Two Wiregrass employees were recently honored for their dedication, hard work and leadership skills by the faculty and staff of the college. Wiregrass employees annually nominate a staff member and a supervisor for their exemplary performance on the job. The nominations are narrowed down by a committee and the finalists are interviewed by a panel of judges to decide who will be honored.

Debbie Wright, human resources assistant, was awarded the fourth annual James A. Bridges Vanguard Award for the staff member of the year.  Debbie is described by her peers as always there to help you when you need help. One nomination shared that “she has so much enthusiasm and love for Wiregrass and for her co-workers.  It only take a few minutes to be in her presence to see why she is perfect for this award.” She is one who always has a smile on her face and is always willing to help. As the human resources assistant Debbie is in charge of employee application status, online job center and employee inventory items.

The James A. Bridges Vanguard Award was created in honor of former Valdosta Technical college president, James A. Bridges. Bridges served the people of Valdosta and Lowndes County for 40 years, first as the vocational director of Valdosta High School and then as president at Valdosta Tech. During his tenure Bridges provided leadership as Valdosta Technical Institute became Valdosta Technical College. A strong believer in work ethics, he was the co-author of Georgia’s renowned work ethics curriculum. Thanks to his leadership work ethics is not only taught at every technical college in Georgia, but also at post-secondary institutions all over the world.

Sally Dorminey, executive director of distance education, was awarded the fourth annual Lewis I. Brinson, Sr. Leadership Award for the supervisor of the year. One nomination for Sally stated “She is dedicated and loyal to the college- a team player at its finest!  Sally is a blessing and a joy to be around.  She works day and night to ensure that online courses are delivered efficiently.  Even when her department is short staffed, she makes sure our students and faculty have the resources necessary to be successful in their courses. ” As the executive director of distance education, Sally is responsible for managing the college’s learning management system, as well as providing training and technical support to students and faculty to support the college’s distance and web-enhanced initiatives.

This award was named in honor of Lewis I. Brinson, Sr. for his visionary leadership, his unquestionable integrity, and his passion for technical education. Brinson was the founding director (president) of Ben Hill-Irwin Tech. The World War II veteran taught in the Ben Hill County School System for twenty years. During these 20 years he served as the vocational director at Fitzgerald High School. Based on his integrity and outstanding leadership qualities, in 1968, the Board of Directors of Ben Hill-Irwin Tech selected Mr. Brinson to serve as the first director of the school, a position he filled for the next 15 years, retiring in 1983. Brinson was responsible for overseeing the construction of what is now the 100 through 400 wings of the Charles Harris Learning Center as well as hiring the original faculty and staff of the college.