Americus, GA – South Georgia Technical College Foundation Chairman Sharad Patel and his family, owners of the Best Western Plus Windsor Hotel in Americus, are valuable supporters of South Georgia Technical College and the South Georgia Technical College Foundation.
“It is our pleasure to be able to support South Georgia Technical College and the South Georgia Technical College Foundation,” said Patel. “We are so appreciative of South Georgia Technical College and their support of our community and it is our pleasure to be able to give back to them and their students.”
The Patel’s endowed a culinary arts scholarship with the foundation in 2017 to help support students enrolling in the Culinary Arts program at South Georgia Technical College. A scholarship has been awarded annually since that endowment and will continue to be awarded indefinitely. “Ila and I endowed a scholarship for the Culinary Arts program at South Georgia Technical College and believed that this would be good for our community and possibly inspire students to continue their education. We hire South Georgia Technical College graduates and an endowed scholarship is a great way to encourage students as well as provide a trained workforce for the community and other businesses that use South Georgia Tech graduates.”
In addition to endowing a scholarship and continuing to support the Culinary Arts program at South Georgia Technical College, the Patel’s also are supporting the Precision Machining and Manufacturing program. “Not many people know it but I started out learning to be a machinist in my Uncle’s business,” said Sharad Patel. “I am still fascinated by how you can take a piece of metal and transform it into anything. We need more people who can create, design, and manufacture things here in the United States so it is my pleasure to be able to support this valuable program and its instructor Chad Brown and his students,” said Patel.
“Sharad and Ila Patel and their other family members are exceptional ambassadors for our community,” said South Georgia Technical College President Dr. John Watford. “Sharad has been a valuable member of the South Georgia Technical College Foundation Board of Trustees and we are honored that he chose to give back to the college, its students, the foundation, and the community. The Windsor Hotel and his family are assets to this community and we appreciate his willingness to help others through their support of the South Georgia Technical College Foundation.”
South Georgia Technical College Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the SGTC Foundation Su Ann Bird agreed with Dr. Watford. “Sharad Patel exemplifies all the traits that you want in a board member,” said Bird. “He is a hard worker, has served as the treasurer, vice chairman and is now our chairman. He is always willing to do whatever he can for the college and the students. I really appreciate him and Ila and their family and the contributions that they make to this community.”
For more information about making a donation to the SGTC Foundation or endowing a scholarship at South Georgia Technical College, contact Su Ann Bird, SGTC Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of the SGTC Foundation at 229.931.2110 or sbird@southgatech.edu. Contributions may also be mailed to the SGTC Foundation, P.O. Box 6102, Americus, GA 31709.
Sharad Patel (r) is shown above talking with SGTC Precision Machining and Manufacturing instructor Chad Brown. Patel was telling Brown that he had learned on one of the machines very similar to one shown in the background in the SGTC Precision Machining and Manufacturing lab.