Chancellor Mark Heinrich Meets 

with SAWDC Board of Directors and

Aviation Cluster

On Thursday, August 27th, Chancellor Mark Heinrich of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) met with SAWDC Board members, SAWDC's Aviation Cluster, and local officials to discuss important workforce training initiatives. 

One key aviation initiative is the reassignment of the management and training delivery system for the aviation college at Brookley Field to Faulkner State Community College.   In addition, Chancellor Heinrich introduced Dr. Valerie Richardson, the newly appointed Interim President of Bishop State Community College. The formal Presidential search notice has been posted (click here) with the goal of having a permanent President in place at Bishop State by January 1, 2016.  

SAWDC Board and Aviation Cluster members including representatives from VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering, who hosted the meeting, Airbus, Alabama Power, Austal USA, AMRO, Evonik Industries, Performance Contractors, Segers, Star Aviation, USA Children's & Women's, and UTC Aerospace Systems shared their workforce challenges with the Chancellor and expressed their critical need for qualified workers and the role of the two year college system in producing.  The Chancellor reaffirmed his commitment and the  commitment of the ACCS and  ensured that the important work of training a quality workforce would continue as seamlessly as possible.  

Gulf Power Hosts CGIA General 

Membership Meeting

On Wednesday, August 26th, industry leaders and key partners attended the Central Gulf Industrial Alliance's (CGIA) general membership meeting hosted by Gulf Power in Pensacola.  Chevron's Joe Robison, CGIA Chairman, kicked off the meeting followed by a host presentation by Michael Buroughs with Gulf Power Generation.   CGIA Executive Director, Frank Jelercic, provided key updates related to the CGIA Endorsement program and their new GradConnect program, which connects graduates of endorsed programs to industry jobs.   

Laura Chandler with SAWDC and CGIA Board member, Jennifer Grove with Gulf Power, gave an overview of the new WIOA ( Workforce Investment Opportunity Act) legislation with recommendations on key policy strategies at the state, regional, and local levels to ensure industry driven efforts across the three-state CGIA footprint.   The meeting ended with presentations by Alesia Stuart with Reid State Technical College and Brock Clark with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College - both representing CGIA endorsed programs.   

The mission of CGIA, which represents industrial construction and manufacturing businesses along the central Gulf Coast, is to improve industry performance in the areas of workforce development, safety and productivity.

For more information, contact:

Evan Davis

251.767.8118

[email protected]

www.cgialliance.com