Dr. Emmett Griswold: Building on a Legacy of Success

In the latest Beyond the Bank, Brad spends time with Albany Technical College stalwart and President, Dr. Emmett Griswold, to learn more about his journey into education, his vision of a connected future, and his desire to see Albany Tech continue being a model for educational and business partnerships driving positive change in the community.

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You've got a story, I've got a story. We've got a story. I'm Brad McEwen, and I'm here to tell that story. This is beyond the bank.

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Welcome back to another episode of AB and T's beyond the bank as usual. I'm your host. Brad McHugh, today, I am pleased to welcome long time Albany Technical College fixture, community champion and ATC president. Dr Emmett Griswold, welcome. Dr Griswold, it's great to have you join me today. Well, thank you. Thank you for having Of course, of course. Now I'm always excited whenever I get a chance to chat with folks doing great work in the community. The community. But I'm not going to lie, I'm a little extra excited today, because despite having crossed paths numerous times over the years, you and I have never really had an opportunity to get to know one another and talk. That's correct, so I'm really looking forward to that. I also know that we could talk about any number of subjects. Academia is near and dear to my heart. My wife as a public school teacher. My dad was a teacher. So I really believe in education, but I want to make sure we get to cover enough bases. So what we're going to do today, if you're good with it, little high level for those folks who don't know what Albany Tech is about, and then we'll talk a little bit about you, and there's the long history that you have here, and the passion you have for education. And then we'll wrap up with a little Hey, what's going on that's getting us excited that we can look forward to in the future? Let's

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do it rock and roll, all right. Well, let's

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jump in for our listeners who you know, for whatever reason, may not be familiar with what Albany Tech is doing, or what Albany Tech is. Give me that sort of high level elevator speech that you would give some Okay, well, Albany Technical College is one of 22 colleges in the technical System of Georgia. Albany Tech has been in all in Albany or since 1961 so our main missions is, what's the development? So we provide provide employees for employers. So we want to provide academic technical education, also adult education, and also a customized training, a continuing education with all the individuals that are not looking for non create type program so we we cover a rate of educational opportunities for all different populations, though, individuals who may not have a GED or high school diploma, they can come to us and receive their we are one of five technical colleges in the state of Georgia that allows to offer high school diplomas to students. So we provide a high school diploma a GED also take certificates of credit is anytime, anywhere from between nine to 30 hours of creating hours programs, and then also diplomas and social degree. We have a number of associate degrees that we have articulation degrees with other four year universities and colleges. So just all opportunities of educational and advancement available had already taken. And thank you for that. And I know it's weird to kind of give that speech when you have, you know, talking about something that's been in the community for so long, but I don't think we can beat that drum enough that what we're doing here is empowering this population to have a better life and our employers to be able to do things that they need to do. And that's awesome. Well, that's one of the unique things I find about Albany Technical and all the technicals in Georgia is that we meet the students wherever they are. So if you are a 30 year old who has a fourth grade reading level, you can come here. We can prepare you for your GED or high school diploma, and you can transition into a technical education as you do that. So we meet the students where they are. That is awesome. That is awesome now. And I don't expect you to go through the entire course listing, but give the folks some flavor about some of the bigger programs that you see on campus here. So some of the program areas that sectors that we offer, we offer program construction. We have masonry, carpentry and electrical, air conditioning. Then we have programs in the transportation division, CDL, diesel, auto, collision, auto, automotive. Then also we have the healthcare programs, nursing, Nurse related, Nurse aid, pharmacy, medical assisting, surge tech, array of Paramedicine, array of healthcare programs. And then also in the cyber related programs such as computer information, computer programming, Computer Support, networking, cyber security. And then we have public safety type programs, fire, science, criminal justice, those Pro and then also in our personal services department, cosmetology, barbering, early childhood education, Design and Media substance abuse addiction program. So this is just a variety of programs that we offer for for any individual that want to start, start their new career, start education, and also for advanced that is awesome. And thank you for kind of rattling that off, because I think it's important for the folks to know just the depth and breadth. Of what you guys are doing here and what you can help now, You also touched on criminal justice. So I want to shift gears a little bit and talk about your background. You know, right? You're, you're a couple years into a new role, but this is not a new place for you. So tell the folks a little bit about your history with Albany Tech. Okay, well, I my my initial career started off in in law enforcement. As you mentioned, I was worked 12 years in corrections with the juveniles and adults. My last position was a deputy award at Lee state prison in Leesburg. So I transitioned to the technical education profession in 2004 I came to Albany Technical College as a criminal justice instructor. Then I was promoted to the chairperson of the department, and then a couple of years later, I was promoted to the Dean of Academic Affairs for construction and transportation division. And then later I was promoted to Vice President of Academic Affairs. And then one of my last promotion was executive vice president. I was executive vice president to Doctor Parker for about five years. And then, upon his death in June of 22 year 22 I was interim made Interim President made a permanent president. November 2022 gotcha.

