Dr. Mark Arnold Ivester, age 57 of Cross Creek Drive, Toccoa passed away Saturday, September 12, 2020, at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Braselton after a brief illness.
A son of Arnold and Joetta Cabe Ivester, he was born May 5, 1963, in Stephens County, Georgia where he lived most of his life. He was a 1981 graduate of Stephens County High School. He received an Associates Degree from Young Harris College, his Bachelor’s Degree from West Georgia College, his Master’s Degree from Brenau in Business Administration and his Doctor of Education from the College of Workforce Development, Leadership and Social Foundations at the University of Georgia. Mark is the President of North Georgia Technical College. He served on the college’s Executive Team for 20+ years, as Vice President for Administration Services, Vice President of Economic Development, and Acting President, before his appointment to President of NGTC in August 2016. Prior to his career at North Georgia Technical College, he worked for thirteen years with textile, steel, and plastic manufacturers including Diamond Carpet Mills, Gilbert and Bennett, and NAMPAC.
Additional training includes the American Association of Community Colleges Workforce Development Institute, the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, and the Technical College System of Georgia Leadership Academy. He serves on various local and regional workforce development committees and boards throughout Northeast Georgia. He served on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Appalachia Initiative Committee at the U.S. Capitol concerning education and workforce. He has served on the board of Community Colleges of Appalachia since August 2017 and is currently Chair Elect. He was a former member and President of the Clarkesville Rotary. He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Toccoa having served as the Chairman of the Board of Deacons and taught Sunday School for several age groups over the years.
Survivors include his parents, Arnold and Joetta Cabe Ivester of Toccoa; his wife of the home, Eleanor Mitchell Ivester; daughter, Marissa Ivester of Toccoa; sons and daughters-in-law, Andrew and Marissa Ivester of Durham, North Carolina, Josh and Shelby Ivester and Nathan Ivester both of Toccoa; two grandchildren, Emery and Olivia Ivester; brother and sister-in-law, Matt and Tracy Ivester of Toccoa; sister and brother-in-law, Lisa and Artie Segars of Toccoa; mother-in-law, Martha Mitchell of Toccoa; and several nieces and nephews.
The family will have a private funeral service on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, at 11 a.m. at the First Baptist Church with the Reverend David Ritcey and the Reverend Andrew Ivester officiating. The following gentlemen will serve as pallbearers, Tim Taylor, Mike King, Keith Powell, Woody Blasingame, Gary Butts, and Janney Sanders.
Interment will follow at the Carnes Creek Baptist Church Cemetery with the Reverend Brett Sanders officiating. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.acree-davisfh.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church, 475 E. Tugalo Street, Toccoa, Georgia 30577, or the North Georgia Technical College Foundation, P.O. Box 65, Clarkesville, Georgia, 30523 in memory of Dr. Mark Arnold Ivester.
The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/fbctoccoa/. Mark was loved and well respected by the community, and many will want to honor him and be present at the funeral. However, due to the current conditions with COVID-19, we ask that you respect the family’s wishes for privacy and attend the funeral virtually via the online link.
Acree-Davis Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements for Dr. Mark Arnold Ivester.
