Three new board members sworn in at Athens Technical College
Judge Lawton Stephens swore in three new Athens Technical College Board of Directors—Phil Bettendorf, Judge Cheveda McCamy, and Mike Sale—at the College’s first board meeting for the school year on Tuesday, Aug. 15. The directors each began three-year terms that took effect July 1, 2023.
Phil Bettendorf is a Senior Vice President for Synovus Bank and has been with the company for 29 years. Bettendorf received both his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Georgia as well as a diploma from the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University. In addition to this, Bettendorf has been active in his community by being a member of the Rotary Club of Athens, a graduate and volunteer of LEAD Athens, past president of the Athens Symphony, and past chair of the Athens Tech Foundation board, to name a few. Phil Bettendorf is currently an active member on the Piedmont Athens Regional operating board as well as a member of the Executive Board for the Northeast Georgia Boy Scouts of America for which he received the Silver Beaver award from the council in 2022.
In October of 2020, Cheveda McCamy was appointed to serve as a Superior Court Judge by Governor Brian Kemp where she has presided over hundreds of hearings and trials. Prior to this, McCamy practiced law for more than 20 years in Georgia as a prosecutor and civil attorney. Judge McCamy is a native of Covington, GA. A graduate of the University of Georgia, McCamy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 1995 and her Juris Doctorate from Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law in 1998. In addition to McCamy’s extensive experience and knowledge, she is an active leader in her community and among multiple associations throughout Newton and Walton County.
As President and CEO of The Commercial Bank, Mike Sale serves as the chairman of the board of directors for the bank as well as the bank’s holding company and has been the leader of The Commercial Bank since 2010. Under his leadership, the bank has grown and expanded its footprint and market share into Madison, Clarke, and Oconee counties. Sale graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) in finance in 1994 and then later received a Master of Business Administration from Brenau University in 1999. Throughout his career, Sale has served on numerous charitable, civic, and trade association boards and was appointed last year to serve on the education committee of the Independent Community Bankers Association of America (ICBA), a national trade association for the banking industry.
“I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to the board members that recently completed three terms of service to the college including Chair Rebecca Dally, Judge Lawton Stephens, and Steve Hollis,” said ATC President Andrea Daniel. “We appreciate all of the support they have invested into Athens Technical College over the past nine years. I look forward to working with our new members and continuing to pursue our mission of fostering lifelong learning and economic development.”
In addition to welcoming new board members, the board welcomed a new chair, Madison Mayor Fred Perriman, and co-chair, Dr. Reginal Woods, a retiree of the University of Georgia.
The purpose of the College local board is to facilitate the delivery of programs, services, and activities as directed by the Technical College System of Georgia State Board, advise the President and the TCSG State Board of local industry and community needs for the programs and services to be provided by the technical college, and advocate within the community and within the state on issues of importance in support of TCSG and Georgia’s workforce development efforts.
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For more information, please contact Josh Paine, Executive Director of PR & Institutional Advancement at (706) 583-2552 or jpaine@AthensTech.edu.
