GTPE Employees

Build a deliberately innovative culture within GTPE

At GTPE, we encourage professional growth internally and provide the resources for our staff to engage in lifelong learning, live and uphold GTPE’s mission and values, and foster a culture of innovation. Every year, we have many accomplishments to share related to our people, and 2018 is no different. GTPE’s employees are active on many fronts to contribute to campus initiatives, share their expertise, advance lifetime learning, and pursue their own lifetime learning goals.

  • Melissa Aberle-Grasse, from the Georgia Tech Langauge Institute, is the Region 4 liaison for the Georgia TESOL Association. Other Language Institute employee accomplishments include promotions for faculty members Suzi Lee, Lauren Lukkarila, Karen Peterson, and Katherine Samford from lecturer to senior lecturer roles in 2018.

  • Ed Bailey, Cheryl Rankin, Valeria Roberts, Mont Rogers, Chris Walker, and Bobby Wellman have completed the Inclusive Leaders Academy. Cheryl Rankin's Transforming Narrative story, which she wrote as a participant in the inaugural program, was chosen as of 12 narratives to be presented at a storytelling listening party in the Student Center in April this year.

  • Jay Boudreaux was co-chair of the Membership Committee for the Event Coordinator’s Network on campus for 2018.

  • Jeff Fischer completed the prestigious MOR (Maximizing Organizational Resources) IT Leaders program.

  • Patrice Miles completed the Leading Women@Tech program, and Yakut Gazi, Stefany Sanders, and Jennifer Wooley are in the current cohort.

  • Victoria Nail-Taylor is 1st vice president of the Society of Government Meeting Professionals.

  • Caleb Tarleton obtained his CySA+ certification, which is a globally recognized IT industry standard.

  • Chris Walker was elected to serve on the Georgia Tech Staff Council in the Admnistrative and Professional category. He is also a member of the Campus Physical Environment Committee and co-led the Back in Time Tour implementation on the Campus Map website in 2018.

  • James R. Wilburn is an appointed member of the Georgia State Workforce Development Board (SWDB).

  • Fatimah Wirth is the Crystal Awards Coordinator, Division of Distance Learning (DDL) of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), review board member of the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association, Responsible Analytics and Data Mining in Education, and the MOOC Book Project.

  • George Wright serves on the Board of Directors for the National EBS (Educational Broadband Service) Association (NEBSA), represents Georgia Tech on the Regents Advisory Committee on Distance Education, and represents GTPE on the Georgia Tech Compliance Partners Group.

  • Cheryl Rankin is a member of the Georgia Tech Workday Financial Transformation Committee, which is tasked with implementing an entirely new financial system and the first in 20 years.

  • Arnel Richardson was selected to be a GT1000 instructor. GT instructors volunteer their time above and beyond regular responsibilities to assist first-year students in transitioning successfully to Georgia Tech. 

  • Bobby Wellman is a participant in the Workforce of the Future Initiative.

  • Jeff Fischer is a participant in Institute IT Governance committees.

  • Vlad Copper, Braden Medders, Russ Butler, and Bobby Wellman are participants in the Global Learning Center Service Initiative.

Georgia Tech Inclusive Leaders Academy 2018

The Closing Ceremony for the Inclusive Leaders Academy

Georgia Tech Inclusive Leaders Academy 2019

Leading Women@Tech

Leadership Icon - White section icon

Throughout the year, while serving GTPE learners, GTPE employees take opportunities to grow and learn by taking professional education programs. In 2018, 24 GTPE employees took courses or attended symposia and workshops offered by GTPE to further their own professional development. Programs included various project management, problem solving, and lean courses, coding bootcamp, symposia on affordable degrees-at-scale and educational data, as well several learning series workshops.

Top Honors for Marketing

GTPE’s marketing team won seven UPCEA awards this year, including Best in Show for the Alumni “Georgia Tech Traditions” Campaign, three gold, two silver, and two bronze awards to recognize the team’s work in print and interactive media projects. Stefany Sanders, director of marketing, communications, and sales was selected for the 2018 Dorothy Durkin Award for Strategic Innovation in Marketing and/or Enrollment Management.

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UPCEA Dorothy Dunkin Award 2019

GTPE Staff Committee

The GTPE Staff Committee was formed this year to identify opportunities to improve staff culture and engagement. The committee meets quarterly with the Executive Leadership Team and has partnered with the Office of Human Resources to facilitate exercises, discussions, and workshops. Committee members include Jamal Dunn, Tim Gargis, Lindsey Laney, Michell Merritt, Karen Peterson, Michael Proctor, Arnel Richardson, Brenda Sanders, Ted Skirvin, Greg Stenzoski, Anginique Walker, and Fatimah Wirth.

GTPE Staff Committee sitting around table looking at laptop

Learner Impact

Lifetime learners are a rapidly growing component of Georgia Tech’s student population. Some pursue ongoing professional education to advance in their jobs. Others do so to change careers. While adult learners have many reasons to continue their education throughout their lives, one reason remains the same for all: return on investment. Here are some examples of the impact lifetime learning has had on GTPE learners.