Hodde Expansion Grand Opening
Chancellor of the Blinn College District Speeches & Presentations
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Good morning, everyone.
On behalf of Blinn College, it is my pleasure to express our joy and excitement regarding the opening of this new facility, and the many wonderful opportunities it provides for job seekers and employers here in Washington County.
Please allow me to introduce the members of the Blinn College Board of Trustees here today to share in this celebration:
- Charles Moser, who serves as Chair of the Blinn College Board of Trustees in addition to his duties as Chairman of the Brenham Community Development Foundation,
- David Sommer, Secretary,
- Douglas Borchardt,
- and Atwood Kenjura.
I also would like to recognize the members of the Executive Council:
- Mel Waxler, Executive Vice Chancellor and General Counsel
- Richard Cervantes, Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance
- Dr. Crystal Lee, Vice Chancellor for Instruction
- Dr. Dennis Crowson, Vice Chancellor for Student Services
- and Dr. Jimmy Byrd, Executive Dean, Bryan Campus.
As others have mentioned, the Technical Education Annex truly is a community partnership.
Thanks to devoted community leaders with a clear vision for the future of workforce training in Washington County, Blinn College has a remarkable new space in which to train students in the latest industry techniques.
The addition of the Technical Education Annex allows Blinn to expand its welding course offerings, introduce new diesel engine mechanics and commercial maintenance programs, and introduce heavy equipment operator training with an advanced safety course.
Thank you to everyone who has come together in the spirit of collaboration to build a new facility that simultaneously strengthens our workforce, our businesses, our economy, and our community.
As we look to the bright future ahead for this facility, we look forward to offering you even more of the responsive, high-quality career training programs you have come to expect from Blinn College and the A.W. Hodde, Jr. Technical Education Center.
It is now my pleasure to call to the podium Washington County Judge John Brieden.
