Over 1,200 years of service. It’s actually 1,222 years to be exact, and that’s an impressive number.
That’s the total number of years of service to South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) that a group of employees was recognized for recently at the local post-secondary education institution.
SGTC honored 74 employees who have worked there for longer than a decade at its recent annual employees Christmas luncheon.
Fourteen of the employees were recognized for 20 or more years of service, while 59 were recognized for 10-19 years.
One employee, Rick Davis, was recognized for over three decades of service. He has been with the college for a total of 31 years as a diesel or heavy equipment technology instructor.
While it is commendable that South Georgia Tech recognizes these employee milestones, something needs to said for the institution itself.
When employees choose to remain with an employer for 10 years, 20 years, and sometimes over 30, it says something about the employer. It means that South Georgia Tech offers a working environment that is professional and amenable to the growth and development of its employees. It means excellent pay and benefits. It means that the institution itself and its tenets are deeply ingrained in the communities it serves, and while its employees are loyal and dedicated to the institution, the college itself, made up of these employees, is a huge part of the communities, giving back in so many ways: scholarships, service projects, etc. SGTC’s employees are a major proponent in giving back to the institution itself during the annual TechForce drive for scholarship funds. That they believe so strongly in the institution is strongly evidenced.
The fact that one of the employees, John Watford, Ed.D., with 26 years of service, is now president of the institution, also speaks volumes.
We congratulate each of the South Georgia Tech employees for their continued service to this excellent college in our community. Their work and dedication help to prepare a workforce that is truly a credit to our state and region.