Atlanta - The state board that oversees the Technical College System of Georgia today unanimously elected Dean Alford of Conyers to a two-year term as their next chairman, effective July 1.

The term of the current board chairman, Carl Swearingen, ends on June 30.  Swearingen will continue as the member representing the Sixth Congressional District.

The board also voted unanimously to elect Paul Holmes of Monticello to be their next vice chairman.

The 22 members of the TCSG board are appointed by the Governor to oversee the standards, regulations and policies for the operation of the system’s 33 technical colleges.  The board also provides oversight for the state’s Office of Adult Education, which provides literacy and GED services, and Quick Start, which is Georgia’s workforce training program.

Alford was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue in January 2007 to represent the Fourth Congressional District.  He is the president and CEO of Allied Energy Services, an energy development company, and is recognized nationally for his expertise in entrepreneurship and strategic planning.

For more information on Alford’s professional and civic accomplishments, go to http://www.tcsg.edu/board/dalford.php

Holmes was appointed by Governor Perdue in January 2008 as an at-large member of the board.  He is one of the founders of Life of the South Insurance Company and is today director of Securitas Financial Services.

For more information on Holmes and his professional and civic accomplishments, go to http://www.tcsg.edu/board/pholmes.php

About the TCSG: Last year, more than 146,000 students enrolled in classes at Georgia’s 33 technical colleges. The colleges offer more than 600 degree, diploma and certificate programs in a wide range of career fields including specialized, hands-on education in professions like healthcare, aerospace, life sciences, energy and the environment, and agribusiness.

The TCSG Office of Adult Education provided adult learning services to an additional 91,000 students in 2008, and awarded almost 20,000 GED diplomas.

The TCSG’s Quick Start program plays an important role in the state’s economic development through the delivery of strategic solutions for workforce training.  In 2008, Quick Start delivered training to more than 46,000 trainees of new and existing businesses in Georgia.