Instructors at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) have nominated 28 of their students for the Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) competition and eight of their peer instructors for the Rick Perkins Award of Excellence in Technical Instruction competition.

GOAL, a statewide program of the Technical College System of Georgia, honors excellence in academics and leadership among the state’s technical college students. GOAL winners are selected at each of the state’s 25 technical colleges as well as one Board of Regents college with a technical education division.

Students chosen for recognition by their instructors are:

Charles Bailey Computer Information Systems Gordon County Campus

Maegen Bolt Early Childhood Care & Education Gordon County Campus

Jessica Brewer Early Childhood Care & Education Walker County Campus

Penny Broadrick Medical Assisting Walker County Campus

Candis Chappell Marketing Floyd County Campus

Dayna Davidson Radiologic Technology Floyd County Campus

Crystal Davis Medical Assisting Walker County Campus

Julia Duden Marketing Floyd County Campus

Shanna Gattenby Vascular Technology Floyd County Campus

Daniel Groce Business Management Whitfield Murray Campus

Loren Hendrix Early Childhood Care & Education Gordon County Campus

Amanda Hensley Business Management Whitfield Murray Campus

Jefferey Hughes Networking Specialists Walker County Campus

Nathan Kaiser Automotive Technology Walker County Campus

Elizabeth Knox Social Work Walker County Campus

Carla Mahan Marketing Floyd County Campus

Oscar Martin Computer Information Systems Floyd County Campus

Delia Matthews Networking Specialist Walker County Campus

Jessica Mauldin Business Management Whitfield Murray Campus

Courtney McBee Early Childhood Care & Education Gordon County Campus

Jessi Melgar Early Childhood Care & Education Gordon County Campus

Joshua Myers Machine Tool Technology Walker County Campus

Mary Nelson Early Childhood Care & Education Gordon County Campus

Whitney Owenby Medical Assisting Floyd County Campus

Christy Parrish Networking Specialist Walker County Campus

Oscar Reyes Business Management Whitfield Murray Campus

Mary Stinnet Social Work Walker County Campus

Nora Suarez Smith Industrial Systems and Electronics Walker County Campus

"The purpose of the GOAL program is to spotlight the outstanding achievement by students in Georgia's technical colleges and to emphasize the importance of technical education in today’s global workforce," said Dione Hodge, GNTC’s GOAL coordinator.

Instructors at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) have also nominated eight of their peers for the Rick Perkins Award of Excellence in Technical Instruction competition.

The nominees for 2013 include:

Bill Bentley Automotive Technology Floyd County Campus

Ronda Cox General Education Walker County Campus

Anthony Gallman Cosmetology Gordon County Campus

Bobby Lewis Neuromuscular Therapy Floyd County Campus

Ose Martinez Associate Degree Nursing Walker County Campus

Greg Paulson Culinary Arts Floyd County Campus

Troy Peco Automotive Technology Walker County Campus

Gina Stephens Business Technologies Floyd County Campus

The Rick Perkins Award honors the Technical College System of Georgia’s most outstanding instructors. The award has been an ongoing statewide event since 1991 and is designed to recognize technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields.

These nominees are being honored by their peers who recognize their hard work, dedication, and efforts in helping their students become successful,” stated Beverly Padgett, coordinator for GNTC’s Rick Perkins program.

Formerly known as the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence, the award was renamed in honor and memory of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor at West Central Technical College, who received the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death.

The Technical College System of Georgia provides oversight for the GOAL and Rick Perkins Award programs through the system’s office, the college presidents’ Academic Affairs Committee, and the state planning committee.

A screening committee of administrators at GNTC will review each of the nominated students and instructors and conduct personal interviews with the nominees.

Four finalists will be selected in the GOAL competition. The student judged most outstanding will be designated as the college’s GOAL winner and move on to the regional competition. From the screening committee interviews, a winner will be chosen to represent the college as GNTC’s 2013 Rick Perkins winner and move on to the regional competition.

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