THE NEW BUILDING TO HOUSE HVAC EDUCATION
Athens Technical College is building a new facility to house its Industrial Education programs, including Air Conditioning Technology. This 43,000-sq. foot building is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023. It will include classrooms and labs for air conditioning
technology, industrial systems technology, and mechanics programs. It will also house economic development programs.
Recently, Athens Tech held a “Topping Off” ceremony, a long-standing tradition of signing and placing the final beam for the building structure, recognizing a large milestone in the project.
Stanfield Air Systems was invited to
be there, and Rex Coker, an Athens Tech graduate, Athens Technical College is building a new facility to house its Industrial Education programs, including Air Conditioning Technology. Stanfield Air Systems was invited to
be there, and Rex Coker, an Athens Tech graduate, was asked to speak at the ceremony. In his speech, Rex underlined the critical need for technicians in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry, something he knows well from leading the team at Stanfield Air Systems for the last few years.
This 43,000-sq. foot building is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023. It will include classrooms and labs for air conditioning technology, industrial systems technology, and mechanics programs. It will also house economic development programs.
The ceremony was attended by State Representative Houston Gaines, Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Greg Dozier, and Athens Technical College President Andrea Daniel. Also in attendance was Carter Stanfield, a long-time faculty member of the Air Conditioning Technology program and son of Stanfield Air Systems the founder, Lynn Stanfield. Seeing the plans for the new facilities was a proud moment for Carter as he reminisced about getting hired and teaching at Athens Tech.
“My dad suggested I apply. At the time, I was still attending UGA, but sleep-walking through it. I applied just to make dad happy, and I went to the interview in orange tie-dyed pants... I ended up teaching in the Air Conditioning Technology program for over 30 years. During that time, I co-authored Fundamentals of HVACR, articles for the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society Journal, and the blog HVACRfundamentals. My Industry credentials include RSES CMS, NATE Certification, and a state of Georgia Unrestricted Conditioned Air Contracting License. When I applied for the job at Athens Tech, I remember thinking that I was really not qualified. But once, I expressed this feeling to the instructor that hired me, Gene, and he said, “It worked out.”
– CARTER STANFIELD