Tech Woodfin shares plans for upgraded EMS program Outstanding10 2018 Graduates May graduates came to A-B Tech for life changes and second careers No11 Evil Foods Expands Business Incubation client No Evil Foods receives grant and relocates to Weaverville Long-time12 Lab Manager Retires Phil Hawkins is retiring after 48 years as A-B Tech lab manager Employees13 of the Year Jason Fair, Jim Sullivan and Barbara Butcher recognized as outstanding staff and faculty members 14Campus Events Cover:15CalendarEMS students Volume 5 | Issue 4 | Winter/Spring 2018 Education A-B Tech Journal
Employers Bailey
Publisher Dennis
Vice
Managing
Theprinciples.students, employees and programs featured throughout this issue of the Education Journal typify the RISE values. We invite you to join us and to provide feedback as we strive to ensure that A-B Tech provides the best possible service to our community.
Dedicated to student success, A-B Tech delivers quality education to enhance academic, workforce, and personal development.
the most critical initiatives will happen with our employees as we begin to enculturate the Welcoming College
Changing Lives, Strengthening Communities
Dennis King
PresidentDennisSincerely,King
That key thought was the foundation for a process A-B Tech faculty and staff embarked upon earlier this year to define our values and culture. At a collegewide DevelopmentProfessionalDay last fall, we overwhelmingly defined our top core values as Respect, Integrity, and Support. Next, we held several follow-up meetings to draft the following Culture of Service Statement:
k. Ray Bailey Honored, page
5
MISSION
With that feedback, we assembled a diverse group of staff and faculty from across the College to help identify initiatives for the 2018-19 academic year. We collectively agreed to name our overarching efforts the RISE (Respect, Integrity and Support for Everyone) Project. You will begin to see RISE branding on A-B Tech campuses this fall, but
A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal | abtech.edu 3
VALUES
Bugher Wins ACF Chef of the year, page 7 EMS Sees Changes, page 9
VISION
A-B Tech commits to demonstrating an inclusive and welcoming culture of respect, integrity and support for everyone.
As we come to the end of another academic year and I mark my 26th year at A-B Tech and my fifth year as its President, I have spent considerable time reflecting on what the College means to me and what I hope it means to others. For me, the heart of A-B Tech’s culture is that of a Welcoming College – welcoming to me, personally, to our faculty and staff, and above all, to the students and community we serve.
Excellence, Integrity. Supportive Learning Environment, Innovation, Service and Engagement
We then surveyed employees to be sure we had captured their feelings accurately, and were reassured when more than 90% of respondents replied positively and agreed that the statement reflected an “institutional service model” they could put into practice. Employees also provided examples of what they and their departments already do to support the defined culture.
A Message from the President
EMPLOYERS, LET’S “GO GOLD” FOR BUNCOMBE COUNTY!
• Matches individuals to jobs based on skill levels
• Aligns with the economic development needs of Buncombe County
Work Ready Communities Strives to Build a Better Workforce
Work Ready Communities is a Buncombe County initiative focused on individuals bettering their employability and job skills by taking the Career Readiness Certificate (CRC) exam, and on employers recognizing the CRC as a viable credential for employability.
Emerging (high school and college students) 5323
Current (people currently employed in the public and private sectors) 98 780
supporting Goal
Let’s Get Certified in 2018! Go GOLD for Buncombe County!
Work Ready Communities is a community-based framework that:
Your participation in National WorkReady Communities will help Buncombe County become certified as a Gold employment community and benefit employers, job seekers, and the local economy! Enrollment is easy and Simplyfree.
For more information on Work Ready Communities and employer support, contact Terry Bellamy at 828-398-7604 or terrybellamy32@abtech.edu, or visit abtech.edu/workready.
Employers can help build a stronger workforce by using NCRCs to help identify the best qualified employees for your jobs. Where academic credentials mark the fulfillment of classroom learning experiences, NCRC relies on standardized assessments to confirm competent workplace skills.
355
Workforce Category Goal for # of AchievedCRCs ActualAchievedCRCs
Employers - 201 Actual - 29
• Links workforce development to education
HIRE THE BEST. HIRE WORK READY EMPLOYEES.
register to list your company as one that recognizes the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC). An ACT Work Ready Community is one where the supply of NCRCs earned by individuals is matched with employers who recognize or recommend the credential. Gold certification further assures current and prospective employers that Buncombe County’s workforce is among the most skilled in the nation.
