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Aug. 19, 2010
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday marked the opening of the newest Garrett College facility, the Career Technology & Training Center (CTTC), located in the Central Garrett Industrial Park in Accident. The event was the culmination of a three-year collaborative effort of planning, designing, and building. The project involved input and funding at the county, state, and federal levels.
Julie Yoder, interim dean of Continuing Education & Workforce Development at Garrett College, welcomed guests to the inaugural event and introduced the speakers, who represented the officials, agencies, and businesses instrumental in the CTTC project.
Guest speakers included Garrett College president Dr. Richard MacLennan; director of Garrett County Economic Development Jim Hinebaugh; Garrett County commissioners Ernie Gregg, Dennis Glotfelty, and Fred Holliday; state Senator George Edwards; Robin Summerfield, field representative for U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin; Julianna Albowicz, field representative for U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski; Vickie Swink of the Maryland Department of Economic Development; executive director of the Garrett College Foundation Fred Learey; project manager, CRA Architects Adam Abraham; Willis Beitzel of Beitzel Corporation; assistant director of Garrett County Economic Development Frank Shapp; and Tom Vent, husband of the late JoAnn Vent, to whom Phase II of the CTTC project will be dedicated.
Dr. MacLennan thanked everyone who contributed to this endeavor. He underscored the importance of this new training facility to the long-term goals of the college. “Our mission is to make education accessible to everyone in the county. We will strive to match local training needs with local business demands,” he said.
Hinebaugh noted that the initiation of the second phase of the Garrett County Scholarship program targeting occupational studies directly coincides with the opening of the CTTC and further increasing opportunities for county residents. “We have expanded access to higher education which will better prepare our students for employment. We are growing our skill base in Garrett County,” he said.
