For nearly nine years, Dr. Craig Wentworth has had the task of leading Southern Regional Technical College.

SRTC has undergone many changes, including a merger and now an accreditation as a new two-year institution. Meanwhile, it has added programs and services and its enrollment has continued to grow.

SRTC opened a 52,000 square foot health science building, complete with a virtual hospital and a full veterinary clinic, in Wentworth’s tenure. 

But what SRTC has done under Wentworth — and it has expanded its programs and degrees in health care — is more than get students ready for a career once they leave one of the campuses’ doors.

Its numbers in adult education, GED preparation and dual enrollment for high school students also have risen.

Students can start their post-secondary career at SRTC and have credits transfer to the University System of Georgia. 

Technical colleges also play an important part in economic development. SRTC also has bolstered its facilities to host conferences and meetings.

Before coming to SRTC, Wentworth was vice president of academic affairs at Central Georgia Technical College and while he was there, CGTC grew from 1,000 students to more than 7,900 students and from 30 credit programs to over 190.

As the workforce and workplace of today and the future continue to change, it’s the Technical College System of Georgia that is positioned to meet many of those needs. Enrollment across the state was more than 134,000 in 2017, and there were nearly 39,000 graduates that year, according to the TCSG’s fiscal year 2019 strategic plan.

And there likely will be more growth on the horizon for SRTC. Thanks to Wentworth, SRTC’s future is bright and we applaud him and commend him on his leadership and also wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.