Letter from NCATC President Jack Roach

From my personal experience, I can say that NCATC is a great organization. It is a great organization because it exists for the benefit of its members. It is also great because it is run by its members.   Let me say it again, NCATC — For Its Members, By Its Members.

The greatest strength of NCATC has always been its network of over 150 member institutions across the country. In this day of budget cuts and doing more with less, we can all benefit by learning from each other. I have found that NCATC members have a willingness to share like no others. That new program that I need in South Carolina may already exist in Minnesota or Oregon. From the networking connections available at an NCATC Summer Workshop or Fall Conference, I can find out who already has something that can benefit my institution. This opportunity for access to best practices from across the entire country is invaluable.
 
Another asset of NCATC is its Board of Directors. Your Board of Directors is not a ceremonial board. It is a working board composed of members just like you, people who are working in the trenches day to day, dealing with the same issues that all of you have. The board encourages you to use it as a resource, contact us with questions or problems you are dealing with. We will facilitate getting you connected to the right member with the answer you need. Your board is always looking for ways to help the membership. If there is something you think NCATC can do for you, let the board know about it.

NCATC has several member services and benefits, and we encourage you to take advantage of them. These include technical consulting to develop or improve your Advanced Technology Center (ATC) through the Member Assistance Program (MAP) and external evaluation services for national grants. Many members have used these services to great advantage for their institution. If you are planning a new ATC or are writing a grant proposal, think about what NCATC can do for you.

As the country is struggling to put people back to work, the Community and Technical Colleges are playing a vital role in retooling the workforce. NCATC members are leading the way by providing the training programs needed to supply business and industry with the modern high-tech workers required to be globally competitive. Being flexible and responsive to the changing needs of industries in their areas is a hallmark of our members.

On behalf of your Board of Directors, we encourage all our members to take full advantage of their NCATC membership, to make the task ahead a little less daunting.

NCATC — For Its Members, By Its Members

Jack Roach

2012 NCATC President