AMERICUS — James E. “Jem” Morris, area manager of Georgia Power in Americus, was sworn in as a new member of the South Georgia Technical College board of directors by chairman Willie Patrick at the group’s September meeting in the conference room of the John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center on the SGTC campus recently.
Morris was named area manager of Georgia Power in Americus in 2014. Prior to coming to Americus, he served as the engineering supervisor of the Piedmont Operating – West Region for Georgia Power from 2009 to 2014. He has been with Georgia Power since 1988, and served as a distribution engineer, Power Marketing Engineering/Lead, Account Manager and Sales Manager in different locations throughout Georgia.
He is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology in mechanical engineering and has an master’s of business administration from Georgia State University in Atlanta in organizational development and effectiveness, marketing.
To be selected for the local board, members are recommended by community leaders or area legislators and then confirmed by the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia. The purpose of the board is to facilitate the delivery of programs, services, and activities as directed by the State Board, advise the president and the State Board of local industry and community needs for the programs and services to be provided by the technical college and advocate within the community and in the state on issues of importance in support of the technical college system and Georgia’s workforce development efforts.
The seven-member board is made up of community leaders representing the SGTC service delivery area, which includes Sumter, Schley, Crisp, Macon, Marion and Webster counties.  In addition to Morris, the board includes Chairman Willie Patrick of Crisp County, Vice Chair Janet Siders of Sumter County, George Bryce of Sumter County, James Davis of Macon County, Jake Everett of Webster County and Richard McCorkle of Marion County.
“On behalf of South Georgia Technical College, I would like to thank Jem Morris for agreeing to serve on the SGTC board of directors,” said SGTC President Sparky Reeves. “He is an asset to South Georgia Tech as well as to our entire community. He and Georgia Power are vital community partners and he has been extremely supportive of South Georgia Technical College and other educational entities and community organizations since he arrived in Sumter County. We are very pleased that he has agreed to serve in this capacity.”