Deborah Burchfield, adjunct instructor, was recognized by the Western Carolina Women's Coalition as one of three Women to Match Our Mountains at its Women's Equality Celebration. Burchfield, director of the Buncombe Juvenile Detention Center, was honored for her public service. She directed the only substance abuse program for adjudicated juveniles in the state, and serves on the board of Eliada Home.
Karen Spradley, Culinary Technology graduate and Hospitality Education instructor, was featured in the September issue of Our State magazine. Spradley and her husband, Andy, own the Corner Oak Manor Bed and Breakfast.
The National Culinary Review published a story on A-B Tech's Culinary Team in its September 2007 issue. The story highlighted the team's win during the American Culinary Federation's Student Team National Championship, and featured a question and answer session with one of the coaches, Bronwen McCormick, Culinary/Hospitality chair.
Twenty-three students graduated from the Detention Officer Certification Course Aug. 28 in Simpson Auditorium. The 175-hour course allows officers to be Certified Detention Officers and employed at any county correctional facility within the state. The graduates completed 20 hours of physical training and four weeks of hands-on and classroom training.
Paul Knott, curriculum coordinator for BioNetwork's BioBusiness Center, received a Chancellor's Fellowship from Western Carolina University. Knott is the first student in the Doctoral Program in Community College Leadership to receive a Chancellor's Fellowship. The fellowships are awarded to exceptionally promising students to support the completion of their graduate studies in the shortest amount of time possible.
A-B Tech's Small Business Center was recognized in a letter from Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue for being named the Western North Carolina winner of the 2006-07 Small Business Center Award by the North Carolina Community College System. "This is a wonderful honor and a tribute to the dedication of the people who work everyday to make the center a success," she wrote.
Joe Scotto, former president of A-B Tech's SGA, sent his reflections on his first week back during the fall semester. "As I walked to class I needed to sit and check my schedule. I found a wonderful new bench at the Magnolia Building to gather my thoughts ... I strolled through walkways, building entrances, enjoyed the shade of a great birch tree, and the areas were free of tobacco litter and the air was a bit fresher and safer to breathe ... I communicated with all my instructors from my new A-B Tech student e-mail address," he wrote.
Sue Ellen McKnight Wells, a 1975 graduate of the Practical Nursing program, wrote an e-mail to Brenda Causey, Nursing chair, thanking her for her commitment to the nursing profession. "Yesterday was my 32 year anniversary of my graduation and I decided I would drop a line to the school. I have had a varied nursing life and learned so much from my time at A-B Tech," she wrote. "The PNE program truly prepared me for my nursing career by teaching me the fundamentals necessary to provide the best care for my patients." Causey was a part-time clinical instructor for the College in 1975.
Tim Thomas, a 1988 culinary graduate who was crowned the King of American Seafood in New Orleans after competing in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off, now has his dish of Georgia shrimp ratatouille with boursin cheese grits in the People's Choice Recipe Contest. A random entry and the chef of the winning recipe will each win a "Visit to New Orleans" prize package for two guests. Voting takes place until Oct. 31 at http://greatamericanseafoodcookoff.com/contest.html.
Tom Heffner, Early Childhood Education/Smart Start instructor at A-B Tech, has been elected to the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children Governing Board for a three-year term. He was sworn in as a member-at-large during the organization's annual business meeting Sept. 14.
Dr. Betty Young, president, was named to the board of the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County. Dr. Young will serve as an ex-officio member of the board, which encourages economic development through collaboration between city government, county government and private industry.
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