Williamston Native Franklin Smith Named Head of Industrial Mechanics,
Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technology Departments

CONTACT: FRANKLIN SMITH, EXT. 2183

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 6/4/2001
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- Williamston native Franklin Smith assumed the leadership of the Industrial Mechanics and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Technology departments at Tri-County Technical College at the beginning of the summer term. Smith, a 1991 alumnus of these programs, succeeds his former instructor Jim Culbertson, who retired May 4.

Smith, who holds degrees in HVAC, General Technology, and Industrial Mechanics, began teaching part-time after his graduation. While a student at Tri-County, he was named the outstanding HVAC graduate. He became a full-time faculty member in 1995, the same year he received the Adjunct Faculty Presidential Award. The following year he attended the National Institute for Staff and Organization Development (NISOD) International Conference on Teaching Excellence where he was nominated for the Teaching Excellence Award. Smith also holds a B. S. in Management of Human Resources from Southern Wesleyan University.

"We are so proud of Franklin, particularly because he is one of our own graduates," said Dr. Don C. Garrison, president of Tri-County. "He's done an amazing job keeping the curriculum up to date by staying abreast of technological changes in his field. Franklin is a great asset to the College."

Smith has attended TQM and computer training and 24 hours of training for refrigerant recovery at Piedmont Technical College. He is certified to teach and proctor the CFC exam for Ferris State University and holds an EPA certification as a "Universal" technician as required by 40 CFR Part 82, Subpart F, of the Clean Air Act of 1990. He is a former member of the National Association of Power Engineers and is former president of the organization's Chapter 8 Golden Corner of South Carolina.

He is a member of the South Carolina Technical Education Association and South Carolina State University's Research and Education Foundation, an organization dedicated to creating public awareness of environmental restrictions and waste management issues.

"In my new role, I will become more a visible representative of the department and its values and missions," said Smith. "I want to get more involved in community events and to support career days in schools as a way of stimulating interest in the technical careers."

Graduates of the IM and HVAC programs work in jobs ranging from service and installation for industry and residential to sales and engineering. There are also opportunities in quality testing, quality assurance and management. "The HVAC field is a technology that influences many in the way we live, work and recreate," said Smith. "The field offers personal satisfaction, challenging work and great financial reward for trained and certified graduates."
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