Moultrie Tech Officials Hone Economic Development Skills
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Moultrie Technical College officials pictured, left to right, are Judi Lovvorn, business and industry training coordinator; Tonya Cooper, director of continuing education and economic development; Dr. Tina Anderson, MTC president; and, at far right, Carol Mathews, vice-president of economic development. Also pictured is Angela Crance, vice-president of economic development at Valdosta Technical College, second from the right. |
Tonya Cooper, director of continuing education and economic development, and Judi Lovvorn, coordinator of business and industry training, at Moultrie Technical College, are two of 20 professionals to earn Certified Economic Developer Trainer (CEDT) status after completing a rigorous program of specialized training.
CEDT training is provided by the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education’s (DTAE) Quick Start program for its economic development staff. Joining an elite group of more than 100 CEDTs statewide, Cooper and Lovvorn can better help Moultrie Tech’s service area of Colquitt, Tift, Turner and Worth Counties attract new companies, while helping existing manufacturing and service industries develop a skilled workforce.
DTAE commissioner Mike Vollmer presented the CEDT certificates at a luncheon ceremony held June 8 th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Macon, Georgia.
“The jobs that are here in Georgia today require much higher skills that yesterday’s jobs as manufacturing becomes more highly automated,” Vollmer said. “The purpose of the CEDT program is to provide the most current knowledge and skills in industry trends and technologies so that we ensure relevancy and consistency in the quality of business and industry training services provided by Georgia’s technical colleges and our Quick Start team.” He challenged the graduates to train Georgia workers in the new skills that industry requires so that they and their families and communities in Georgia can prosper.
Also speaking at the event was Jackie Rohosky, assistant commissioner for DTAE’s Economic Development Programs. Rohosky operates CEDT and leads Georgia’s Quick Start program, the state’s premier economic development training incentive.
“These graduates spent 400 to 500 hours each during this training to strengthen their skills in recruiting new companies to their communities,” she said. “They also developed competencies in developing training to improve work performance and business results. These skills are essential for serving all of Georgia’s companies — both existing and new.” Rohosky noted that Thursday’s graduates are the 11 th graduating CEDT class and a new class is planned for the fall of this year.
Achieving CEDT status is required for the vice presidents of economic development at all 34 technical colleges, as well as selected staff members in the colleges’ Economic Development divisions and key Quick Start team members. During their 18 months in the program, CEDT program participants attend a series of 12 in-depth, hands-on training sessions, participate in four industry site visits to analyze operations, and complete four independent projects. The projects include developing an economic development profile for their community and completing a process analysis of a manufacturing industry.
Projects are evaluated and graded by the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Partnership with this globally recognized business and management training organization assures consistent and professional evaluation of each CEDT participant’s project.
Cooper, of Tifton, has been involved in economic development efforts for Moultrie Technical College’s service area for the last six years, working to provide the workforce training needs of local business and industry in the area. She is an active member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association and a board member for the Georgia Adult Education Association. She is an active member of the local Chambers of Commerce and serves on various volunteer committees in the communities.
Lovvorn, of Moultrie, has been involved in Georgia’s technical college system for over 8 years and has served in Economic Development for the last two years. She is also an active member of the Georgia Economic Developers Association. She serves on the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber Workforce Development Committee and is also an Ambassador. She is a member of the board of directors for the United Way of Colquitt County and is a member of the Colquitt County Employer Committee.
Media Release- July 5, 2006
Contact: Jana Wiggins, Moultrie Technical College, Director of Marketing
(229) 217-4139 or (229) 891-7000
Carol Mathews, Vice-President of Economic Development
(229) 391-2627
Email: jwiggins@moultrietech.edu or cmathews@moultrietech.edu
