Atlanta Technical College President named 2011 Phenomenal Woman of the Year

Oct. 11, 2011 - PRLog -- Atlanta Technical College President Alvetta Peterman Thomas was honored as the 2011 Phenomenal Woman of the Year by Phenomenal Women’s Health. Thomas was recognized for her strong leadership in addressing the shortage of qualified healthcare professionals by expanding and fortifying health programs in post-secondary education.  Cheryl Burnside, President and CEO of Phenomenal Women’s Health presented her with the award on September 24 at the Fifth Annual Royal Purple Empowerment Tea.

Under Thomas’ leadership, Atlanta Technical College has continued the reputation as a leader in health-focused education.   In December of 2010, the school opened the $14.8 million Brenda Watts Jones Allied Health and Technology Complex.  The two-story facility spans more than 70,000 square feet and includes state-of-the-art laboratories, classrooms outfitted with smart technology, and cutting-edge medical simulators.  By the end of 2012 the complex will house nearly a dozen health-related programs including dental hygiene, radiologic technology, physical therapist assisting, practical nursing, hemodialysis, patient care assisting and registered nursing, as well as a community dental hygiene clinic.  Atlanta Technical College also completed a massive renovation of the east wing of the Academic Complex in December 2009 to accommodate advanced paramedic, emergency medical technician and firefighting programs.  

Phenomenal Women’s Health was established in 2007 to positively influence the lives of women by promoting the importance of living a healthier lifestyle.  Each year the organization partners with entities such as the St. Joseph’s Heart Center for Women, the AVON Foundation, Belk, the Atlanta Economic Alliance, Black Women’s Wellness and Fayette Care Center to educate women about the importance of healthy living so they can make well-informed decisions regarding their health.  Recently, the organization expanded its reach and launched programs to educate pre-teen and adolescent women on the importance of developing health habits at a young age.

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Atlanta Technical College, a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, is located in the city of Atlanta, is an accredited institution of higher education that provides affordable lifelong learning opportunity, associate degree, diplomas, technical certificates of credit, customized business and industry training, continuing education and other learning services using state-of-the-art technology in more than 100 fields. The integration of academics and applied career preparation to enhance student learning is essential in meeting the workforce demands and economic development needs of the people, businesses, and communities of Fulton and Clayton counties.