Outgoing NGTC President Honored At Retirement Reception

North Georgia Technical College bids farewell to retiring President Dr. Gail Thaxton.

School and Technical College System of Georgia colleagues, local officials, and other dignitaries gathered at the school’s Clarkesville campus on Tuesday for Thaxton’s retirement reception.

Dr. Thaxton has served as North Georgia Technical College President since 2012 when she moved to Habersham County after serving as President at Okefenokee Technical College in Waycross.

She said during her four years at North Georgia Tech, she is most proud of the way faculty and staff leadership has grown.

“We have leaders on the bench, if you will,” said Dr. Thaxton. “I have watched that through our teamwork and our collaborative planning that we do so that leadership develops. The benefit of that is regardless of people’s assignments or the roles that they have, they are taking it to a higher level. I think that is one of the reasons we have had six consecutive terms of enrollment growth and our retention rate has increased five or six points.”

Dr. Thaxton said she is also proud of the new programs North Georgia Tech has offered in engineering and nursing that are attracting students and the state of the campus infrastructure and facilities.

She went on to say that North Georgia Technical College is more than brick and mortar buildings.

According to Dr. Thaxton, the school carries a special spirit.

“The spirit that comes around this whole institution of helping people train for work, prepare for work, bring meaning to their families, be able to support their families, and then it is generational,” said Dr. Thaxton. “We have been impacting families and their children and their friends for years and years. To pull all of that together, the power of doing good for education and our families and the community, to put that together in a workbox is just the best a professional educator could ask for.”

She said it has been a wonderful four years at North Georgia Technical College and she credits the staff for its hard work in making all of the school’s accomplishments happen.

Replacing her as North Georgia Tech President is Dr. Mark Ivester, who has served as the school’s Vice President of Economic Development.

He said Dr. Thaxton has meant so much to North Georgia Technical College.

“She did so much inside the walls of this college, helping students, but in the community too,” said Dr. Ivester. “Just a class act. She worked so hard. She had a non-stop work ethic. We are going to miss her.”

Dr. Thaxton’s last day is Sunday and Dr. Ivester takes over as President of North Georgia Technical College on Monday.