4 abtech.edu | A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal
The CRC measures an individual’s skill level on the core job competencies of Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents. CRC assessments are offered locally at A-B Tech.
The Buncombe County Work Ready Communities leadership team consists of representatives from A-B Tech, the Asheville Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Coalition, Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, Buncombe County, Buncombe County Schools, NC Works Career Center, NC State University Industry Expansion Solutions, and local business and industry professionals.
For more information on CRC exams, contact Liz Jones, 828-398-7921, andreaejones@abtech.edu
Transitioning (unemployed, military or veteran, adult education students) 1038 904
Current status of Buncombe County’s effort to achieve GOLD Work Ready Communities designation
After retirement from A-B Tech, Bailey’s commitment to the community college didn’t end. He was elected Buncombe County Commissioner, winning more votes than any other candidate. He played a key role in luring the manufacturer Linamar to the area, bringing hundreds of high paying jobs to the county during his term. Bailey also remained involved with the community college system. He served on the State Board of Community Colleges from 2009-2015 and was elected vice chair for two years. He also chaired the board’s Finance Committee from 2011-2015.
Aside from a short stint teaching at Clyde A. Erwin High School, Bailey dedicated his professional career to A-B Tech from 19662007. He was the college’s president from 1990 until his retirement and was honored as President of the Year for the North Carolina Community College System in 2005. He received honorary doctorates from Mars Hill University and Western Carolina University, and the Chancellors Medallion from the University of North Carolina in Asheville. In 2006, he was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
Bailey also continues to serve on the A-B Tech Foundation Board and chairs the annual golf tournament that is named for him. It is the College’s largest annual fundraiser for scholarships.
K. Ray Bailey, President Emeritus of A-B Tech Community College, received the 2018 I.E. Ready Award, the highest honor bestowed by the State Board of Community Colleges.
A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal | abtech.edu 5
“First of all, I am honored the college had submitted my name for the award and I was selected by the state board committee,” Bailey said. “I have enjoyed what is now almost 52 years of service to the community college system through A-B Tech, the State Board and now the Foundation Board. I look forward to finding more ways to help students to achievement their goals at A-B Tech.”
“President Bailey’s legacy is evident on our campus today,” said A-B Tech President Dennis King. “It can be seen through the Haynes Building that houses the state’s first Digital Media Technology Center, and the Brumit Center for Hospitality Education, home to a nationally ranked program. His creation of the A-B Tech Foundation has given thousands of scholarships to students in need. His dedication to the College and its students is indeed praiseworthy.”
Named for Isaac Epps Ready, the first state director of the North Carolina Community College System, the award was created in 1983 to recognize individuals who have made significant, statewide contributions to the establishment, development or enhancement of the system.
During Bailey’s presidency, A-B Tech grew to encompass three campuses that collectively enrolled more than 25,000 students. The college also added more than 30 degree and diploma programs and constructed a computer technology center to house the state’s first digital media technology program. In 2000, Bailey created the college’s Enka campus through a donation from BASF Corp. The company’s gift of 37 acres and three buildings was the largest-ever donation of property to a community college in the United States.
President Emeritus K. Ray Bailey Receives N.C.’s Highest Community College Honor
Baking and Pastry Arts Student, Jasmine Woodbury
After Woodbury graduates in May, she is going to design cakes all summer for the wedding season, while saving money and learning French. “I want to do a work away program in France,” she said. “I want to work at a B&B in the agritourism business. Lots of farms in Europe have bakeries that are legitimately farm to table and I would love to learn from them.”
Jasmine Blanche Woodbury already had a two-year degree in Fine Arts before she enrolled at A-B Tech. She had planned on becoming an art teacher, but her plans changed before she finished her bachelor’s degree. “I decided I just wanted to make cakes,” she said. Woodbury, who also works at Short Street Cakes, enrolled in the Baking and Pastry Arts program at A-B Tech and has since used her background to create edible works of art. “I like sculpting, especially sculpting things you can eat. Out of all of the mediums I have used to express myself, using food has been the most rewarding. It is a pretty amazing feeling when someone tells you they can’t believe that they can actually eat what you have created,” she said.
