Blackwell Named New Chester Center Director

ROCK HILL—York Technical College has announced the appointment of Beth Darby Blackwell to the position of Chester Center director beginning October 3. Blackwell, who will replace the retiring Joanna Angle, will be responsible for providing leadership for the center. She has served as a student services program coordinator at York Tech since 2001.

Blackwell is a resident of the Chester community of Lowrys. She is a graduate of Chester High School and earned her bachelor of science degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Health Services Management from Winthrop University as well as a master of liberal arts degree, also from Winthrop, while completing 21 credits in the MBA program.

Blackwell recently completed Career Development Facilitator training through the Catawba Education Consortium and is currently completing a Supervisory Management Development Program and Leadership in Action Program at York Technical College. She is a member of the South Carolina Association of Colleges and Employers, the South Carolina Technical Education Association, and the South Carolina Association of Financial Aid Administrators. She has served on several committees for the college and is currently a member of the Professional Development Council at York Tech.

In her current position, Blackwell has assisted students with job placement services, assisted in coordinating the annual career fair, coordinated the Tuition Payment Plan and served as the LIFE Scholarship case manager. She has also worked as a part-time instructor at the college, teaching courses in the Business programs as well as college orientation courses.

The Kershaw-Heath Springs and Chester Centers bring higher education opportunities closer to Lancaster and Chester County residents. The centers enable students to earn college credit and/or take continuing education courses without having to commute to Rock Hill. Since the centers opened, thousands of students have enrolled in credit and continuing education courses that are taught in traditional classroom settings, delivered over the Internet as live interactive audio/video teleclasses, or in classes that combine the two. College admission, counseling, placement testing, registration, proctored credit course testing, and financial aid information are also available at the centers.

Earlier this year, ground was broken for a new Chester Center to be located off Highway 9, east of downtown Chester. The new center will incorporate energy and environmental technologies that will allow the building to be certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Construction of the facility is currently planned in two phases. The initial phase of 27,301 square feet will house education, administration, and economic development functions. The building will house classrooms, specialized shop areas, faculty and administrative offices, library resources, conference rooms, and storage space to support a variety of educational opportunities. Programming to be housed in the initial phase includes industrial maintenance, industrial electricity, welding, developmental education, general technology, business and computer technology, and general education courses.