The Technical College Foundation Association of Georgia (TCFA) recently announced the recipients of the TCFA’s 2014 volunteers and benefactors of the year awards. The awards were presented during a dinner at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta Hotel on Tuesday, October 28, 2014. 

TCFA President Dan King told the audience that the TCFA established its Volunteer of the Year and Benefactor of the Year awards as a way to recognize outstanding contributions that individuals and companies make to their local TCSG colleges. “The recipients of these awards embody the ideals of philanthropy, leadership, and volunteerism in the service to Georgia’s 23 technical colleges,” said King. 

This year, the TCFA chose three individuals as their volunteers of the year. The first award went to Bob Hutchison, who was recognized for his long-time dedication to Southwest Georgia Technical College in Thomasville. Hutchison is a leader in his local community who has given many years of service to the students, faculty, and staff at SWGTC. He is a trustee on the SWGTC Foundation, and is also the outgoing president of the TCFA. 

The TCFA next honored the husband and son of the late past president of Atlanta Technical College, Dr. Brenda Watts Jones. Morris Jones and Brandon Jones are committed to continuing her education legacy and have devoted their time, money, and talent to improving the lives of students attending ATC. Their contributions include establishing several scholarships in Dr. Watts’ name and volunteering countless hours toward improving the campus grounds and facilities. 

The TCFA Benefactor of the Year award is presented to individuals and companies who generously provide their technical colleges with much-needed funding. Benefactors are important advocates who help to build strong support for the college in its the region and throughout the state and nation. 

Dr. Ed and Rhonda Mark were honored as benefactors of the year for their support of Wiregrass Georgia Technical College and the WGTC Foundation South. Dr. Mark is a well-known and highly regarded neurosurgeon in Valdosta, Ga., and Rhonda Mark is a nurse and WGTC Foundation trustee. Both have a long history of service to the college and recently made the single-largest cash donation in the history of the WGTC in the amount of $225,000. The Marks have pledged to increase their donation to one million dollars and, in doing so, their generosity will help to transform the lives and build the careers of countless current and future students at WGTC. 

ADP, Inc. in Augusta, Ga., was also named as a benefactor of the year for the company’s partnership with Augusta Technical College and two other Augusta-area colleges that led to the development of the ADP STEM Scholarship program. ADP’s generosity and civic commitment is helping to ensure that the Augusta region has a workforce that’s highly skilled in information technology. Since it first began in 2009, the program has funded scholarships for Augusta Tech students and provided industry-specific training for the college’s IT faculty. In addition, ADP underwrites each scholarship student’s industry certification prior to his or her graduation. 

King ended the evening by thanking all of the award recipients for their unselfish desire to help others. “As we all know, it takes a group of dedicated people to make positive things happen for our students. We’re so very fortunate to have people who see the good in others and want to make a difference in a complete stranger’s life,” said King.