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By Su Ann Bird

 

 

AMERICUS – Dorothea Lusane McKenzie, South Georgia Tech’s 2020 Instructor of the Year, was recently recognized as one of the top nine instructors in the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) by Commissioner Greg Dozier. McKenzie, who teaches Cosmetology at SGTC, will now compete for the state title.

McKenzie and SGTC 2020 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) student David Bush were recognized along with 21 other Rick Perkins and GOAL winners from around the state by Commissioner Dozier during the virtual live regional announcement. The 22 top instructors and top students from across the state had participated in a regional judging competition prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition where the regional winners and the overall state winner would be announced had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The system made the statewide announcement for the regional winners virtually on YouTube.

As one of the top nine instructors in the state, SGTC’s McKenzie will now have the opportunity to compete for the State Rick Perkins award in September.  This is the first time since 2009 that South Georgia Technical College has had a regional winner in the Rick Perkins competition. SGTC Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Vanessa Wall, who started the college’s Criminal Justice Program, was the last regional winner from SGTC and she is now the Rick Perkins/GOAL Coordinator for the college.

“We are so very proud of Dorothea Lusane McKenzie for advancing to the state finals of the Rick Perkins competition,” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “She is a great representative of the faculty here at South Georgia Technical College and I hope each of you will extend your congratulations to her for representing SGTC as a finalist.  We are also very proud of David Bush for the way he represented the college at the regional competition.  He is a great representative of our students and we appreciate him serving as our top student for 2020.”

SGTC Rick Perkins/GOAL Coordinator Vanessa Wall (center) is shown above with David Bush and Dorothea McKenzie.
Photo by Su Ann BirdPresident Watford, Rick Perkins/GOAL Coordinator/Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Vanessa Wall, SGTC Vice President of Student Affairs Eulish Kinchens, SGTC Board Member Janet Siders, Vice President of Institutional Advancement Su Ann Bird, Academic Dean David Finley, SGTC Marketing Instructor Mary Lusane Cross, Marketing Coordinator Patrick Peacock, Executive Assistant to the President Teresa O’Bryant, and SGTC GOAL Winner David Bush and his father, all met in the John M. Pope Center to watch the live announcement of the regional finalists for the Rick Perkins/GOAL competition.

“Dorothea McKenzie has the respect of her students and her peers,” said President Watford. “She also has a tremendous work ethic. But one of the most profound things about her work is that so many of her students graduate and start their own businesses, and that kind of entrepreneurship is critical to economic development.”

The link to watch the TCSG announcement is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1qnY0cJ2Ps.