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Press Release

Contact: Mike Light Executive Director of Communications mlight@dtae.org 404.327.6913

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, January 11, 2006

DTAE Board Approves Commissioner Vollmer’s Choice of
Ray Perren as New President of East Central Technical College

Atlanta/Fitzgerald – The board that oversees the Technical College System of Georgia has approved DTAE Commissioner Mike Vollmer’s selection of Ray Perren as the next president of East Central Technical College.

The state Board of Technical and Adult Education voted their approval during their monthly meeting held today in Atlanta.

Perren, 49, is currently the Dean of Academic Affairs for the Georgia and North Carolina campuses of DeVry University. He’ll assume the president’s job previously held by Dr. Diane Harper, who retired from East Central in September 2005.

“Ray Perren has impressed me with his lifelong commitment to education and the high expectations that he sets for himself and those who work with him,” said Commissioner Vollmer. “He’s a proven leader and administrator, and I’m confident that he’ll guide the college with the best interests of the students, the faculty and staff, and the East Central community always in mind.”

Perren is expected to begin his new position in February. At that time, Dr. James Bridges, who has been serving as the college’s interim president during the selection process, will return to his regular position as president of Valdosta Technical College.

Commissioner Vollmer chose Perren after interviewing the applicants recommended to him by the 17 local citizens who made up the East Central presidential search committee. “I’m deeply grateful to Chairman Chip Dorminy and the entire committee for their time and the thoughtful process that they used to help narrow our search. They conducted in-depth interviews and did an outstanding job recommending the best candidates for the position,” said Vollmer.

Perren has been the Dean of Academic Affairs at DeVry University since June 2000. His responsibilities include the management of all instructional programs and academic operations for 5,200 graduate and undergraduate students at DeVry’s two Georgia campuses and seven other DeVry Centers in Atlanta and North Carolina.

His career in education began in 1980 as a teacher in the Paulding County, Georgia, school system. Perren rose through the Paulding system in a succession of jobs that included elementary and middle school principal, curriculum director, and assistant superintendent. In 1996 he was appointed as the Superintendent of Schools by the Paulding County Board of Education and managed a $75 million annual budget for 15,000 students and 1,700 employees.

Perren graduated from the University of Georgia in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Education. He has Master of Education and Specialist in Education degrees from West Georgia College and is currently involved in his final coursework for a Doctor of Strategic Leadership from Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Ray Perren is originally from Villa Rica, Georgia. He and his wife, the former Joy Barnwell of Douglas, have six children.

East Central Technical College, which serves Atkinson, Ben Hill, Coffee, Irwin and Wilcox counties, enrolled 2.369 students during the 2005 fiscal year. The main campus in Fitzgerald and three centers in Douglas, Pearson and Rochelle offer credit programs that lead to certificates, diplomas and associate degrees. ECTC also provides a variety of continuing education programs, each designed to meet the education needs of the community. The college’s economic development department serves local businesses and industry with specialized training, including the nationally recognized Quick Start program.

About DTAE

The Department of Technical and Adult Education (DTAE) is the state agency responsible for the 34 colleges, including East Central Technical College, that together make up the Technical College System of Georgia. Currently, there are almost 83,000 students enrolled in credit courses at Georgia’s technical colleges, which last year produced more than 28,000 graduates. DTAE also operates the state’s Adult Literacy program, which issued 18,562 GED credentials in Fiscal Year 2005.

In addition to overseeing the technical colleges, DTAE also manages Georgia Quick Start, an economic development program dedicated to attracting business and industry to Georgia through specialized workforce training. Last year, 283 companies took advantage of Quick Start programs that delivered courses to more than 55,000 trainees.

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