WACO, GA – West Georgia Technical College (WGTC) will hold spring commencement exercises on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Candidates for technical certificates of credit, diplomas, and associate degrees will be recognized for their accomplishments.

This is the first time in the history of the College that two graduation ceremonies have been offered. The 11 a.m. ceremony will be held at the Callaway Conference Center in LaGrange, and the 7 p.m. ceremony will be held at the Murphy Campus Conference Center in Waco.

The decision to hold ceremonies at two locations was made in order to accommodate the growing number of graduates and their families. There are approximately 220 students expected to participate in this semester’s commencement exercises.

“We are excited to be able to offer our graduates and their families the opportunity to celebrate this important milestone at a location that is convenient for them,” WGTC registrar Laura Thornton said.

Each ceremony will include remarks from university officials, the presentation of diplomas, the recognition of outstanding achievements by graduates, as well as a keynote address.

Stuart Countess, President and CEO of Kia Georgia, will deliver the keynote address at the LaGrange ceremony. In 2008, Countess was hired as the Senior. Manager for Kia Georgia’s General Assembly shop, where he was a key figure in developing and implementing The Kia Way and the Georgia Production System as core practices of the facility’s operational system. Since his hiring, Countess has held positions as the company’s Director of Quality, Vice President of Quality and Chief Administrative Officer, and Chief Operating Officer before assuming his current role.

Lifetime Haralson County resident Martha Murphy Long will deliver the keynote address at the evening ceremony at Murphy Campus. As a board member at West Georgia Technical College, Long was instrumental in the development of the flagship Haralson campus and was pivotal in changing education access in West Georgia. She was also a member of the organizing committee and a Charter Director for the Haralson County Chamber now known as Greater Haralson Chamber. Long currently serves as a commissioner with the Georgia Commission on Women and as a trustee of the Carroll EMC Foundation.   

“We are looking forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our graduates and recognizing their hard work and dedication,” said WGTC president Dr. Julie Post. “This is a momentous occasion in their lives, and we are honored to be a part of it.”

Both ceremonies will be available for viewing via live stream at www.westgatech.edu/graduation.

West Georgia Technical College, with campuses in Carroll, Coweta, Douglas, Haralson, and Troup counties and class sites in Heard and Meriwether counties, offers more than 120 associate degree, diploma, and technical certificate programs of study. A unit of the Technical College System of Georgia, West Georgia Tech is one of the largest of the state’s 22 technical colleges. For more information, please visit www.westgatech.edu.