James July-August 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 49
During its 38 years of existence,
Ogeechee Technical College in
Statesboro has placed thousands
of graduates into employment, has
helped hundreds of Georgians improve their literacy or earn a GED
and assisted dozens of businesses
and industries in retraining their
workers. James Staff Writer Cindy
I resigned in 2016 to become
Ogeechee Tech’s president. August
marks the completion of my eighth
year as president, and it gets better
every year. I am passionate about the
Technical College System of Georgia’s mission and its faculty, staff, and
students. When our students succeed,
we succeed. Enrollment is rising, and
demand for our graduates is stronger
than ever.
Morley conducted this interview
Morley What is the history of Ogeechee
of President Lori Durden.
Tech?
Cindy Morley Please provide our read-
Durden The Georgia General Assem-
ers a brief snapshot of your career
experience.
bly established Ogeechee Technical
Institute as a public, two-year technical school in 1986. Shortly afterward, it
began offering practical nursing courses to 25 students at the local hospital.
In fall 1990, faculty, staff and students
moved into the original 75,000-squarefoot, $6 million facility. The school also
started Adult Literacy and GED exam
preparation programs and received
accreditation from the Council on Occupational Education.
During the mid-1990s, its growth
paralleled the expansion of Georgia
Southern University and the Statesboro area. Local support and the HOPE
grant, established by the state Lottery in 1993, contributed to this rapid
growth. The school continued adding
programs to meet the employment
needs of its service area of Bulloch,
Evans and Screven counties.
Today, our campus spans over
330,000 square feet across four locations. With over 2,900 students in
credit classes in 2023 and many others
Lori Durden My entire career has been
in higher education and economic
development. Before joining Ogeechee
Technical College, I spent 17 years at
Georgia Southern University, culminating as the director of the Small Business Development Center.
Helping entrepreneurs start and
grow their businesses was incredibly
rewarding, with each day bringing
new challenges and knowing their
success was my success. In 2011, I
became the Vice President of Economic Development at OTC and the work
was similar but involved larger companies focused on workforce development. Shortly after, Gov. Nathan Deal
appointed me to the University System
of Georgia’s Board of Regents. This
role was fascinating, as my experience
allowed me to advocate for greater
cooperation between them, benefiting
Georgia students.
in adult and continuing education, the
demand for our services is constant.
Morley Can you expand on the remark-
able impact the college has had on its
surrounding community?
Durden Our story is amazing for two
reasons. First, OTC was established
38 years ago— a relatively short time in
higher education. Many citizens in our
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