2 GNTC Business Management graduates advance in their fields

Casey Hunter to earn associate degree in May 2021 and work at Mohawk Industries


Casey Hunter to earn associate degree in May 2021 and work at Mohawk Industries

Two men turned to Georgia Northwestern Technical College mid-career to further deepen their business management knowledge to advance along distinct career paths.

Darren Goodwin, an Acworth native, took business management courses at GNTC’s Floyd County campus in Rome and online, graduating in December 2022 with an associate degree. He has worked in the air conditioning industry for 22 years, including 15 years with Daikin Applied Corporation.

Casey Hunter enrolled in the business administration program at GNTC’s Walker County campus in Rock Springs and graduated with an associate degree in May 2021.

He has been with Mohawk Industries since 1995.

“I’m an unconventional student,” Mr. Goodwin said. “In 2018, I moved around the company. My manager asked me if I was college educated. I told him I wasn’t. He pushed me to take the step and get a degree.”

gentlemen. Goodwin said he has been “very focused” on completing his degree at GNTC and that he is still weighing which university he will pursue his bachelor’s degree at. He feels his specialized business courses at GNTC will help him move forward.

“The principles of leadership and team projects stood out to me because I could use those principles to move into the next level of my education,” he said.

gentlemen. Hunter’s motivation for going to college echoes Mr. Goodwin’s.

“I started to work my way up the ranks,” says Mr. Hunter, who has lived in the Trion/Summerville area all his life. He started out as an entry-level forklift driver. Since then, he has held various jobs including operator, crew chief, supervisor, and then production manager.

“I love doing that type of work and hope to continue to improve at Mohawk,” he said. “The degree may open doors for me in the future.”

gentlemen. Hunter chose GNTC because the business management program is affordable and fully online.

gentlemen. Hunter, now a senior production manager, says he oversees four different processes and warehouses; his responsibilities include all production, quality and safety aspects of these areas.

“My courses at GNTC taught me different management skills and gave me a better understanding of the different aspects of being a manager,” he explained.

gentlemen. Goodwin joined his current team in 2018 and was promoted to Director of Technical Response/Senior Regional Technical Analyst, Chiller Technical Response, Daikin Applied Americas in April 2022. He described taking on the company’s grassroots leadership role as his “first foray” into leadership talent.

“I learned a lot – mainly what not to do,” Mr. Goodwin said. “When I started studying at GNTC, I really got into the leadership brain. Book knowledge came with my experiential knowledge; it was like sharpening a knife.”

gentlemen. Goodwin’s team supports field technicians working on Daikin-manufactured chillers.

“I’m one of 12 people supporting more than 400 technicians domestically and 400 more technicians internationally,” he said.

Because Mr. Hunt completes his courses online, he has fewer interactions with faculty than students who attend classes on campus. He tested his abilities with a final project in spring 2021 for his Business Management Team Projects class; his course instructor was Graceful Beam, associate dean for business, web and public service technology.

“Working with other students I didn’t know and building our business from the ground up was a challenge at the time,” he said.

“Casey has the maturity of a student of a non-traditional age, but that doesn’t set him apart from other students,” Ms. Casey said. Beam said, adding that he was doing well in class and was happy. “He embraced the opportunity to teach and learn from other students.”

Mrs. Mr. Beam shared. Hunter’s teammates describe him as determined, inspiring, willing to help when needed and willing to go above and beyond on projects.

gentlemen. Goodwin also praised Ms. Beam and Pam Anderson, Assistant Dean and Chair of Mathematics at the GNTC, for playing a key role in his academic advancement.

“Grace is a rock star coach,” he said. “Pam Anderson from the Department of Liberal Studies and Mathematics really helped me think back to algebra very early.”

Mrs. Mr Liang said. She was impressed by Goodwin’s people skills and communication skills. She noticed his professionalism, friendliness, openness and attention to detail.

“Darren gave great feedback on the courses and how they were viewed from a student perspective,” Leung said. “He helped me spot some of the mistakes in class because he was always the first one to do the assignments.”

gentlemen. Goodwin demonstrated strong leadership skills in the classroom and was able to bring out the best in his fellow students through his mentoring and leadership skills. He demonstrated his commitment to high performance; how he did one thing was how he did everything, she explained.

“Because of Darren’s education at GNTC, we have definitely seen positive changes in him,” said Andrew Parlier, Chiller Technical Support Manager at Daikin Applied. “Darren is already an excellent performer within the organization with previous leadership experience.”

And Mr. Goodwin completed his degree at GNTC and was promoted to Director.

“A consideration in this promotion was Darren’s commitment to higher education,” Mr. Parrier said. “Leaders within any organization want to promote like-minded individuals who care about others and who have a vision. His studies at GNTC have helped solidify Darren’s foundation and will serve as a springboard for future opportunities.”

gentlemen. Hunter’s supervisor, Vice President of Recycling, Mark Dye, and Senior Plant Manager, Jimmy Tapp, said they were pleased Hunter was recognized for his accomplishments at GNTC, calling him “a valuable and well-respected member of the Mohawk Somerville management team.” Respected members”.

“We are delighted to see Kathy continue to grow personally and professionally during her 27 years with the company,” they said in a joint statement. “It is clear that his education at GNTC complements his naturally strong work ethic and advanced technical abilities. Casey has developed into a professional and competent leader within the Mohawk organization and the Chattooga County community.”

gentlemen. Hunter said that in addition to helping him advance his career, he believes his experience at GNTC has boosted his self-esteem.

“My degree gave me a sense of accomplishment simply because I accomplished what I set out to do,” he said. “I started college in high school and didn’t finish it. I’m proud to be able to go back and finish my associate’s degree.”

Darren Goodwin earning an associate degree from GNTC in December 2022 and working at Daikin Applied Corporation


Darren Goodwin earning an associate degree from GNTC in December 2022 and working at Daikin Applied Corporation

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