| (Marietta, Ga. – June 29, 2012) For Glenn Rasco, life after retirement might be almost as busy as his days as Chattahoochee Technical College Vice President of Community and Economic Development. So while he won't officially say goodbye to that role at Georgia's largest technical college until the end of July, he's already got his eye on many of the things he plans to do.Between fishing with his wife, Sharon, and enjoying football and his favorite University of Alabama team, Rasco plans to continue his work with the First Baptist Church of Jasper where he teaches Sunday School and serves as a Deacon, as well as participating in more than 20 mission trips. Then there are his five grandchildren. "I truly enjoy time spent with them, and look forward to many more adventures," Rasco said. Rasco started out as a mine manager with Georgia Marble Company, moving from that into mine safety training for the industry in North Georgia. It was that experience that led him to his role as the director of the mine safety program at Appalachian Technical College. In 1998 he was named the Vice President of Community and Economic Development at Appalachian Technical College, a role he has continued in after the merger of Appalachian Technical College, North Metro Technical College and Chattahoochee Technical College in 2009. However, this wasn't the career path that he says he always thought he would take. "If you told me as a child that I would be doing what I've done for the last 26 years, I would have thought you were totally crazy," said Rasco. At Chattahoochee Technical College Rasco has lead a team in putting together successive annual increases in all performance statistics, including the number of people trained, training hours, businesses and industries served and the dollars generated. In fiscal year 2011, the team had more than 3,500 non-credit students enrolled in classes and more many local, regional and national companies participating in contract services for approximately 5,400 employees. His team of approximately 48 employees is funded by outside funds and monies. Serving a six county area of North Georgia, Rasco and his team's efforts are visible throughout the region. All six counties have been named as Georgia Certified Work Ready Communities. It is the link between the programs available and the unemployed and underemployed that Rasco says has motivated him over the years. "When you see the reactions of students that were recently unemployed for months with no real hope, successfully complete a training program and then get a good job because of the training, you cannot help but be moved," said Rasco. "When students tell you that they were promoted on the job because of supervisory or management training you conducted, you remember that." While there have been changes in the way workforce development occurs and is viewed, Rasco said that one of the biggest differences he sees now is the importance of continuing ones education. "Workforce development training has reached critical importance," said Rasco. "The diversity and complexity of today's jobs require much more skill and education than at any time in history. Technical education has gone from a good thing in the past to a critical requirement in today's world." To Chattahoochee Technical College President Dr. Ron Newcomb, Rasco's success in navigating through the changes is a testament to his innate entrepreneurial spirit. "He knows how to identify the services needed by potential clients and how to serve those clients while generating a dollar for the college," Dr. Newcomb said. "His entrepreneurship is widely recognized by his colleagues within the college and also by business and industry in the community." For Rasco the credit lies with his staff of employees in Community and Economic Development. "I take great pride in all that the folks in Community & Economic Development have been able to accomplishment, and quite frankly, what they will continue to accomplish after I am gone," he said. "The people who work in the department have done all the work, and it has been a pleasure to watch it happen." | |
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