“I would love to bring back some European agritourism concept ideas and try to expand on them for this area,” Woodbury said. “By buying land in the area, setting up a bakery and farm, and teaching cake designs. I want to do everything. It is so hard for me to just pick one, I want to do them all.” Learn more about A-B Tech’s Baking and Pastry Arts program at abtech.edu/culinary.
Baking and Pastry Arts Student Incorporates Fine Arts Training
Chef
While earning a Baking and Pastry Arts degree, Woodbury also took fine arts classes at A-B Tech, expanding her skill set into watercolors to eventually incorporate them into her cake designs. Her watercolor of the French Broad Chocolate Lounge on Pack Square won Best in Show for the 2017 A-B Tech Student Art Show.
66 abtech.edu | A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal
The Workaway.info program is set up to promote fair exchange, volunteering and work opportunities between budget travelers, language learners or culture seekers who can stay with families, individuals or organizations that are looking for help with a range of varied and interesting activities.
Bugher was named the ACF Chef of the Year in West Virginia in 2011, is a coach for the college’s student hot food team, and serves as treasurer for the WNC Chapter of the ACF. “It was a tough competition and there were great competitors,” he said. “I think what won it for me was my protein, knife cuts and tournées.”
Moore are also creators of Asheville’s popular Blind Pig Supper Club, which will continue its pop-up dinners in Asheville and the Raleigh-Durham area, with plans to expand into Wilmington. Goff will also continue his food truck, Brinehaus Mobile Kitchen, for catering in and around the Asheville area.
To prepare for competition, Bugher, a Certified Executive Chef, practiced two times a week, creating four portions of an entrée. “There is a lot of planning and organizing that had to be done. I had to come up with a menu that uses as many different cooking methods that can be done within the allotted time period,” he said.
Chef Christopher Bugher won gold in the Southeast regionals for the American Culinary Federation’s 2018 Chef of the Year.
AlumnusCulinary Opens Downtown Restaurant
Chef Steven Goff, with Chefs Adam Cole and Daniel Gorman
This win is truly reflective of Chef Bugher’s professionalism and dedication to his craft, as well as his commitment to being a role model for students,” said Christina Harley, Director and Chair of Culinary Arts. “We are extremely proud of Chef’s accomplishment. He has just begun an incredible journey and we will continue to support his efforts all the way to New Orleans.”
Bugher will receive the format for the national competition in a few months, but until he knows exactly what he needs to prepare, he will be doing research and development on menus and practice competencies. “The process never ends to improve your education and your skills,” he said.
A-B Tech Chef Bugher Wins Regional Competition Will Compete in Nationals in July
A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal | abtech.edu 7
Chef Christopher Bugher, a Culinary Instructor at A-B Tech, placed first with a gold medal in the Southeast regionals for the American Culinary Federation’s 2018 Chef of the Year. He will compete for the national title on July 15-18 in New Orleans.
Chef Steven Goff, a 2009 A-B Tech Culinary Graduate, has returned to Asheville to open the AUX Bar with co-owner Chef Mike Moore at 68 N. Lexington Avenue. They offer a full-service bar and restaurant with a focus on American cuisine with seasonal and local offerings. Goff was the former chef owner of the King James Public House. “A-B Tech prepared me in so different ways, including how to run a small business,” Goff said. “It’s not just cooking. Being on the student culinary team was an invaluable experience. First thing we would do in competition was clean the kitchen, no matter if it had been cleaned before us. We had pride in the cleanliness and organization.” Goff also graduated with a degree in Baking and Pastry Arts.
“Chef Sheila Tillman taught me food science and she used a ton of visual aids,” Goff said. “You can’t cook without the science behind the cooking. I am able to host pop-up dinners in random fields with no prep. All that paperwork that you did as a student, and you wondered what it was for, now I Goffknow.”and
Moody said the pods work great for student projects because they provide framing and finishing hands-on practice for students without the long lab hours a normal size structure would take.
