2007-2008 Gordon County Campus GED Graduation Ceremony

The Calhoun/Gordon County Council for a Literate Community and Coosa Valley Technical College held GED Graduation for 2007-2008 Gordon County Campus GED graduates on Thursday, August 7, at the Civic Auditorium in Calhoun, Georgia.

This year, 150 students graduated with their General Education Diplomas.

Ann Bomar, a GED Graduate at the ceremony, told the guests about the experience she had getting her GED. Bomar told the crowd that when she was downsized from her job that she thought she was too old to go back to school. Bomar enrolled in the Adult Education program and stated that because of instructors like Coleen Brooks, she was able to get her GED.

GEDD Wall of Honor Recipient, John Russell, also spoke to graduates at the ceremony and told them never give up and never to drop the ball on their dreams.

The guest speaker at the ceremony was Ron Jackson, Commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia.

Jackson told the graduates that the GED Graduation was about change. “This graduation is about change – a change in your life, a change in your career, a change in how other people see you, and a change for the better,” said Jackson. “With this change comes the chance for tremendous opportunities. Receiving your General Education Diploma has set you on the road to a brighter future.”

Several graduates were recognized during the ceremony. Crystal Rogers received the Josh Richmond Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $300. Rogers intends to enroll in the Early Childhood Care and Education program at CVTC in Calhoun. Michael Knapp received the Randstad/Literacy Scholarship in the amount of $1,000. Knapp is currently enrolled at CVTC in the Construction Management program.

Outstanding students recognized were Hector Barrios, Ann Bomar, Christina Cochran, Luis DeLeon, Darlene Jackson, Michael Knapp, Francisco Magana, Debbie Moore, Sean Puckett, Donna Rice, Charlotte Silvers, Sharon Silvers, Viviana Vergara, and Joel Whittle.

Honor graduates received a score of 3000 plus on the GED Test were Amanda Ferguson, Brieanna Ingle, Daniel Lawrence, Michael Minter, Gustavo Olmedo, and Henry Riubio. Meagan Kemp was recognized as a High Honor Graduate and Highest Honors went to Laura Sims and Misty Jones.

2007/2008 GED Graduates:

Antonio Acosta, Rein Adams, Ana Almandarez, Bany Aplicano, Aruturo Avila, Shannon Bailey, Chasity Banks, Hector Barrios, Jessica Barton, Jessie Barton, Eric Blackstock, Erica Bogue, Ann Bomar, Shirlee Boots, Sherry Boucher, David Bowling, Jason Brannon, Lizbeth Bravo, Jessie Breeding, Dereck Broome, Brittney Browning, John R Brumbelow, John W Brumbelow, Steven Bruner, Joseph Burnett, Bridgett Byers Campbell, Christina Cochran, Allen Coleman, Brooke Colston, Christopher Cooper, Eliel Cruz, Brooke Davis, Michael Dawson, Luis Deleon, Christie Dixon, Yair Dominguez, Eleisha Dutton, Tiffany Elkins, Brittany Ellis, Rebecca England, Wilson Epperson, Travis Estes, Ashley Evans, Amanda Ferguson, Tyrone Ferguson, Jessica Findley, Ryan Gancedo, Elizabeth Gonzalez, Alexia Gordon, Terri Gowens, Brent Guzman, Justin Halliday, Heather Henslee, Richard Henson, Laura Hernandez, Bessy Higgins, Ravin Hill, Brittany Holt, James Hubbard, Amber Hunter, Tracy Hunter, Tadd Hyde, Brieanna Ingle, Darlene Jackson, David Johnson, Misty Jones, Meagan Kemp, Michael Knapp, Daniel Lawrence, Steven Lazo, Nicole Linares, Sylvia Long, Anabel Lopez, Ryan Lowrance, Dalonna Lynch, Francisco Magana, Autumn Mauldin, Renee McCarter, Kelly McCollum, Dustin McKim, Michael Minter, Kandi Missbach, Debbie Moore, Jared Myhand, Hollie Napier, Delphia Neitzel, Lamar Oliver, Gustavo Olmedo, Rocio Ortega, Anthony Pack, Amanda Palomeque, Kyle Parker, Cindy Patterson, Angela Priest, Liddy Pruitt, Sean Puckett, April Ray, Teresa Ray, Kimberly Reid, Vinson Renfroe, Donna Rice, Bryan Rickett, Francisco Rivas, Shane Roberts, Nicholas Roe, Crystal Rogers, Henry Rubio, Renee Sawyers, Kristina Serritt, Nikki Sibley, Charlotte Silvers, Marsha Silvers, Sharon Silvers, Laura Sims, John Sims, Jennifer Singer, Meagan Smith, Steve Smith, Martha Stanley, Crystal Stansell, John Stewart, John Stone, Stephanie Strickland, Marnie Taylor, Sydnei Taylor, Ashley Thomason, Bobbie Thomason, Franklin Tidwell, Carolina Tinoco, Troy Townsend, Deborah Tripplett, Christopher Turner, Viviana Vergara, Jessica Wade, Dusty Waggoner, Kaleigh Warren, Megan Watson, Sheila Wheaton, Jennifer White, Michelle White, David Whitener, Jessie Whitlow, Joel Whittle, Jonathan Williams, Zachary Wilson, Brianna Wright, Jessica Young.

Ronald W. “Ron” Jackson

The state board that oversees the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) appointed Ron Jackson as commissioner of the TCSG on February 6, 2008. He had been the interim commissioner of the TCSG since December 2006. He first came to the system to serve as its deputy commissioner in December 2004. Ron was the deputy director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget (OPB) from 2002 to 2004. Prior to that, he was OPB’s director of strategic planning, research and evaluation. While at OPB he served three governors and worked on many projects across state government, including strategic planning for the state and its government agencies. He was also closely involved with management of Georgia’s program and results-based budgeting, the development of the state’s new web-based financial management system and the Governor’s Legislative Tracking System, and he advised the Education Reform Study Commission. His management talents were put on loan to the 1996 Summer Olympic Games as the executive assistant to the commander of the State Olympic Law Enforcement Command. Earlier, Ron was the director of parole with the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles from 1991 until 1994, and was that agency’s director of field operations from 1990 to 1991. Ron began his professional career with the Texas Department of Corrections after graduating from Sam Houston State University in 1971 with a bachelor of science in criminal justice. From 1982 to 1990, he served as a commissioner on the Texas Parole Board. He also supervised the editing and publishing of the Texas Journal of Corrections and published several articles in professional journals and newsletters. In 1991, he co-authored the book Current Parole Practices: United States and Canada, which was published by the American Correctional Association. From 1984 to 1990, he served in several offices of the Association of Paroling Authorities International and was the APAI president from1986 to 1988. He has served on the Board of Governors of the American Correctional Association as well as on many of that organization’s committees. From 1992 to 1996, Ron was a commissioner on the Commission on Accreditation for Corrections, the accrediting body for state and federal correctional facilities, agencies and programs. He also served on the National Committee on Community Corrections, a coalition of public officials, researchers and correctional professionals representing local, state and federal interests.