Chattahoochee Technical College has welcomed community leaders Pam Carnes, Roberto Murillo, and Ford Thigpen to serve on the college’s board of directors while honoring outgoing board chair Jim Larson with an award of appreciation.
Pam Carnes is president and CEO of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, where she has worked since 1991. She recently completed a three-year term on the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Board of Trustees. Carnes also served previously for 12 consecutive years on the Chattahoochee Tech board of directors, and was board chair in 2011 and 2012.
Roberto Murillo is the complex human resource manager for Pilgrim’s in Ellijay. With nearly 15 years of experience at Pilgrim’s, he is knowledgeable about all of the company divisions, including production, compliance, quality control, and training. Pilgrim’s is viewed as a good corporate citizen in Gilmer County due greatly to Murillo’s efforts and dedication to establishing and maintaining positive relationships within the community.
Ford Thigpen is the Northwest Georgia regional president for Westside Bank, a division of The Piedmont Bank. He is a lifelong Georgia resident who grew up in Paulding County, and currently lives with his family in Kennesaw. He is active in many civic organizations, including the Cobb Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Paulding County. He also has served previously as a member of the Chattahoochee Tech Foundation Board of Trustees.
In addition to welcoming these new board members, Chattahoochee Tech presented outgoing board chair Jim Larson with an award of appreciation on Sept. 9 for his outstanding service. Larson is the director of talent and corporate training manager for Yancey Bros. “We greatly appreciate Jim’s dedicated service to the college and to our students,” said Chattahoochee Tech President Dr. Ron Newcomb. “He has provided steadfast support, which included leading training sessions for several student leadership programs.” Serving as the new board chair is Debbie Underkoffler, president and CEO of North Georgia Staffing.
The Chattahoochee Tech Board of Directors is an advisory board composed of members who were nominated by area industry and community leaders, and approved by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). As new members of this board, Carnes, Murillo and Thigpen will fulfill important roles as advocates within the community on issues of importance involving the college and the local workforce.
