Charles Christmas is named SGTC Instructor of the Year

South Georgia Technical College Aviation Maintenance instructor Charles Christmas was selected as the SGTC 2017 Instructor of the Year and will represent the college in the state Rick Perkins Award competition in Atlanta later this year. SGTC President Dr. John Watford made the announcement at the recent Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year breakfast, held in the John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center on SGTC’s Americus campus. “What an honor,” said Christmas. “As President Watford already said, each one of us is already an Instructor of the Year just because of what we get to do every day. It’s incredibly gratifying for me as an instructor to see students getting so excited about the program, and then to see them again a couple of years later with successful careers in the industry.” “Thank you for the opportunity to represent SGTC,” he said. Charles Christmas has been the Aviation Maintenance Technology instructor at SGTC since 2013. He was a Navigation/Communication Coordinator for the United States Navy for 16 years, and worked several marketing jobs in Florida before earning his FAA Certification to return to a career in aviation at South Georgia Tech. He and his wife, Kim, moved to Americus in 2013. Christmas holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has numerous professional and community affiliations, including involvement with Youth Leadership in Action of the University of Georgia’s J.W. Fanning Institute of Leadership Development, Historic Preservation Commission of Americus, and the Aviation Advisory Council for Jordan High School in Columbus. As 2017 Instructor of the Year, he was presented with monetary stipends from both SB&T President Barry Blount and SGTC President Emeritus Sparky and Allene Reeves at the breakfast, which was coordinated by SGTC Rick Perkins Coordinator/Academic Dean Vanessa Wall. Also recognized at the breakfast were SGTC Instructor of the Year Finalists Teresa McCook and Shelly Godwin. The selection committee for the Instructor of the Year included Adam Hathaway, Superintendent, Schley County School System (selection committee chair); Martha Arrington, Retired SGTC Cosmetology instructor and former Rick Perkins Award winner; Dr. Dorothy Young Ingram, Assistant Principal, Webster County Schools; Dr. George Porter, Assistant Principal, L.K. Moss Elementary, Marion County School System; and Wendy Wilson, Executive Director, Darton State College Cordele Campus. At the breakfast, SGTC’s 2016 Instructor of the Year Andrea Ingram, gave remarks about her past year as the SGTC Instructor of the Year as well as some advice for this year’s winner, and participated in a ceremonial Passing of the Rick Perkins Award banner signaling the transition of title to Charles Christmas. “Being the Instructor of the Year last year rejuvenated me and allowed me to rediscover my purpose as an instructor at SGTC,” said Ingram. In addition to competing for the statewide Rick Perkins Award, Christmas will also deliver the commencement address at SGTC’s graduation ceremony this December.