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Gotcha. Thank you for running through that quick,

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that quick list as well.

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I want, I want to back up and go to that point in time where you made the decision to come to Albany Tech teach. What was the impetus for that? Because that's, to me, is the most important. Yeah. Well, it was. It was kind of odd for me. I was, I had been teaching at Albany State University at part time for about a year in their criminal justice department. And I was a friend of mine who had retired from corrections just happened to call me one day and say, hey, it's a job in the paper. I think you need to apply for and I looked in the paper and it was a struct criminal justice here at Albany Tech, and then the rest is history. I applied, was offered position, took it. So I enjoyed what I was doing at Albany, Albany State on a part time basis. So I figured, hey, you know, this may be something I want to do on a full time basis as well. So I took a chance, and it came to Albany Tech, and it's one of, one of my best decisions in my life that I've made. Now, Griswold, not everybody who's, you know, working in a profession gets the call to lead others into that profession. So talk to me a little bit about the decision to get into teaching at all. What sort of drove that? Yeah, well, I've been throughout my over 30 years, career and correction, law enforcement and taking education is I'm a public servant. So we, I serve the public. And so what one of those things, whether it's corrections or taking education, that we help, helping people to be better. And so whether, whether it's a inmate that's getting released from prison, he or she wants to you want a better, better person who's going to be released. So that was my mission when I when I was race. So now my mission here is to prepare people to have a better life, to be have prosperity, to have community prosperity. So in order for us to have community prosperity, we got to have individual prosperity. So education is that avenue for prosperity to make your community better and also to make generational type changes in people's lives, absolutely which that's a benefit to all of us when you because that's what brings

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societal change. Correct, correct. Now,

