Catching Up With Alumni

Sheba Foxx

Media Arts

Production Program

Director John Woodson, left, welcomed alumna Sheba Foxx back to campus recently.

Foxx, who serves as public affairs director, news director, on-air personality and producer for 107.3 JAMZ, was on campus to support a voter registration drive. Foxx has been with the radio station since 2007. Woodson, her former instructor, also is an alumnus of TCTC’s MAP (formerly Radio and Television Broadcasting) program.

Shannon Evans

Dental Assisting alumna Shannon Evans is employed by Hood Family Dentistry in Seneca. She is pictured with Dr. Jordan Hood, who is a member of the TCTC Dental Assisting Advisory Committee.

Michael Mance

Congratulations to Media Arts Production alumnus Michael Mance, whose Anderson-based agency, Mance Multimedia, LLC, was named 2022 Minority Business of the Year by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce.

Mance Multimedia, a full-service creative agency, was founded by CEO Michael Mance, a native and current resident of Anderson County. The company helps build clients’ recognition and credibility through marketing, advertising, design, and production services. Mance said, “This is a true full-circle moment, as I started my career as a marketing director for the Anderson Chamber of Commerce. It was there that I fell in love with both promoting and growing business. To transition into a full-time business owner and be recognized by such a large, pro-business organization is definitely a great accomplishment,” he said.

The company has worked with both local and national companies, most recently designing packaging for Texas-based flooring company Acufloor—helping launch their product into 1200 Lowe’s stores.

Kaitlyn Holder Alexander

Kaitlyn Holder Alexander, a 2022 graduate of the Media Arts Production (MAP) program, is a videographer for FOX Carolina. She shot a segment about our Heavy Equipment Operator rodeo held March 17.

Lori Greenway

Lori Greenway graduated from the I-BEST healthcare pathway in Spring 2021. Today she is a student in Tri-County’s Dental Assisting Program.

Student Receives Scholarship from Foothills Writers’ Guild

Logan Long, a University Studies major, was awarded the 2023 Juanita Garrison Student Writing Scholarship from the Foothills Writers’ Guild of Anderson at its monthly meeting. The mission of the scholarship program is to promote the art and skills of creative writing for students who demonstrate “the heart of a writer.”

Long, a student in Laurie Epps’ Creative Writing class, was nominated by TCTC English department instructors.

“Logan’s first work that was submitted for my Creative Writing class was one of his short stories, entitled “Return to Sender,” which takes place in the late 1960s and includes a variety of rich descriptions of setting, characters, and situations that are a great representation of that time period. I knew immediately that it was a great piece of short fiction worthy of being recognized,” said Epps.

College Mourns Loss of Former Commissioner Ben Childress

We are saddened by the loss of former Tri-County Technical College Commission member and Easley resident Ben R. Childress, who died March 27 at age 88.

Childress served a long and distinguished term, representing Pickens County on the governing board from 1987 until 2010. He was solidly committed to the community college philosophy and in every way pursued the mission and purpose of the College, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience and strengthening the College’s already strong ties with industry.

Childress served as chair of the buildings committee, was an active member and former chair of the finance committee and a former ex-officio member of the TCTC Foundation board. As chairman of the building committee, he was instrumental in moving the Easley Campus project forward and was a leader in bringing Tri-County Technical College to where the Pickens County community lives and works. Tri-County’s Easley Campus, located on Powdersville Road, opened in January 2011.

He was a charter member and past chair of the Textile Management Advisory Board. He and other textile leaders in the tri-counties in 1973 helped to develop the Textile Management curriculum and later, in an unprecedented display of support, contributed $18,900 to finance full two-year scholarships for Textile Management majors at Tri-County.

In 2010 former College President Ronnie L. Booth presented Childress with the Order of Merit at the College’s October 28 Annual Report luncheon.

Childress served first as general manager and later as vice president of manufacturing for Alice Manufacturing Company during his distinguished 30-year career at the Easley textile company.

In 1997, he and his wife, Lucille, endowed the Weston and Ruth Reeves Memorial Scholarship in 1997 in memory of her mother and father.

He is survived by his wife, Lucille Reeves Childress, daughters Sandi Maddox and Karen (Allen) Clardy; six grandchildren; and four great grandchildren.