“The office pod concept would fit into Asheville’s sustainability goals because it would help provide density to downtown small lots without the need for lots of “in-fill” development,” Moody said. “They’ll be wired but won’t have plumbing, but people could get creative with them .” Learn more at abtech.edu/sustainability.
“We have two started currently and we’re hoping to sell them and have proceeds go back into the programs to help fund sustainable projects on campus,” said Heath Moody, Construction Management and Sustainability Technology Chair.
CONSTRUCTION CLASSES BUILDING
SUSTAINABLE OFFICE PODS
8 abtech.edu | A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal
Students in Construction Management classes are building office pods this semester, which are 95 percent finished small structures that could be put in a yard to be used as an office, writing or art studio, shed or den.
.
A-B Tech is expanding the scope of its Emergency Medical Science program while adding instructors, new equipment, and testing possible new concepts. Heading up this new endeavor is Clint Gorman, Dean of Emergency Services at A-B GormanTech.has
A new community paramedic program started in April in partnership with Mission Health. “That is really cutting edge,” Gorman said. “It’s a really new way of utilizing field paramedics to help bring medical care to patients who are typically underserved. It’s for patients who are chronically ill and have difficulty following the instructions from their physicians. It gives the patients a medically trained person visiting their home, and the paramedics will contact the home doctors.”
The Emergency Services Division will hold an open house on May 22 from 3-7 pm. Learn more at abtech.edu/ESopenhouse
Emergency Medical Science Program Sees Changes and Enhancements
The program reduces emergency room visits as community paramedics work with the patients’ doctors to help avoid ER visits and repeat hospitalizations. “We are continuing to work closely with agencies that we serve and make sure we are providing training for current employees and job candidates, and we can meet those needs quickly and
efficiently,” Gorman said. The department also is exploring the addition of Tactical Medicine and Wilderness EMT Gormantraining. said that college and administration support has made it possible to update and replace equipment that is used every day in teaching students. “A good example is the mannikins that were used to teach life-saving skills. Some of the items had been repaired until they couldn’t be repaired anymore. We are able to replace them because the college is very supportive of the program.”
Students who come into the EMS program to train to be paramedics now see new and current equipment that is used in EMS agencies in the region and they see instructors who were in that job. “They also see the folks that are retirees who have worked in EMS for decades,” Gorman said. “It’s a great mix of instructors providing various levels of experience.”
In addition to Green, Darin Jackson is a full-time instructor for the curriculum EMS program. A-B Tech graduate Wendy Gade has been hired as a full-time EMS/Continuing Education Coordinator. “That has increased the quality of education for the continuing education side of things. It helps incumbent paramedics get the ongoing training they need. Because there is a full-time person now, the quality of that program has improved. That is what is we are hearing from the agencies we serve,” Gorman said.
A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal | abtech.edu 9
taught as an adjunct at A-B Tech since 1983 and worked for many years for Buncombe County Government, including as a field paramedic, EMS training officer, and IT senior network administrator for public safety communications.
“I think one of the great things Anthony Green (Interim EMS Chair) and folks in EMS have done is attract a new cadre of adjunct instructors,” Gorman said. “We have always had great ones and now we have folks that are employed full-time in EMS operations. They are A-B Tech graduates, and that is a high compliment to the program that really good students have graduated and have come back to teach after having field experience.”
Dawn Eflein Health and Fitness Science
Dawn Miller
Miller had been Interested in occupational therapy for a few years when she heard A-B Tech was starting a program. She had a degree in English and was looking for a charge of career after her children got older. “I like that occupational therapy can be practiced across the lifespan,” she said. “You can work with preemies in NICU, school children, rehabilitation, in a medical setting, in mental health or older adults in a variety of settings.”
These recent graduates were featured during A-B Tech’s Commencement Ceremony on May 12. Most of these outstanding students attended A-B Tech to change careers.
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Miller had hands-on practical experience in the field. “I thought the instructors were amazing. They got us to collaborate with each other. Our cohort of 15 grew close, we studied today. The instructors were available outside of class when we needed to understand material. They have all worked in this field in this area and they take their job very seriously.”
10 abtech.edu | A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal
She had to take classes in exercise science, anatomy and physiology, nutrition, psychology, exercise programming, personal training, group exercise instruction, health coaching, injury care and prevention and many more classes. “It’s a marvelous program. Most of the coursework has a lab component to practice what we are learning in the class,” she said.