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I want to talk a little bit if we can, and explore where do you think that might come from in your internal wire? You know, I've met a lot of people in the world, and not everybody has that wiring that makes them think about other people. I'm anxious. I'm interested in exploring, sort of how that came about in your life, you know. And typically, it's been my experience that that's something that's that's passed on, right? Yeah. Well, I'm originally from Milledgeville, Georgia, Baldwin County. I've been in Albany for about 35 years, but I was born and raised in Milledgeville. Went to high school there, and I had two loving parents. One my mother's deceased, my father's still living. And they, they've always been carrying individual not only for our internal family, but our neighborhood, the community, so that I would thank my caring and want to help other individuals came from them, not only my parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and uncles and all the family unit that I was surrounded by, even My home, church family, we were all about helping others, of the community, the neighborhood, so that I brought that trait with me to already, and it's been be a part of my life that I know I can't do better to others are doing better. So we all want we all have a selfish part of us. Oh sure, at some point, but I think we. We have to use that selfish part of us to help others. It has to be a universal type of selfishness that when I do better, others have to do better as well. I'm with you well, I just, you know, I'm drawn to people like that, who you know, overlay another mission in their lives, which is, it's just not all about me. And I think too often in the world, we see too much of that, right? Not enough of I'm not going to be good if everybody around me is doing poorly, right, you know? And so I always like to kind of dig in on that, let me and if you might, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask, you know, law enforcement is also one of those areas that I have found in my dealings with people in my time in journalism that tends to be familial as well. Was that something that was part of your family? Why the decision to get into law enforcement? Well, I mean, my undergraduate and graduate degrees are in criminal justice, so I fell in love with in my undergraduate studies. So my father was the former director of the Millersville YDC, Milledgeville, so I've been around it quite a quite a bit of my life, but I've again, but it's another realm of helping individuals, what I call that forgotten population in Georgia, 90% of individuals that are incarcerated are going to get out one day. So it may be 1015, 20 years from now. But my, my thought, my ideology was, is that no, do I want a better neighbor? Uh, living next because these, they're going to be at churches, they're going to be in the grocery store, you're going to write into them. So we want a better person when this when this person is released. So, so that was my, my philosophy into helping people. And again, it's, it's, I took a selfish point. Do I want a better neighbor? You know? So, yeah, I want a better neighbor. I want a better person at church. So again, these individuals are going to be in the population. So I want a better, better individual that I communicate with and feel safe around. So that was my my mission in corrections to make them better once they were released. I gotcha. I gotcha. Now you may be the first person I've talked to that had relatives that were involved directly with dealing with youth who are running afoul of the law. Did that have any impact as you on, you seeing, you know what your dad was having to deal with at such a young age? Well, yeah, you know, because, you know, milliesville was a pretty well connected community. Everybody knew everybody. So, you know, if I got in trouble, it will get it would beat me home. So, so and I didn't want that, so that kept me in line. So we had a good, a good, solid foundation, my sister and I with our parents and like, say, being around and seeing the things that he had to deal with it and the respect that he had among his peers and individuals that he dealt with throughout the years. Get it played a part in my development and also my passion to do that type of work. Well, I gotta think that that would make sense, you know, seeing what other people are having to go through in ways that, you know, we could maybe improve that for them down the road, right? And I like that philosophy of, you know, yeah, you're helping yourself to a certain degree, but you're really helping another human being have something right to live for and some positivity. That's, again, like I said, That's just human nature. We all have a little self but that selfness doesn't have to be all about you. It can benefit us. Oh, absolutely. And I'd like to think that we all have a little bit in us too that needs community, right? And then there's a certain level of, we can't be alone, and, right? We might as well be a team, correct? And I like the idea. Now, I want to shift gears a little bit and bring us kind of back to the more immediate future. You know, talk to me a little bit about, you know, you're in a position where you're following somebody, you know, that had, had done a lot of great things for this community, very well thought of I'm sure will served as a great mentor to you. Tell me a little bit about assuming that mantle and some of the things that Dr Parker maybe even instilled in you that you trying to carry forward. Yeah. Well, as you know and your listeners may know that Dr Parker was a a stellar, visionary leader for this community for over 27 years. He had been the president here at Albany Technical College for 27 years, the longest serving president in the technical system history. So he was a hard act follow. You can't replace a man like no. But I was fortunate to be up under his tutelage for for a number of years, I've been in the college 21 years. I was under this leadership about 18 years. So I learned a lot just by watching him, watch his interaction and the decisions that he made in there, and as he got posted, as I got closer to him in my leadership roles, I saw how i. He was able to maneuver politically and also strategically, to make decision to move the college forward. He was a visionary leader. He always thought 1015, 20 years out on where the college would be. So yeah, we will not be able to replace him, but I'm just fortunate that I was able to to be on his mentorship for that amount of time, and for him to share some of these ideas and vision for this, for this College and in this community moving forward. So we're going to miss him. Well, I don't think we it'll be a long time for we have a leader in this community of his caliber, but I'm going to do my best to not only make sure that that he is remembered and his vision is is embraced, but also to continue to do the thing that I know that he would want for this college and community to move forward. It was all about students, all about the community, not by ourselves, but also we keep the student and community in the fourth shrine, absolutely, really, and I've got to think too, Dr Griswold, part of that visionary aspect of Dr Burke was also seeing who was going to, who he who needed, he needed to bring behind and air to get ready. Because I'm going to be honest with you, as painful as that was, you know, just from a bird, from a step back and look at it, I feel like things are still moving the way they need to move, and that's exciting to think about, and that synergy powerful work. Yeah, way. No, he we. He surrounded himself with a good leadership team that we have for the most part of that leadership team teams dealing in place so but we'll continue to build, and we're bringing on new, new players on the team who will who about it to the vision and the mission of the college. So yes, we're going to continue to move forward as doing great things as he would want it to be. And so what I think is going to be beneficial to all the citizens in South wager, agreed, agreed. Well, I think we've done enough looking back, so I want to take a minute to look at today, and I want to look into the future. So, you know, I don't want to steal any thunder. But as as you sit here today, what are the things that you know dr Emmett Griswold is most excited about, and where you're focusing a lot of your energies right now? Well, this is, this is a truly a great time to be already take time. We have a number of projects that are in the final phases of implementation. As most of your listeners may or may not know, we partner with Phoebe Park Memorial Hospital to implement a what is called a living and learning community nursing faculty and students. There is a nationwide and George is a part of that a nurse a nursing shortage. So four or five years ago, Dr Parker and Scott diner got together and say, How can we address this nursing shortage? So they came up with this idea of the Living and Learning Community. About two years ago, our nursing program could have the only capacity to enroll about four eight students per year. Gotcha. With this project, with the Phoebe living and learning, we're going to be able to increase that 400% so in ay academic year 2025, which we're in now, we're going to be able to enroll at least 200 nursing students per year. So awesome. So we're going to tackle the nursing short shortage head on. We're going to put we're going to look to make a a significant dent in what the nursing

