Athens Technical College President Dr. Andrea D. Daniel has announced her retirement effective December 1, 2026, after more than 30 years of service to the State of Georgia.
Dr. Andrea Daniel assumed the role of Athens Technical College’s fourth president on April 1, 2016. She previously held the position of Executive Vice President at the college. Under Dr. Daniel’s leadership, Athens Technical College was named Achieving the Dream 2017 Leader College. Achieving the Dream (ATD) is a national nonprofit leader in championing evidence-based institutional improvement. Athens Technical College is the first college in Georgia to join ATD and one of two technical colleges in the state to earn the Leader College distinction. The honor is awarded to colleges within the Achieving the Dream National Network that have shown three consecutive years of improvement in outcomes that measure student success.
Dr. Daniel’s leadership led the college to complete a comprehensive renovation of the Athens Technical College Library in 2017. In 2018, Dr. Daniel gained approval for the completion of an $8.2 million Agriculture Science Building on the Elbert Campus of Athens Technical College.
In late 2019, under Dr. Daniel’s direction, the college constructed a new $3 million visitor center and college entrance. This project enhanced the experience of visitors and prospective students at Athens Technical College.
In January 2020, Dr. Daniel was elected and nominated by a group of her peers to serve on the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commissions on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees. For her efforts in demonstrating excellence, creativity, and success in business and furthering the goals for other professional women, Dr. Daniel was presented the Athena Award in February 2020. The Athena Award is presented annually to a person who embodies the highest level of professional excellence in her or his business or profession, devotes time and energy to improve quality of life for others in the community, and actively assists women in realizing their leadership potential.
In FY2020, under Dr. Daniel’s leadership, Athens Technical College was approved to design a new Industrial Systems / Economic Development Building. The building’s project cost was $18,000,000. This 39,000 square-foot building included programs HVAC/Air Conditioning Technology, Industrial Systems, and Mechatronics, as well as Economic Development manufacturing training space. This new capital outlay project was a much-needed addition in order to serve the manufacturing companies in the region and the State of Georgia.
Significant Growth – In March 2022, Dr. Andrea D. Daniel received the Shirley B. Gordan Award of Distinction from the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. In December 2022, the Walton Campus of Athens Technical College Nursing Program held a ribbon-cutting. During this time, Dr. Andrea D. Daniel was re-elected to the SACSCOC Board of Trustees for a second three-year term. A dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to officially open the Tom McCall Agriculture Complex on the Elbert County Campus in March 2023. The Industrial Systems / Economic Development building was opened during a ceremony held in December 2023. In October 2024, Governor Kemp appointed Dr. Daniel to serve as a board of trustees member on Georgia’s Driver’s Education Commission.
Athens Technical College and Brenau University signed an articulation agreement in April 2026 to allow ATC Nursing and Health Information Management Technology graduates seamlessly transition to Brenau and continue their BSN and BBA in Healthcare Management. More information about the articulation agreement is available here: Athens Technical College partners with Brenau University for Nursing & Health Information Management Technology Articulation Agreement – Athens Technical College.
Dr. Daniel led a groundbreaking for the construction and renovation of the Athens Technical College Walton Campus in May 2026. This Phase I and Phase II project totaled $19 million and includes the design of a new Welding Facility and renovation of the current campus. Under Dr. Daniel’s leadership, total construction projects and additional college grants exceed $123 million.
Greg Dozier, Commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia, commented, “Dr. Daniel’s has been a respected leader beyond Athens Technical College. Her peers elected her to two terms on the SACSCOC Board of Trustees, and she has received numerous honors for her leadership and service, including the ATHENA Award and Phi Theta Kappa’s Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction. While these accomplishments are impressive, I know Dr. Daniel’s greatest legacy will be the opportunities she has helped create for thousands of students during her more than three decades of service. She has been a tremendous advocate for technical education, workforce development, and the communities of northeast Georgia. On a personal level, I am grateful for Andrea’s friendship, counsel, and partnership. She has been a valued member of our TCSG family and a trusted colleague to me and so many across our system.”
About Athens Technical College: Since 1958, Athens Technical College has served citizens by providing quality educational programs in an eleven-county service area. The college offers over 130 program specializations in business, health, technical, and manufacturing-related areas. Students attend Athens Technical College on three campuses, plus career academies, adult learning centers, through business and industry, and continuing education opportunities. Athens Technical College is an Equal Opportunity Institution and a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia. To learn more about Athens Technical College, visit www.AthensTech.edu.