When Featherstone started at A-B Tech, he was homeless due to various circumstances. “None of it had to do with drugs or anything, but A-B Tech was also a way for me to focus on something other than being homeless. It was a getaway from everything. Wished I had done this years ago. As long as you have the energy and you are breathing, you can do it. It’s never too late,” he said.
Outstanding 2018 Graduates
He has attended three other institutions of higher learning and found A-B Tech to be superior. “I really do feel that the instructors and staff here want you to succeed and will do a lot to ensure you can do that. I hope to transfer to NC State to earn bachelor’s in materials science engineering and nanotechnology,” he said.
Jaden McTaggart
Featherstone is graduating with two degrees and already has been hired at the Aloft Hotel after completing an internship as a chef and a night auditor. I was just looking for a change in the career I had,” he said. “I had done nursing and industrial work and thought about computers but found myself wanting to cook. My goal is to work in a test kitchen because I like to experiment with food.”
Vaughn Marc Featherstone Hospitality Management and Culinary
Associate in Science and Associate in Engineering
Eflein was retired from the Air Force after 30 years when she came to A-B Tech for her next degree. She already had a bachelor’s degree in nursing, a masters in law and a J.D. in law. “I wanted to do something different to help older people going through milestone changes in their lives,” Eflein said. “I want to help older adults who have gym intimidation. People have significant changes in their lives.”
McTaggart was selected to travel to NASA’s Langley Research Center in 2017 to participate in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars project (NCAS). He came to A-B Tech after his job brought him to Asheville. “I was unhappy in my career,” he said. “I was ready to invest in a new future for myself and decided A-B Tech was where I could start my journey.”
Information Technology: Software and Web Development
Moore had been a wedding photographer for the past 10 years before deciding she was ready to make a change. “It was time to move on and I had friends who raved about A-B Tech,” she said. “The web development program was pretty awesome and my instructors were so awesome. It was really easy to pick it up. The instructors explain everything in detail and are always available. It’s so incredible to see what you can do with this program and what you can create.”
No Evil Foods is currently found in more than 250 retailers in 30 states and in numerous area restaurants. The company is living wage certified, with plans to hire 15 more employees.
Incubator Client No Evil Foods Receives Grant and Keeps Growing
A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal | abtech.edu 11
No Evil Foods, a manufacturer and distributor of plant-based meat products and a Business Incubator client at A-B Tech Enka, received a $50,000 seed grant from NC IDEA, a statewide private foundation supporting high-growth entrepreneurship.
“We started making the products ourselves,” said Schadel. “The recipes started with the ingredients I found in bulk bins. Our meat-eating family and friends helped us to develop the foods. One of the things that attracted us to Asheville was Blue Ridge Food Ventures. That got us involved with A-B Tech and the Small Business Center gave us affordable office space. A-B Tech is so communityorientated and that has been beneficial.”
Heather Moore
Moore has accepted a job as a Word Press developer. “My advisor sent me this job. It turns out my employer will be my former photography instructor. The final semester is really pushing internships and job opportunities,” she said.
Surgical Technology
After her first year at A-B Tech, Vickers stopped working full time and took on contract work as a paralegal. “The work in surgical technology is very intense,” she said. “You need determination and dedication and that’s what keeps you going. You are told at the beginning how hard it is and the program will require 100 percent of your time. That is an accurate description. I have experience in two four-year universities and I don’t think I have ever encountered instructors that invest in you as much mine did. There is no doubt in your mind they want you to be successful.”
Rachael Vickers
Vickers was a paralegal who wanted to change careers. She thought about becoming a physician’s assistant and started researching the training. A-B Tech had an interest meeting for the surgical technology program and Vickers attended. The career assessment she took said she should be a psychiatrist, a physician’s assistant or a surgical technologist. “That confirmed that I was on the right track,” she said.
No Evil Foods, founded in 2014 by Sadrah Schadel and Mike Woliansky, had been operating at Blue Ridge Food Ventures, at A-B Tech Enka. The company is moving to the former Arvato Digital Services building in Weaverville, increasing its space from 800 square-feet to 15,000 square-feet.
