Faculty and staff at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) have nominated seven of their peer instructors for the Rick Perkins Award of Excellence in Technical Instruction competition. The Rick Perkins Award honors the Technical College System of Georgia’s (TCSG) most outstanding instructors. The award has been an ongoing statewide event since 1991 and is designed to recognize technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields.

A screening committee at GNTC reviewed each of the nominated instructors and conducted personal interviews with the nominees. From the screening committee interviews, the chosen winner will represent the college as GNTC’s 2021 Rick Perkins winner and move on to the regional competition.

The winning instructor will be announced at the GOAL and Rick Perkins Presentation Awards Luncheon held on Thursday, March 25, at GNTC’s Gordon County Campus. The luncheon is sponsored by the Seven Hills Rotary Club, Rome Floyd Chamber and Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

Listed are the nominees for the 2021 award, including the instructor’s name and program.

Jeremiah Cooper, Welding and Joining Technology, Brittany Elrod, General Education-Psychology, Claudio Leyssens, Emergency Medical Services and Paramedic Technology, Crista Resch, Vascular Technology, Kimberly Temple, Respiratory Care Technology, Mark Upton, Marketing Management, and Dwight Watt, Computer Information Systems Technology.

Formerly known as the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence, the award was renamed in honor and memory of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor at West Central Technical College, who received the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death.