Atlanta/Jesup – The state board that oversees the Department of Technical and Adult Education has approved the selection of Lorette Hoover, an educator with 23 years experience in Georgia’s technical education system, as the next president of Altamaha Technical College, effective April 1, 2007.
The board voted their approval today during their monthly meeting at the DTAE headquarters in Atlanta. Hoover replaces Dr. Paul Scott, who retired on August 31, 2006, after a long career at the college.
Hoover is currently the vice president of instruction at Southwest Georgia Technical College in Thomasville.
“Lorette Hoover is a career technical educator and a seasoned leader who brings years of outstanding experience to this job,” said DTAE Interim Commissioner Ron Jackson. “She’s has a reputation for achievement and wants only the very best for the college and the students, the communities and businesses it serves. She’ll be a great addition for Altamaha Tech.”
The thorough process to select the new Altamaha Tech president began last September with the naming of a 12-member search committee made up of local citizens from the college’s service delivery area. The committee, chaired by Mickey Whittington, the Jesup district manager for Satilla EMC, screened more than 30 applications and conducted hours of interviews before choosing three candidates for final interviews in Atlanta with Jackson and members of DTAE’s senior staff.
“The work of the local search committee was critical to the success of this process,” said Jackson. “We’re most appreciative of the exceptional effort that they put forth to select the best candidate for the Altamaha Tech job.”
Hoover has been the vice president of instruction at Southwest Georgia Tech since 2003, where she leads and manages all instructional, continuing education and adult literacy programs for 2500 students on the Thomasville campus and two branch campuses in Camilla and Cairo. Hoover also served as the interim president at SWGTC during the spring and summer of 2006.
She was SWGTC’s vice president of student services from 2001 to 2003 and the vice president of economic development from 2000 to 2001. Prior to that, Hoover spent 15 years at West Georgia Technical College in LaGrange, first as an adult literacy instructor then as a public relations coordinator, director of instruction, and the vice president of instruction and student services.
Hoover is currently working toward her doctorate in education from NOVA Southeastern University. She has a Masters of Science from Troy State University and a bachelor’s degree from Columbus State University.
Dr. Cathy Meehan, who had been serving as Altamaha Tech’s interim president since last August, will now return to her regular role as president of Southeast Georgia Technical College in Vidalia.
About Altamaha Technical College and DTAE
Altamaha Technical College serves Appling, Jeff Davis, Long and Wayne counties. In addition to the main campus in Jesup, the college operates campuses in Baxley and Hazlehurst, as well as an adult literacy center in Ludowici.
The Department of Technical and Adult Education is the state agency responsible for the governance of the 34 colleges that make up the Technical College System of Georgia. The department also administers the state's adult literacy programs and Georgia Quick Start, an economic development program dedicated to workforce training.
