System Visit Sets in Motion Bloomberg Philanthropies Grant Activities for Regional Healthcare High School
TCSG Commissioner, Greg Dozier, makes comments at dinner with state and regional government leaders and stakeholders on the announcement of the planning activities for the Regional Healthcare High School.
Warner Robins, Ga. – This week, Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) hosted meetings for the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) Board of Directors and Senior Leadership Academy, allowing the College to showcase student success, unprecedented enrollment growth, and build excitement for new developments.
Together with the leaders in education and healthcare, CGTC celebrated the launch of activities related to its recent Bloomberg Philanthropies planning grant award. State and local government representatives, regional secondary and higher education leaders, and community stakeholders joined the College and representatives from Bloomberg Philanthropies for a dinner event at Houston Lake Country Club to announce the Regional STEM/Healthcare High School initiative which will form one of the most significant public/private partnerships in Georgia history.
CGTC Leadership welcomes TCSG State Board to its Warner Robins Campus.
In May, Bloomberg Philanthropies awarded a $692,000 planning grant to support the establishment of a regional STEM/Healthcare High School located in Houston County. The planning will be undertaken through an alliance between CGTC, the Houston County School District (HCSD), and local hospital systems aimed at establishing career-connected learning opportunities to strengthen central Georgia’s healthcare workforce.
The regional healthcare high school program will be an innovative educational approach focused on providing students with training and skills to pursue high-demand career opportunities within the local healthcare workforce. As a regional high school, students from partnering school districts can also enroll in the healthcare courses, and continue into the 13th year if needed.
TCSG’s Senior Leadership Academy (SLA) visits the Georgia VECTR Center operated by CGTC and stops for a group photo.
This planning grant stems from a first-of-its-kind $250 million initiative launched in 2024 by Bloomberg Philanthropies that is connecting healthcare and education systems to create new high schools in 10 urban and rural communities across the country including: Boston, MA; Charlotte, NC; Dallas, TX; Durham, NC; Houston, TX; Nashville, TN; Demopolis, AL and Northeast TN. Alliance members will visit existing sites to learn best practices and establish plans for the regional STEM/Healthcare high school.
“We hope the time spent with our government leaders, community stakeholders, and our educational systems serves as a reminder that CGTC is invested in all of our communities,” said Dr. Ivan H. Allen, CGTC’s president. “It is because of the dedication of each of these leaders, and entities such as Bloomberg Philanthropies, that generations of students will find success.”
Col. (Ret.) Don Layne briefs TCSG State Board members and SLA on the work of the VECTR Center to support veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families.
In addition to celebrating the path ahead for the regional healthcare high school, CGTC also welcomed board approval of four new Associate of Science degree programs including pathways in Criminal Justice, Social Work, Psychology, and Education. The Associate of Science degrees provide greater ease of transfer to senior institutions with similar programs.
“New Associate of Science degree programs allow our students to access careers in high-demand fields regionally, and access new pathways to continue their education in four-year programs,” said DeAnn Nester, CGTC’s Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We are pleased to have an approval from the State Board to offer these new pathways beginning spring 2026.”
TCSG State Board members and SLA gather at Robins North, home of the Aerospace Training and Sustainment Center (ATSC), to learn about the interagency partnerships that house the College’s aviation programs inside hangars adjacent to active work for Robins Air Force Base.
New development and programming would not be possible with the support of CGTC’s own board of directors, and in accordance with the State Board, approval was given to CGTC to add three new members to its local board.
Cedric B. Davis, Esq., Ph.D., a distinguished attorney, educator, and veteran, and counsel at Adams, Jordan & Herrington, P.C. with a long-standing commitment to public service and legal excellence joins the board representing Baldwin County.
Cynthia “Cyndey” Costello Busbee, MBA, CSSBB, is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 20 years of leadership experience at Atrium Health Navicent for Macon-Bibb County. She currently serves as Senior Vice President of Market Communications, Public Affairs and Community Engagement, as well as Chief of Staff at Atrium Health Navicent where she oversees strategic communications, board relations, and systemwide operational priorities for hospitals and clinics across central Georgia.
Scott Strong, a U.S. Army veteran and decorated combat medic, joins the local board representing Macon-Bibb County. He is a highly accomplished healthcare executive with a distinguished career spanning more than 25 years. Known for his transformational leadership and operational expertise, Strong has played a pivotal role in driving strategic growth and innovation across the Piedmont Healthcare system as its current Chief Operating Officer.
The CGTC Board of Directors is a group of community and business leaders from counties in the College’s service area, including Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Dooly, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Pulaski, Putnam, and Twiggs.
This group assists CGTC’s governing board, the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia, with moving forward the mission and vision of the College and TCSG. In addition to reviewing and approving the local policies, procedures, and educational programs of the College, the local directors also serve as advocates for Central Georgia Technical College.
About Central Georgia Technical College
As one of the largest two-year colleges in the state, CGTC operates three campuses and five centers throughout central Georgia, serving more than 30,000 individuals annually. CGTC is focused on connecting graduates to careers by offering quality education services, assuring a well -qualified workforce to support a healthy local economy. CGTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. For more information about CGTC, visit www.centralgatech.edu. Like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/centralgatech), X (@CGTC), and Instagram (@centralgatech).