It was standing room only as over 200 people gathered for the Grand Opening ceremony for the Griffin Technical College Butts County Center held on October 11, 2007.

Griffin Technical College has plans to house several programs including Criminal Justice, Diesel Mechanics, Nail Technician, Office Technology, Patient Care Assisting as well as Continuing Education and Adult Literacy/GED courses in this 13,400 square-foot facility, located on Highway 16 West just outside of downtown Jackson.

Many spoke at the ceremony to recap the efforts and reiterate the importance of the new facility to the community.  Butts County Commission Chair Eddie Travis first welcomed the guests.  Lisa Derrick, Jackson United Methodist Church minister, then asked for blessings on the building and the faculty, staff and students.  She was followed by Michael Brewer, Griffin Technical College board member and Co-Chair for the Fundraising Committee. Brewer stated, “We stand here among living proof that a community, working together, can do whatever it sets its mind to if it dreams the dream, lives the vision, and commits itself to success.”

GTC Board Chair Randy Hayes followed and welcomed everyone in Jackson to the Griffin Tech family.  He was followed by GTC President Dr. Robert Arnold who commented, “Making this campus happen means that you value education and this community.  I congratulate you and look forward to a continued partnership.”

State Representative David Knight spoke to congratulate the entire Butts County community on behalf of his fellow legislators.  Knight was followed by more words of thanks and praise from Ron Jackson, Commissioner for the Technical College System of Georgia, the parent agency for Griffin Technical College.  Dr. Van Whaler, the individual who spearheaded the grant to fund the Center then commented on the process and the importance of the facility for the community. 

On behalf of the Partners for Smart Growth, Bruce Bartholomew made a $3,000 contribution to Whaler to assist with the landscaping at the new facility.

The ceremony was concluded with an official ribbon cutting led by Melinda Atha, Director of the Butts County Chamber of Commerce, and Martha Almond, Director of the M. Louise Simpson Foundation.

The Griffin Technical College Butts County Center was a dream shared by many leaders in the local community.  In 2005, several of these individuals formed a fundraising and steering committee called "Griffin Tech for Butts County" and started a massive fundraising drive to raise at least $500,000 of community funds in order to qualify for a matching state grant.  With only three months to raise all the necessary pledges, the committee began an all-out media campaign, which included mailings, articles for the newspaper and even door-to-door contact with citizens.  Local radio station WJGA donated the use of the radio station for a day, which resulted in over $140,000 pledged in a single day.  While fundraising was in progress, Dr. Van Whaler, county administrator and experienced grant writer, was preparing a comprehensive grant package for presentation to the state.  As a result of the collaborative efforts, Butts County citizens raised over $540,000, more than enough to qualify for the matching Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).  This grant was awarded to the committee by Governor Sonny Perdue in October of 2005.  A generous contribution of approximately 24 acres of land was provided by Mrs. Martha Almond, Executive Director of The M. Louise Simpson Foundation, to build the Center.  Construction of the Griffin Technical College Butts County Center began with a ground-breaking ceremony on June 30, 2006.  Since then, the Technical College System of Georgia has appropriated $611,000 to furnish and equip the building, and Griffin Technical College is currently providing the needed funding for faculty and staff to support the Center. 

A special “Thank You” to everyone involved and for the significant contributions made to this project.  This is truly an accomplishment for the citizens of Butts County and will be an asset to for generations to come.