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tion’s president for 8 years. In lieu of change, the College has appointed Teresa Coleman to serve in this role until a permanent president is selected.

Coleman has more than 30 years of experience in technical education and held multiple leadership positions at Southeastern Technical College, serving most recently as the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

'I am deeply honored to serve as interim president. For 30 years, I have had the privilege of working alongside exceptional faculty and staff at STC to serve our students and communities,' Coleman emphasized. 'Southeastern Tech continues to grow and thrive. This past year, we achieved record enrollment each semester. We are also working closely with our career academy (SECCA) and secondary education partners to prepare students for high-demand careers that support the workforce needs of our region.'

College administrators praised Coleman on her work to shape the institution's growth and success. Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Commissioner Greg Dozier also spoke on Coleman’s appointment to the position, saying, “Teresa has been a valued leader at Southeastern Technical College for more than 30 years, serving in a variety of roles that have contributed significantly to the College's growth and success. Since joining Southeastern Technical College in 1998, she has served as vice president for operations and fiscal affairs and, since 2007, as vice president for academic affairs. Throughout her tenure, Teresa has been instrumental in advancing academic excellence, supporting student success, and strengthening the College's impact across the communities it serves.”

He continued, 'As we celebrate Larry's outstanding leadership and many contributions to Southeastern Technical College and TCSG, I am confident that Teresa will continue to build upon that strong foundation. Please join me in congratulating Teresa on her new role and in supporting her as she leads the College through this important transition.'

Coleman is a Hazlehurst native and a Jeff Davis High School graduate who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting degree from the University of Georgia and a Master of Science in Postsecondary Education degree from Troy University. Before joining Southeastern Tech, Coleman served as a career planning specialist at Altamaha Technical College and later as the Georgia statewide and academic medical system coordinator for the Department of Technical and Adult Education Southeast Consortium, where she worked with six technical colleges.

She is actively involved in the community, as she has served on HCA Memorial Health Meadows Hospital's Board of Trustees since January 2024 and is a member of the Vidalia Rotary Club. She is a Paul Harris Fellow, a graduate of Leadership Toombs-Montgomery, a graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development's Regional Economic and Leadership Development Program, and a graduate of the Technical College System of Georgia's Executive Leadership Academy.

During her discussion about taking on this new role, Coleman also spoke about the growth of the College and her excitement for the future.

'One exciting area of growth is our new Associate of Science in Education degree. This program will allow local students to complete the first two years of their education degree at Southeastern Technical College before transferring their credits to one of our partnering colleges or universities. Students can then complete a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, preparing them for rewarding teaching careers in K-12 schools. We are very excited about this program and how it can help students pursue a teaching career in elementary and primary schools,” she explained.

Coleman added, “Our medical and cosmetology programs continue to see large enrollments and extremely high, mostly perfect, pass rates for firsttime takers on state and national board exams. Our industrial programs are growing, and the College is constantly evaluating the addition of new programs to meet the evolving needs of our communities. Our business and personal services programs are continuing to see growth, as are our noncredit offerings. Additionally, STC's Adult Education now offers an accredited high school diploma.'

She emphasized that she hopes to continue to see the College thrive, improve, and increase its offerings to the community.

For more information on Southeastern Technical College, please visit www. southeasterntech.edu or call (912) 538-3100 or (478) 289-2200.