Pictured left to right: Union County Commissioner Lamar Paris, Retired NGTC President Dr. Judy Hulsey, NGTC President Dr. Gail Thaxon, Retired NGTC President Steve Dougherty, NGTC Board Chair Rebecca King, NGTC Board Member Jeremy Williams, Architect Gil May.
On Wednesday, April 29, 2015, North Georgia Technical College held a special groundbreaking ceremony for the new Health Science Building expansion on the Blairsville Campus. Coincidentally, the event was almost exactly eighteen years to the day from the original campus groundbreaking on April 30, 1997.
“We have long been known in the community as ‘our college down the road,’ and this campus will continue be a place where knowledge and action meet,” said NGTC President Dr. Gail Thaxton. “The college was built to meet the workforce needs of this area, and we are building this wing in response to the growing and robust programs offered on this campus, particularly in the health sciences.”
The creation of North Georgia Technical College’s Blairsville Campus, which officially opened January, 1999, came as the result of concerted efforts by business and community leaders and elected officials to make post-secondary technical education available to the citizens of Towns, Union, and Fannin counties and the surrounding area. Because of the financial advantages of attending a local college and the changing economic environment, enrollment has grown and the college received funding for the addition.
“One of my first assignments at North Georgia Tech was to build this campus,” said retired NGTC President Dr. Judy Hulsey. “It was then Governor Zell Miller, and local legislators Carlton Colwell, Ralph Twiggs and Guy Middleton who wanted a campus here in Blairsville. After several trips looking at different sites with former County Commissioner Glynn Gooch, I kept coming back to this piece of property. I want to thank Charles Jenkins for agreeing with Union County to purchase this beautiful land and for the College to be his neighbor.”
Through the efforts of the community and legislators as well as the faculty and staff, $3.65M funds for the expansion and additional monies for equipment and facilities were allotted for the nearly 14,000 square foot addition.
“This is the most beautiful campus in the state,” affirmed retired President Steve Dougherty. “The faculty and staff here are second to none. It was through their hard work that we first expanded our programs which caused the need to then expand the campus. We appreciate the terrific working relationship the college enjoys with Union County Commissioner Lamar Paris.”
“It takes a lot of people to make something like this happen,” agreed Paris. “Along with the support from the Governor and our representatives, we have always felt the total support from the Clarkesville Campus administrators for everything that happens up here in Blairsville. Thank you, Dr. Thaxton, for fulfilling the vision.”
Friends of North Georgia Technical College celebrated the construction of the Health Science Expansion on the Blairsville Campus on Wednesday, April 29, 2015, at 11:00 AM. Light refreshments were served by the Culinary Arts students.
