Wiregrass Georgia Technical College’s Automotive Repair Technology Instructor Toby Heard was recently named the Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education Post-Secondary Teacher of the Year at their Annual Banquet. This honor advances him to nominee status for a National Award in 2018 during the Association for Career and Technical Education Region II Fall Conference scheduled to be held on Jekyll Island.  Heard is in his tenth year of teaching.  At the GACTE conference in July, he was also recognized at the Trade and Industrial Educators of Georgia Luncheon as the TIEGA Post-Secondary Teacher of the Year for a second time! In 2015 he was nominee for the Rick Perkins Teacher of the Year and ACTE Post-Secondary Teacher of the Year.
 
“Receiving the TIEGA and GACTE awards is a humbling experience for me. Of all the great teachers I am surrounded with, I was chosen by my peers to receive these gracious awards,” shared Toby.  The process to be considered included a submission of qualifications summary.  Heard has been involved with TIEGA and GACTE for over 10 years.  He added, “Both of these TIEGA and GACTE support Career and Technical education in Georgia and I am proud to be a member of both.”
 
Dr. Shawn Utley, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs shared, “All of us here at WGTC are proud to work with Mr. Heard.  He is a leader in the profession and one of the hardest working people I know.  Mr. Heard is most deserving of any and all individual and program awards he and the WGTC automotive program have received.”