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staff is needed in this area. So we're going to relocate our nursing program, our practical nursing program, phlebotomy and our nurse aid program, to the Phoebe living and learning facility loaded located on the campus of feeding Moy hospital. So that equates about four or 500 students that will be moving having instructional classes in that area, starting in the next couple of weeks so, and also with that, with the three stores, Phyllis facility, so we will lease the first floor for the Phoebe and we will have instructional classes, room, office, space, resource areas for students to teach them there, but The second and third floors will be apartments that students can lease from Phoebe to live. There'll be 80 apartments that students can lease and get and be in an agreement with Phoebe to lease those apartments. So we are excited about this living learning concept that's coming to Albany, Georgia, and one of the, I think the indirect benefits of the not only are we going to be able to tackle the nursing shortage, but also the proximity of this facility to downtown Albany is going to have a significant pack, I believe, on the economic development and the revitalization of that area. Because, you know, if you got four or 500 students in a area that's close to downtown, you. They don't want to shop, they don't want to eat, they want to leisure time. So that is, we got to be able to draw business to that area. So I believe we're going to see a indirect impact piece as well. I would have to argue, you know, as somebody who worked in downtown Albany for a long time in my career, that's what's been needed, is you got to bring people, bring people down there. Things will based on me to support those people, and I really love the concept for a young student too, to be able to see where they're headed, you know, as their work doing those classes, and it can get hard, but to be already that connected to a hospital and a healthcare system, that you feel like there is something after this, and I'm not just wasting my time and my money, yeah, for a young person, is is an ideal position to be in. You can. You can go to school in one area and walk across the street and go to work and then walk downtown for your leisure social activities. So it's ideal. So No, no Uber is needed, you know. So everything is in walking district, so we, we're just extremely excited about this opportunity, not only for our students and not only for fever, but I'm excited about what this, what this is going to do for the city of Albany and Dougherty County, absolutely well and, you know, and we'll talk about this briefly before we wrap up. But one of the things I really love about this particular program is, to me, it goes to the heart of what Albany Tech has been able to do in this community, which is meet a legitimate need, not just of the population of people that need education, but the worker, the work

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the employee. There's a need to work for, right? And

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that's our whole objective, is to listen to the employer, because they know what they need. Yep, they know what the trends are. They know what's coming. They know what skills are on the horizon. So we need to have a listening ear to them, to the employers, and tell us what they need, and then we have to act on not only just listen, but we got to do something about it to make it come to fruition.

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Absolutely. And, you know, I feel like and, you know, I

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don't know, because I'm not paying attention necessarily to what's going on in other communities where there are technical colleges. But it's been my impression as I sort of step back and look at it, what we're doing here in Albany, Doherty county is sort of the model of what we would hope that could happen in all communities. Am

