Athens Technical College - Spotlight
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Dalton, Gardner complete economic development program
Two Athens Technical College staff members recently gained a unique perspective on economic development and
leadership through the Georgia Academy for Economic Development.
Liz Dalton, director of Development & Public Relations, and Pam Gardner, director of Computer Technology Training and
Security at the college, attended the 2012 academy which held classes once a month February through May on the Athens
Technical College campus. Academy participants represented elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators, and
social service providers from Region 5, which includes Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Jasper, Madison,
Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton counties.
Created in 1993 by then-Governor Zell Miller’s Development Council, the academy assembles a cross section of economic
development professionals and resources to provide the training in all 12 service delivery regions in Georgia. Georgia EMC and
Georgia Power provide facilitators for the program, and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs provides staff support. The
program teaches the complexities of economic and community development on the local, regional, and state levels and emphasizes
multi-county cooperation.
Course material includes training in the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on
business recruitment and retention, tourism product development, downtown development, quality planning, redevelopment and
other essentials for community success. In addition, the curriculum features specific leadership skills such as consensus building,
ethics in public service, collaborative leadership and other segments needed for effective community leadership in economic
development.
Graduates of the academy received their certificates in May.
Ms. Dalton earned her bachelor of arts degree in communications at Virginia Tech. Her professional career includes
serving as a radio talk show host and producer of “Liz Talk” on WGAU 1340 AM since 2002. She also has worked as a personal
and professional coach and is a past chairwoman of the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ms. Gardner has more than 10 years of experience in the educational technology and entrepreneurial fields. She has taught
computer courses as an adjunct instructor and has served as director of public relations at Athens Technical College. She also has
served as a K-12 educator. Prior to joining the college, she was employed as a fraud analyst.
Ms. Gardner is a graduate of Georgia College and State University where she received a bachelor of business
administration in computer information systems. She also received a master’s of business administration from Piedmont College
with a degree in managerial leadership. She currently is working on a Ph.D. in educational technology from Walden University.
Photo caption: Athens Technical College’s Pam Gardner, far right, poses with other Athens-Clarke graduates of the Region 5
Georgia Academy of Economic Development. Other participants included, left to right, Patricia L. Stanelle with the Georgia
Department of Labor; Doug Lowry, Athens-Clarke Commissioner; Nina E. Kelly, project manager with the Northeast Georgia
Regional Commission; and Harris Lowery, Athens-Clarke Economic Development Foundation and Reinicke Athens Inc. and Liz
Dalton, who are not pictured.
http://www.athenstech.edu/Spotlight.cfm?i=376
6/19/2012
Athens Technical College - Spotlight
http://www.athenstech.edu/Spotlight.cfm?i=376
Page 2 of 2
6/19/2012
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