July 5, 2024
Director for Economic Development and Continuing Education Susan Rustin retired after twenty-five years of dedicated service to Southeastern Technical College (STC).
While a student at Southeastern Technical College, receiving a Business Office Technology Diploma, Rustin began working for Southeastern Tech as a continuing education business and industry specialist. She assisted in coordinating classes, conferencing, and catering, served work-ready programs, coordinated leadership programs, hired instructors, and administrated proctored exams for industry certifications.
Rustin worked in business-related fields for most of her career, having once owned three businesses of her own. Her experience brought valuable insights to her role at Southeastern Technical College. She earned an Associate of Applied Science from East Georgia College and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Troy University.
Rustin was promoted to Director for Economic Development and Continuing Education for Southeastern Tech in 2020, where she was responsible for personalized training for businesses and industries and collaborating with economic development authorities.
President Larry Calhoun said, “We thank Susan for her 25 years of dedicated service to Southeastern Technical College and our businesses and industries. Many of the folks she has worked with and trained along the way have become her friends. They are not numbers, they aren’t statistics, they are not classes – they are people. It takes a rare person to do all that Susan has done. Her duties resulted in many lives of local citizens being positively impacted. We wish her all the best in retirement.”
“Thank you for the trust you’ve had in me,” remarked Rustin as she reflected on her tenure. “Together, we have worked to improve the economic well-being of our citizens. I’ve enjoyed working with everyone and all of our industries. I have enjoyed all my years at Southeastern Tech. When you work at the same place for so many years, coworkers become family. I’m going to miss everyone.”
Among other courses, the STC Economic Development and Continuing Education Center provides American Heart Association First Aid and CPR training, ServSafe Manager’s training, Joshua’s Law Driver’s Education and defensive driving instruction, and OSHA-approved forklift safety certification. Ed2go courses for online continuing education are also available.
The Economic Development Center served 78 companies in 2023. For more information regarding the Economic Development and Continuing Education Department, visit www.southeasterntech.edu or call (912) 538-3258.
Photos: STC President Larry Calhoun and Retired Director of STC Economic Development and Continuing Education Susan Rustin