After leaving the college, Hawkins will continue tending to his honeybees while his wife raises sheep. He plans to keep driving for Young on a limited basis and to be more helpful to his wife with the mowing and gardening. “I’ve been fortunate to have students who wanted to learn, and to work with instructors who were understanding when my lab set-up left something to be desired.” he said.
Phil Hawkins was hired at A-B Tech as an adjunct in instructor in 1970, teaching in what is now the Bailey Student Services Center. At the time, he was a new high school teacher with one year under his belt as a chemistry teacher at North Buncombe High. He retired from teaching AP chemistry at North Buncombe in 2000, but stayed on at A-B Tech.
“He shows up and gets his job done,” said Kenet Adamson, Dean of Arts and Sciences. “He’s very low-key and there is no drama. He is a big support for the chemistry department and the instructors can rely on his safety knowledge.”
12 abtech.edu | A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal
At one point, Hawkins was working at least four jobs: teaching at North Buncombe, adjunct at A-B Tech, driving buses for Young Transportation and teaching at UNC Asheville. “I taught at UNCA for 14 years,” he said. “I would be the lab manager here, have a class at UNCA and come back and teach here. It’s a 27-minute round trip, by the way,” he said.
When Hawkins started at A-B Tech there were four buildings and one campus. “It was difficult because the office of the dean of the evening program was right there. We couldn’t get away with anything,” Hawkins laughed. “The biggest change I have noticed is the technology. We are way past the chalkboards and the overhead projectors.”
In 2003, Chemistry Chair Matthew Fender asked Hawkins if he would be interested in becoming the lab manager for the Department of Chemistry and Physics. “He is a wealth of information,” Fender said. “He supports adjuncts and full-time instructors. He has helped troubleshoot experiments for our textbooks. Phil is an outstanding lab manager. He goes far beyond the call of duty in his role.” For this, Hawkins received the Above and Beyond Award from the Arts and Sciences Division.
It should be noted that the Chemistry and Physics Department increased its enrollment from 484 students in the 2000-01 academic year to 1,492 in 2017-18, and Hawkins never missed a beat, according to Fender.
Chemistry and Lab Manager to Retire After Nearly 48 Years at College
The classes she teaches are designed for students who are seeking an employment pathway. While many of her students come to class due to a desire to make a change, many have lost their way in life and are seeking a restart. Over the years, several of her students have been homeless or come from broken life situations or lost confidence in themselves and their abilities.
A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal | abtech.edu 13
Staff Member of the Year
Curriculum enrollment at South has increased consistently, even during times where the college as a whole was experiencing enrollment decline. “Even with the current space limitations at the site, Jason finds way to increase enrollment and programming,” said Gene Loflin, Associate Vice President for Instructional Services.
As Director of the South location, Fair must work with multiple constituencies including curriculum, continuing education and basic skills, as well as student services and academic support. He also works with Mars Hill University regarding site utilization and access. He has reached out to the South Buncombe community to evaluate programming needs, then worked with the appropriate divisions to ensure that the college offers those courses and programs when possible.
Continuing Education Instructor of the Year
Barbara Butcher has been a continuing education instructor since August 1999, where she teaches short-term training program. Since 2015, she has taught Electronic Health Records Certification and Office Professional Certification. She has a degree from A-B Tech in Business Computers. She continually updates her Microsoft skills through online training.
“Time and time again, I have seen Barbara take a class of skeptical or passive participants, and graduate all of them with a 100 percent passing rate on the National Exam,”’ said Maria Spadaro, Business & Hospitality Coordinator. “Whatever she does in the classroom is magic, and changes students’ lives forever.”
Faculty Member of the Year
Sullivan’s background as a civil engineer with the NC Department of Transportation provided him with the opportunity to work with many engineering technicians. As a consequence of that, he’s well acquainted with the knowledge and skills that will be required of his program’s graduates. With that in mind, his interactions with students begin from the perspective that he is training future engineering technicians who will need to meet deadlines, work within budgets, show up on time, and work well with others.
Jim Sullivan, Department Chair for Geomatics, Environmental and Civil Engineering, was hired at A-B Tech in 2000 as a Continuing Education instructor. He has been department chair since 2006, when he developed the first Environmental Engineering Technology degree program. He earned his associate degree from Santa Fe Community College, his bachelor’s from the University of Florida, and his master’s degree from Western Carolina University.
