08/25/2026
An Exciting Day at Greene College and Career Academy!
August 18 was an exciting day at GCCA as we welcomed Rick Jackson, Georgia gubernatorial candidate, for a visit to our Career Center and an opportunity to see our students and career pathways in action.
We were also honored to welcome an incredible group of leaders from across our community, including Rep. Trey Rhodes; Otho Tucker, Chair of the Greene County Board of Education; Superintendent Aaron Schmuhl; Gary Usry, Chair of the Greene County Board of Commissioners; County Manager David Crawley; Harold Reynolds, Chair of BankSouth; Jerry Shaifer, Adam Shaifer, and Brent Hurst of Shaifer Family Businesses; Steve Kilgore, Vice Chair of the GCBOE; GCBOE members Maggie Combs and Joe Bashore; Brad Bowling, CEO of Lake Oconee Academy; Larry Kludt, Chair of GCCA; John Ellenberg, Director of Facilities; Kerry Flores, Principal of Greene County High School; and many others.
During his visit, Mr. Jackson toured three of our career pathway classrooms—Culinary Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Film, and Healthcare Science—and spent time talking directly with our students about their work and future goals.
Our Culinary Arts students shared treats they had prepared, our A/V students gave him a firsthand look at a student film production in progress, and our Healthcare Science students had the opportunity to hear insights from someone with extensive experience in the healthcare industry. Mr. Jackson encouraged them to take advantage of the opportunity they have in high school to explore healthcare and determine whether it is the right career path Dave Thillen of the Thillen Education Foundation shared the story of our Career Coaches, Career Coaching Program, and the tremendous work being done to help students connect their education to meaningful career opportunities.
And, of course, no visit to GCCA would be complete without a little fun! Following the presentation, Dave presented Mr. Jackson with $100 in Dave Dollars. 💵😊
Days like this remind us of the importance of bringing education, business, government, and community leaders together around our students. We are proud of the work happening every day at Greene College & Career Academy and even more proud of the students who represent GCCA so well.
Thank you to Mr. Jackson and to all of our guests for taking the time to visit, engage with our students, and see firsthand how GCCA is preparing students for college, career, and life!