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I wrong? Well,

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I think, I think this is this particular concept with the Living and Learning Community. Is a model that that a lot of communities want to do. They got to have the willing partners to do it. Feedback has been a willing partner to do it. Others are doing something similar. Some of the some of the technical colleges, such as in Warren Robin to take such a Georgia technical we went to visit them. They're doing something similar with Austin county health health care system there. So they are doing similar things there. There are a lot of collaboration that's going on across the state. But I believe that once we we implement this, and the world will see that this is a model on how the community collaborates and parts together, because this is truly a collaboration. We could not have done it without Phoebe so some of the other partners in the county and the city commission. So this is truly a collaboration, a partnership that takes all levels of cooperation that is fantastic, well, and those are some of my favorite words, collaboration and working together and just to make something happen for the good of everybody. And I think that may be just why I get excited anytime I'm talking about or dealing with anything related all day, yeah. And we, and we can take this model and scale it to other different projects, you know. So we just, we just have to have the willing heart and put aside egos and just do the work and what's needed for the for the community. That was awesome. That is awesome. Well, is there anything else, you know? Obviously, that's a huge thing, and it's taken a lot of time and a lot of focus, and I know there's a big event to kind of kick it all off next week, and I'm looking forward to going and taking a real peek at it. That is the biggest event that we have, but not the only one other projects that we have going on. We have two Revell we have one renovation project on campus, a new construction project on campus that's going on now. We have the new automotive transportation Academy, which is going to be named after Dr Parker. It's going to be called the DR Anthony Parker transportation Academy, and we will house our existing diesel Equipment Program and auto collision repair programs in that facility. And those programs some support the workforce at mclb and some of the other diesel auto collision repair shops in town. So we're looking to to implement that program that building late September, early October. So hopefully we won't, probably won't start class until the spring, January of 25 but also, we just renovated our automotive technology lab. We had a total renovation. Of that, and also we're going to add an EV electrical vehicle lab training to that particular area. So we want to align our objectives and missions to what the governor has mentioned about having Georgia as the number one EV capital of the world. So we want to make sure that we are we align with that mission, preparing EV technicians to work here. So again, so a lot of construction, a lot of new, new programs coming about. So we're just excited about this year move forward. That is really exciting. And thank you for sharing that, because that was one I hadn't. It hadn't hit my radar yet. So that's exciting. Yeah, it's coming soon. And again, meeting the need, a very real need, right? I love it. I absolutely love it. Now that I want to talk to just about, you know, looking at the community aspect from a different direction. You know, Albany Tech's doing work in the community that's benefiting everybody, but not everybody necessarily is involved with Albany Tech is doing. Here's some things that the greater Albany population can do. You know, somebody's going to hear this, and they're going to get inspired, and they're going to be like, oh, I want to be a part of what can the average Albanian, you know, maybe already has a career and doesn't need the education or isn't a business owner, but just believes in what's going on here. What

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can they do to support Yeah, the efforts. Well, the

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average Albany or the average southwest Georgia. And what you can do because we, we not only cover Albany, Daugherty County, but we, we have a service delivery area of the seven counties in southwest Georgia. So the basic thing that I would, I would suggest, is just refer people to us, have them to come in and see a lot of times. I remember some of the things that Dr Fauci would say, you know, that people arrived down Slappy 100 times, and they know we're here, but they don't know what's inside. So just come out and ask for a tour or see what we have we have going on. We're sure individuals to us, you know, make donations to our foundation, because sometimes we get students to get to the get to the end of their studies, and they run out of financial means, so they need support. So making financial donation to the foundation, referring individuals to the college, and also just coming out here and just see what we have going on. I'm glad you mentioned that, because I don't think enough people come out and look at this campus and see all the things that are here, and see the technology, and see just how beautiful it is, and it feels like school, and it feels like there's awesome forward thinking things going on out here. Our doors are open, and we are more than willing to provide tools just for one person or a group of people, just let us know when you want to come. Our doors are open. We're ready to serve the community because we are a public institution, so we're here to serve all the public. So again, just let us know when you want to come out, how many people you want to bring, and we'll make it happen. Awesome, awesome. I love that. Well, Dr Griswold, you know, I've taken up a pretty good time out of your time this morning, and I don't want, I want to be respectful of that. So before we wrap it up, is there anything that we didn't touch on today, any subject that's near and dear to your heart? Want to, you know, share or anything you want to say to the listeners of beyond? Well, I just want the listeners to know that what you have as a jewel in Albany, Southwest Georgia, in Albany Technical College, there's opportunity here for everyone, regardless of your circumstances or your backgrounds. There's a place for you here at Albany Technical College, with whether it's our adult education program as our technical pro education program, or whether it's continued education, customized training for companies. There's a place for you at Albany Technical College, and we're just here to serve each and every one of that is awesome. Well, Dr Griswold, I want to thank you once again for taking the time to be on beyond the bank and sit with me today and share this awesome information with our listeners and to our listeners, I want to thank you for your leader, for loyally following beyond the bank. Until next time I'm Brad, you.

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