“I know Jim cares deeply about A-B Tech students, and he shows that in his actions to help anyone who needs help,” said Sherian Howard, retired Computer Aided Drafting Chair. “Every day as I walked down the hall, I saw Jim in the classroom teaching. I witnessed his dynamic teaching style. His energy and commitment are a big asset to A-B Tech and his department.”
Jason Fair, Director of A-B Tech South, was hired in December 2012, shortly before the location’s opening. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Western Carolina University and has earned his doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Clemson University.
Employees of the Year
SCHOLARSHIP LUNCHEON
JUSTICE ERVIN COMMUNITY VOICES
NC Supreme Court Justice Sam “Jimmy” Ervin IV spoke at A-B Tech on April 11 as part of the Community Voices lecture series. He spoke on the Role of the Judicial Branch in Our Government System and had a question and answer session with audience members afterward. As part of its 200th anniversary, the NC Supreme Court will hold sessions in Asheville on May 16.
Empowering Our Youth: Dreams for the Future
A-B Tech held a community-wide Stand Against Racism event on April 12 in Ferguson Auditorium with activists and leaders from local organizations who discussed youth empowerment successes and challenges in the community. The panel was moderated by the YWCA’s Gerry Leonard and included Q&A with the audience. Panelists included, left to right: JaNesha Slaughter, Word on the Street Sheneika Smith, Asheville City Council Michael Carter, A-B Tech Economic and Workforce Development Areli Perez, Asheville Latin Americans Achieving Success (ALAS) J Hackett, Green Opportunities
The delegation from Asheville’s Sister City of Osogbo, Nigeria visited A-B Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Center on April 23. The delegation included Deputy Governor of Osun State Otunba Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori. They also visited the Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center, the Chamber of Commerce, the Historic Resources Commission, Cradle of Forestry, Ancestral Medicine, Carrier Park and other locations, as well as taking in Biltmore and an Asheville Tourists baseball game.
Campus Events
STAND AGAINST RACISM 2018 AT A-B TECH
The 17th annual Scholarship Luncheon was held in March at the Crowne Plaza Expo Center. Every year, this event provides an opportunity for our scholarship students to meet the donors responsible for their particular scholarships and for members of our College and community to hear from students. Nearly 400 student scholarship recipients and other guests, including donors, A-B Tech Board of Trustees, Foundation Board members, community members, and A-B Tech staff and faculty attended.
SISTER CITY VISIT
14 abtech.edu | A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal
The annual A-B Tech Earth Day celebration was held April 18 at the Beech Tree Deck. The celebration included:
• More than 20 local sustainability, A-B Tech, and community resource booths
July 4 College closed for Independence Day July 9 Fall Registration Opens August 13 Fall Semester Begins
• A-B Tech collecting: cardboard for the Sustainability department, used books for the Student Emergency Fund
A-B Tech EDUCATION Journal | abtech.edu 15 Calendar of Events May 4 Annual Student Art Show May 12 Commencement May 21 Summer Session Begins May 22 Emergency Services Open House May 28 College closed for Memorial Day June 5 Culinary & Hospitality Open House June 25 Aviation Open HouseEARTH Day Celebration
• Hard 2 Recycle collecting: electronics, batteries, metals, computers, power cables, Styrofoam (no food!), packing peanuts, cell phones, ink cartridges, empty personal care item containers (e.g. lipstick tubes), donations for the ReStore, and animal sanctuary items.
• Free chair massages, Earth Day T-shirts, reusable water bottles, custom tote bags, and a make-your-own bamboo pot station.
TechnicalAsheville-BuncombeCommunity College 340 Victoria Road Asheville, NC 28801 NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE ASHEVILLE,PAID NC PERMIT NO. 440 ECRWSS Postal Customer ASHEVILLE • MADISON • ENKA • SOUTH • WOODFIN • (828) 398-7900 • ABTECH.EDU YOUR DREAMS. OUR MISSION. Congratulations to our 2018 Graduates! We hope you will stay involved with A-B Tech! Learn more at abtech.edu/alumni.
