A-B Tech was presented an Award of Excellence from the North Carolina Community College System in recognition of the leadership provided as a pilot site in development of the North Carolina Career Readiness Certificate. To date, 202 certificates have been issued in partnership with the Mountain Area JobLink Career Center. Maria Spadaro, Career Readiness specialist, was commended for her excellent work on the initiative. The North Carolina CRC is a statewide initiative funded by the N.C. Workforce Development Commission, Department of Commerce, to assist employers in determining if a potential job applicant has the necessary literacy, math and problem-solving skills to be job ready. For job seekers, the CRC serves as a portable credential that can be presented to employers verifying their skill levels.
Chall Grey, a student at A-B Tech, was featured in the July 2007 issue of The Laurel of Asheville magazine. David Brendan Hopes wrote about Grey in "The Writer's Block" column.
Gordon "Buddy" Greenwood, former A-B Tech trustee, has been elected to a second six-year term on the State Board of Community Colleges. Greenwood, president of the Bank of Asheville, serves on the Finance and Capital Needs and the I.E. Ready/Partnership for Excellence committees. He is also a member of the board's Presidential Search Committee.
John and Nancy Mathewson wrote a letter of praise for Continuing Education instructor Lisa Penrose. "Each week, Ms. Penrose provided superior instruction in beginning French, including basic pronunciation, essential rules of French grammar, and key phrases needed for a variety of everyday situations that a visitor to France might encounter," they wrote. "Over the years, we have taken numerous adult education courses - primarily in Arlington, Virginia, where we lived until moving here a year ago, and more recently, at the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement at UNC Asheville. Ms. Penrose is clearly and by far the best instructor we have ever had in these many adult education classes."
A-B Tech graduate Ingrid Freeman wrote a letter of appreciation to adjunct instructor Ron Terry. "I wanted to let you know how much I appreciated your public speaking class," she wrote. "I was very nervous about taking that class and had heard the horror stories from other students about taking public speaking. That class was one of the most enjoyable classes I had at A-B Tech thanks to you. The things you taught me have been put to use and will continue to be used in the future"
Tech Talk is published by the Communications Office for employees and friends of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
Editor: Mona Cornwell, Writer: Martha Ball, Designer: April Sides
Send submissions to: Mona Cornwell, Director of Communications, at mcornwell@abtech.edu