Loring Wins NGTC Rick Perkins Award

Jim Loring announced 2017 Rick Perkins winnerNorth Georgia Technical College announces its winner for an annual teaching award.

The school recently announced photography instructor Jim Loring of Clayton as the winner of the 2017 Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction.

The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction has been an ongoing statewide event since 1991 and is designed to recognize technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields.

Formerly known as the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence, the award was renamed in honor and memory of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor at West Central Technical College, who received the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death.

Each year faculty and staff at North Georgia Technical College nominate instructors who exemplify excellence in teaching. The nominees participate in a series of interviews which help determine the winner.

Loring has taught a full range of courses including photojournalism and commercial photography at North Georgia Technical College since 2007.

His photographic experience spans more than thirty years with over 70 assignments worldwide, often following the themes embraced by many relief agencies like healthcare, concern for the environment, disasters, food programs, water projects, work, education, reconciliation and the challenge of war and conflict.

North Georgia Technical College President Dr. Mark Ivester said that Loring’s unique background, coupled with a genuine love of teaching and instilling his students with a strong sense of direction and purpose, make him an ideal recipient of the Rick Perkins award.

Other instructors nominated for the 2017 Rick Perkins award were accounting instructor Dustin Emhart, general education instructor Jack Treadman and commercial driver’s license and electrical line instructor Hoyt Winkler.

As the school’s winner, Loring will go on to represent the college at the Technical College System of Georgia Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Education competition in the spring.