South Georgia Technical College’s Marketing Instructor Mary Cross was recognized by SGTC President Emeritus Sparky Reeves’ family recently after she was named the SGTC 2025 Outstanding Instructor of the Year. The late Sparky Reeves and his wife, Allene, established an endowed fund with the South Georgia Technical College Foundation to honor the college’s Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year and Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) student annually.
Allene Reeves and her daughter, Mandy Reeves Young, made the presentation to Mary Cross at the SGTC 2025 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year breakfast recently in front of the SGTC faculty and staff. They will return to present the college’s top GOAL student with a stiped on January 15 at the GOAL luncheon.
“South Georgia Technical College is very special to our family,” said Mandy Reeves Young. “Mom and Dad were both educators. Mom taught elementary school for over 35 years and Dad dedicated over 40 years of service as an instructor and administrator to South Georgia Tech. I found one of his roll books from when he first started teaching here and to me that just demonstrated how important this part of his life was.

“Congratulations, Mary Cross, on receiving this award,” continued Young. “I hope you will continue to represent South Georgia Technical College at the next level and continue to inspire and encourage your students.”

Following those comments, Allene Reeves presented Mary Cross with a check on behalf of the Sparky and Allene Reeves Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year fund for being the 2025 Instructor of the Year.

Mary Cross is the tenth recipient of the Sparky and Allene Reeves Instructor of the Year stipend. Andrea Ingram, a Computer Information Systems Instructor, was the first recipient of the award in 2016 and Charles Christmas, an Aviation Maintenance Instructor, was selected in 2017. Teresa McCook, the Americus campus Criminal Justice Instructor, received the award in 2018, Law Enforcement Academy Director Brett Murray was recognized in 2019, Cosmetology Instructor Dorothea Lusane McKenzie earned the honor in 2020 and Culinary Arts Instructor Chef “Ricky” Ludwig Watzlowick was named in 2021. Starlyn Sampson, auto collision and repair instructor, received the award in 2022 and Chester Taylor, math instructor, was the recipient in 2023. Dr. Michelle Williams Seay, psychology instructor, represented the college in 2024 and was a regional finalist in the state competition.

President Emeritus Reeves and Allene endowed this special fund with the South Georgia Technical College Foundation in 2010 and have been growing the fund for the past fifteen years in order to be able to recognize and honor the outstanding instructor and top student at South Georgia Technical College each year.

“This is a tremendous honor for us to be able to give back to the best of the best each year,” said South Georgia Technical College President Emeritus Sparky Reeves when he first endowed the fund. “Students may be the lifeblood of South Georgia Technical College but our instructors are the heartbeat. We are thrilled to be able to give back to our top instructor and our top student each year.”

Reeves joined the South Georgia Technical College faculty in 1973 as an Accounting, Math, and Business Psychology Instructor. In addition to teaching, he also served as a Supervisor, Evening Coordinator, Vice President of Economic Development and President. He retired in 2015. He passed away in 2023.
After accepting the stipend from the Reeves’, Cross thanked the Reeves and her co-workers. “I am very grateful to be selected as the Instructor of the Year. I appreciate your support of this program and the instructors. I will do my best to make you and South Georgia Technical College proud,” said Cross.
Mary Cross will represent South Georgia Technical College at regional and state competitions in an effort to be selected as the top instructor within the Technical College System of Georgia.

“On behalf of South Georgia Technical College, I would like to thank the Reeves’ family for their continued support of South Georgia Technical College, its instructors and its students,” said SGTC President Dr. John Watford. “South Georgia Technical College has a legacy and Sparky and Allene Reeves embody that legacy. They have been special to South Georgia Tech for many years and today they demonstrated again why they mean so much to the college, its faculty, staff, and students,” added Watford.

SGTC Academic Dean Dr. David Finley spearheaded the Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year efforts, and thanked Mary Cross for her service to the college. “Mary is passionate about marketing as well as about what her students learn about life. She is all about helping her students to become better people. She gives them life skills and also uses real projects to help them understand how marketing can be used in all walks of life. I am pleased that she will represent SGTC at the next level. We wish her the best.”

For more information about how to donate or establish an endowed scholarship at South Georgia Technical College, contact Su Ann Bird, SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Foundation Executive Director at 229-931-2011 or sbird@southgatech.edu. Tax deductible donations may also be mailed to the SGTC Foundation, P.O. Box 6102, Americus GA 31709.