The State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia has selected Lanier Technical College in Oakwood, Georgia as this year’s recipient of their Perdue Award for the TCSG Technical College of the Year.

Each December, the board chooses the award winner from among the system’s 23 technical colleges. The top college is named after a review of almost two dozen performance categories covering technical education, adult education, economic development, resource development, and administration.

TCSG State Board Chairman Joe Yarbrough made the announcement during the board’s monthly meeting in Atlanta on December 4. 

“The State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia is pleased to present Lanier Technical College with the Perdue Award for the 2014 TCSG Technical College of the Year,” said Yarbrough.  “We congratulate President Ray Perren and his faculty and staff for their excellent record of high educational achievement and strong commitment to student success in the classroom and on the job.  We’re proud of the outstanding work of each of the 23 TCSG colleges, but the record shows that Lanier Technical College has clearly earned our respect and commendation as this year’s top college.”

President Perren accepted the award for his college. “On behalf of the faculty, staff, students and all of the supporters of Lanier Technical College, I want to thank the TCSG State Board for this great honor.  It’s a testament to the tremendous work that the people of our college put forth every day to ensure that students learn the skills they need to succeed in Georgia’s workforce.”

TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson thanked the board for recognizing the college’s accomplishments. “This is a well-deserved honor for Lanier Technical College, and I thank President Perren for his strong and effective leadership. I’m also very grateful to the college’s faculty and staff whose steadfast commitment to technical and adult education ensures that their students are equipped with the skills that they need for solid careers with great companies,” said Jackson.

The award benchmarks include enrollment growth; graduation rate; student job placement and graduate licensure rates; adult education and GED success rates; corporate contract training; college fundraising; and the result of an administrative audit.

Lanier Technical College serves Banks, Barrow, Dawson, Forsyth, Hall, Jackson, and Lumpkin counties.

The TCSG college of the year award was created in 2011 and named in honor of former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, who was a strong supporter of the TCSG colleges and their mission to develop the state’s workforce through technical and adult education.

The three other finalists for the award were Albany Technical College, Moultrie Technical College, and Savannah Technical College.

Previous Perdue Award winners include Ogeechee Technical College (2011), Atlanta Technical College (2012), and Savannah Technical College (2013).