Vision Accomplished

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Photo of Dr. Breeden, Harold Reynolds, and Edgar Rhodes


On the evening of March 10, business and civic leaders from around the state gathered in Atlanta to commemorate one of the most significant events in the history of education and economic development in Georgia — the 20th anniversary of the creation of what we know today as the Department of Technical and Adult Education.

“Tonight, we are here to celebrate the anniversary of that historic moment 20 years ago when Governor Joe Frank Harris opened up a new world of opportunity for Georgia citizens and Georgia businesses,” DTAE State Board Chairman Harold Reynolds told the members of the audience.

It was in 1984 that Gov. Harris signed an executive order creating the State Board of Postsecondary Vocational Education and chose Dr. Kenneth Breeden to serve as its executive director. The Postsecondary Board soon transformed into the Department of Technical and Adult Education, and Dr. Breeden was appointed its commissioner, a role he would fill until his retirement at the end of June 2004.

 

 
Photos of Sonny Perdue, Joe Frank Harris and Larry Comer
Over the past two decades, Ken has articulated a vision, built a team and created a system of technical colleges, Adult Literacy programs and economic development training programs that today is the foundation of our state’s prosperity and is a model for the nation,” Reynolds added.

“He was brilliant,” said longtime DTAE State Board member Edgar Rhodes about Dr. Breeden. “He had a vision. He had a mission. He had a plan. And he knew how to carry it out.”

Also speaking at the anniversary was Larry Comer, the first chairman of the State Board of Technical Education, who described the three principles that were the foundation of the original vision for the DTAE.

“One is customer focus, the other is partnership with business and industry and a third is a commitment to quality,” Comer explained. “These early goals were key facilitators to gain the momentum that we needed.”

Former Gov. Harris also spoke during the anniversary celebration, commenting on how, at the time he put in motion the legislation that would eventually create the DTAE, he knew that there was only one man who could lead the initiative to build a world-class technical education system.

“Ken had everything that we were looking for,” said Gov. Harris in his testimonial. “Dr. Breeden has been an expert conflict negotiator. He could bring warring factions together. He’s been an outstanding leader for our state.”

Gov. Harris’ expectations were more than met. Today, the DTAE is internationally recognized as one of the most innovative and effective agencies in the United States dedicated to the full scope of workforce development. Encompassing Georgia’s Technical College System, Adult Literacy programs and Quick Start, the DTAE serves Georgians through its commitment to educational excellence and workforce development.
Descriptive timeline of events for Georgia’s technical college system

Montage of manufacturing photos

Quote from Edgar Rhodes

By 2000, more than one billion dollars had been invested in Georgia’s modernized Technical College System. Students were flocking to the new campuses that were being built. Legislation allowed Georgia’s technical institutes to change their names to technical colleges, and Georgia’s unique HOPE program had been expanded, paving the way to educational success for tens of thousands of Georgians attending technical colleges.

The celebration of the agency’s 20th anniversary also coincided with Dr. Breeden’s 20th anniversary of leading the development of Georgia’s Technical College System. In January, Dr. Breeden announced his retirement from his position as the first and only commissioner of the DTAE.

Photo and description of Vision AwardA statement issued from Governor Sonny Perdue’s office after Dr. Breeden announced his retirement noted that “Dr. Breeden’s vision for the technical colleges has made them a key component in the growth and development of Georgia’s business and industry. Local partnerships between colleges and businesses have resulted in the flexible and responsive development of training programs to quickly meet the fast-changing needs of industry. The state’s technical colleges and Georgia Quick Start have become a key incentive for attracting new investment to the state.

“Dr. Breeden has served as DTAE commissioner since the agency was formed. During his tenure, he succeeded in taking a loose collection of independent trade and vocational schools and turning them into a unified system of technical colleges with state-of-the-art campuses on which Georgians learn high-demand skills that lead to high-wage jobs. In addition, the DTAE’s adult literacy services under Dr. Breeden’s leadership have helped tens of thousands of Georgians earn their GED.”

In the statement, Gov. Perdue commented, “I want to sincerely thank Dr. Kenneth Breeden for nearly 20 years of committed service to the people of Georgia. The DTAE and our state will miss his vision and leadership.”

At the 20th anniversary celebration, the Governor added to his praise of Dr. Breeden’s accomplishments, saying, “The ultimate vision and purpose of DTAE is to serve Georgians and help them, provide them with better job opportunities and a better quality of life.

“That is the American dream, that’s the Georgia dream, that’s the DTAE dream.” Results

Montage of computer students

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Table of Contents  |  Cover  |  From the Commissioner  |  Winning Combination  
Flying High  | Georgia’s Best  |  Disaster Drill |  Image Is Everything  |  On the Air |  To Infinity and Beyond
 Laying Out the Future  |  Good Shot  | Fire and Iron |  Can You See Me Now?  |  A Fighting Chance  |  Vision Accomplished
President’s Perspective  |  Map of Schools  |  Georgia’s Technical College System