Dr. Anthony O. Parker, president of Albany Technical College, will deliver Central Georgia Technical College’s commencement address Friday, May 8. The ceremony will honor both credit program and GED graduates. Over 600 graduates are expected to participate.

Parker has served as president of ATC since 1995 and was previously the Vice President of Student Services at Aiken Technical College in Aiken, S.C, and Southeastern Technical College in Vidalia. During his time at the helm, Albany Technical College has completed a capital campaign, doubled enrollment, and developed an Adult Education program. Additionally, Dr. Parker has overseen campus expansion projects and building renovation, as well as the construction of facilities in Early and Randolph counties.

He received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master of Education Degree in Counseling and Guidance from South Carolina State University. He also holds a Specialist in Education Degree in Educational Administration from Augusta College, and a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. Parker is a graduate of the Institute of Educational Management at the Harvard University Graduate School and the Executive Leadership Institute at the League for Innovation in the Community College, where he also served as a faculty member on four occasions.

Parker is a member of the Presidents’ Council of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and was appointed in 2006 by then Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue to serve on the Career and Technical Education Advisory Commission. He was also recently appointed to serve on Governor Nathan Deal’s Education Funding Commission to examine how funding formulas for the University System and Technical College System should be changed in order to improve higher education outcomes in the state. Parker also has a number of community service affiliations, including United Way and Rotary.

“We are honored Dr. Parker has accepted the invitation to speak at CGTC’s commencement ceremony,” said Craig B. Jackson, vice president for Student Affairs at CGTC. “We look forward to the message he will share with our graduates as they prepare to successfully enter the workforce.”

CGTC’s commencement ceremony will be held at the Macon Centreplex Coliseum, May 8 at 7 p.m. The ceremony is free and open to the public. Additionally, CGTC’s commencement exercises will be live streamed and may be viewed at www.centralgatech.edu during the ceremony. Summer Semester begins May 19.