South Georgia Technical College history

The “trade school” name was dropped in 1963 and the school became known as South Georgia Technical and Vocational School.

East Central Technical College (formerly Ben Hill-Irwin Technical Institute and East Central Technical Institute) was established in 1966.

Ben Hill-Irwin Technical Institute, occupying three buildings with large vocational-technical labs and a small administration area, officially opened its doors to the first full-time student body of approximately 200 on September 21, 1970.

The first full-time graduates received their diplomas on September 15, 1971.

On June 10, 1977, Ben Hill-Irwin Tech held groundbreaking ceremonies for a new $600,000 expansion to house new programs.

The name changed again in 1988 to South Georgia Technical Institute when the Department of Technical and Adult Education was created by a legislative act, and the school came under the governance of the new department.

South Georgia Tech opened a satellite campus in Cordele in July of 1990, and that addition was known as the Crisp County Center.

The Charles Harris Learning Center, which consists of an auditorium, classrooms, and office space, opened in 1994.

On November 7, 1996, the name Ben Hill-Irwin Institute was officially changed to East Central Technical Institute.

When the accrediting agency approved the institute to offer its first associate degree in 2000, the school changed names and became Valdosta Technical College.

The Cook County Workforce Development Center at 1676 North Elm Street, Sparks, Georgia opened its doors as a branch campus of Valdosta Technical College in June 2002.

New growth and development has accrued since Sparky Reeves was appointed school President in 2004.

Further expansions throughout the service area included the addition of the Wilcox Lifelong Learning Center in Rochelle and approved funding for a new technology building on the Ben Hill-Irwin campus, which was completed in April 2006.

In December 2007, Valdosta Technical College was accredited and approved for unconditional membership with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

Building 700, housing the administrative offices of the President, business programs, a new 7,000 square foot library, an auditorium, early childhood education, drafting technology, and printing and graphics programs, officially opened in February 2009.

Doctor Tina K. Anderson was appointed the new president of Wiregrass Georgia Tech on June 6, 2013 and assumed her duties on Monday, July 1, 2013.