September 2008, Augusta, GA - Ian Feinberg is driven to share his experience as a broadcast professional with students he teaches at Chattahoochee Technical College, part of the Technical College System of Georgia. Teaching is his way of giving back to his community and, in his words, “… to help students, some of whom are struggling and unsure of their futures, find success in their careers – and their lives.”

As director of CTC’s entertainment technology program, Feinberg was honored last week as recipient of the TCSG’s annual Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction. Feinberg and five TCSG colleagues who were finalists in the competition to be named the TCSG’s instructor of the year were recognized at a banquet held last Thursday at the Augusta Marriott Hotel and Suites.

“Mr. Feinberg is a gifted instructor whose deep passion for technical education inspires his students to learn and succeed in their careers in television production,” said Ron Jackson, TCSG Commissioner.  “He is a valued and respected asset to Chattahoochee Technical College, his community, and the entire Technical College System of Georgia.  This is a well-deserved honor for him to be recognized as the best of the best of Georgia’s great technical college instructors.”

Feinberg was selected from among six finalists for the award by a panel of judges representing business, industry and higher education in Georgia.  Selection criteria included teaching experience, professionalism, leadership abilities, innovation in teaching techniques, community involvement, and commitment to the educational mission of the TCSG.

The five finalists who were selected to represent their region were Robin Aiken, clinical laboratory technology, DeKalb Technical College; Vic Burke, criminal justice technology, Savannah Technical College; Donna Emmons, surgical technology, Columbus Technical College; Jay Hilliard, criminal justice technology, South Georgia Technical College; and Rodney Kellum, forest technology, Swainsboro Technical College.

Noting that CTC entertainment technology graduates are being hired for “highly regarded positions and more employers are calling of me to provide students for internships and jobs,” Feinberg sees the role of technical colleges increasing in their importance. He cites the significant and steady growth of CTC, as well as the technical college system as a whole, during the past seven years in which he has been teaching.

Feinberg’s role model is his late father, of whom the instructor said, “I learned two things from him that have served me very well in life – strong work ethics and community service. I learned these attributes, not by hearing about them but from observing them through my father’s actions.”

Feinberg is an award winning television production professional who joined CTC in 2001 after a successful career at Atlanta's WXIA-TV. In two decades with the local NBC affiliate, Feinberg won 12 regional Emmy and numerous other such awards for his creative and energetic work as a producer, director and photographer.

As a new instructor at CTC, Feinberg was challenged to create a full service program of instruction covering all aspects of television production. The result of his work is the highly successful Academy of Entertainment Technology, a nationally-recognized and award-winning program aimed at providing students with technical knowledge and hands-on experience across the full spectrum of broadcast production.

In addition to creating a unique program of instruction, Feinberg  developed and built a state-of-the art broadcast facility — multi-camera studio and control room, field production equipment, and labs for video editing, graphics and animation — used by students to produce real-world projects that air on commercial and cable television.

The programs, created by students under Feinberg's watchful eye and direction, cover a wide range of topics and have won 4 Emmy Awards and 10 Broadcast Education Association Video Festival Awards. They include “Courtside with Tony Ingle,” “Red, White and Bluegrass,” “Wild Explorer: Zoo Atlanta,” “Clash of the Chefs,” and “The Southeast Regional Emmy Awards” to name a few.

“The success of our program is a testament to the commitment of the CTC administration to provide the best equipment and instructors, and their willingness to take risks," Feinberg said, commenting on his recent Rick Perkins Award. "I deeply appreciate TCSG’s confidence in me to represent technical college education in Georgia.”

Feinberg is still active in professional organizations producing and directing the Southeast Regional Emmy Awards for the past six years, conducting career workshops in high schools, creating promotional segments for area community service organizations and supporting religious youth group activities.

He recently celebrated his 20th wedding anniversary with the former Betty Ann Mogul. They have two children, Stephen, a freshman honors student at the University of Georgia, and Emmy, a sophomore honor student at Chattahoochee High School in Alpharetta. His hobbies include snow skiing and jamming music with his son.

Last year, more than 6,500 instructors educated 145,000 students who enrolled in the 33 colleges of the Technical College System of Georgia. The colleges offer more than 600 degree, diploma and certificate programs in a variety of fields including the growing and in-demand career areas of healthcare, aerospace, life sciences, energy and the environment, and agribusiness.