SAVANNAH TECHNICAL COLLEGE: Bill Cathcart to be honored at 17th Annual Opportunity Gala

By Press release submission

Jan 29, 2022

Savannah Technical College issued the following announcement on Jan. 24.

Civic leader Bill Cathcart will be honored at the 17th annual Opportunity Award Gala, Friday, April 22, 2022. The event, hosted by the Savannah Technical College Foundation, honors deserving leaders in our community for a lifetime of service in creating and enhancing opportunities for others to succeed. Proceeds will support the College’s Freedom Fund military scholarship.

The STC Foundation will honor Cathcart for his visionary and exemplary leadership in supporting and serving the military community throughout Coastal Georgia. He holds a Ph.D. and Master’s degree in Mass Communication (Ohio State), and a Bachelor’s degree in History (Hope College). Following ten-years as a university professor in Illinois, he transitioned to commercial television station work in Minnesota. Then, in 1985, he bade farewell to his snow-blower, and welcomed the opportunity to come to Savannah and WTOC-TV. He retired from WTOC-TV in 2014, after 29-years of service, the last 24 as the station’s Vice-President & General Manager.

Cathcart’s Savannah-area community involvement includes past-Board Chair of the National Museum of the Mighty 8th Air Force (and a current board member), as well as a long-time continuing membership on the Savannah-Area Chamber of Commerce Board, where he served as a past-chairman, and is its current Military Affairs Council chair. He is also a Board member of the STARBASE Savannah Foundation (STEM instruction for area 5th grade students, hosted on Hunter AAF), a past Board member of USO Savannah, and a long-time member of the Rotary Club of Savannah.

He holds honorary member status with Hunter Army Airfield’s 1st of the 75th Rangers; Hunter’s 3rd of the 160th Night Stalkers; and the 3rd Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade (Hunter). He has also been named a Third Infantry Division “Rock Star” (“Rock of the Marne”) at Fort Stewart. Additionally, he served for many years as the Honorary Wing Commander of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 165th Airlift Wing in Savannah

In 2013, Cathcart was nominated by then-3rd Infantry Division Commander, Major-General Robert B. “Abe” Abrams, and selected by the Department of the Army, to become the first Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army (CASA) for the Coastal Georgia Region, a position in which he continues to serve.

The Opportunity Award Gala is a fundraiser for the Savannah Technical College Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization that raises funds to support Savannah Technical College. STC Foundation Board officers and event co-chairs, Gary Sanchez and Kay Ford, are leading the fundraising efforts.

The event gathers 300 community and civic leaders for a celebratory evening honoring a special individual. The evening also showcases the talents of students enrolled in Savannah Technical College’s award-winning Culinary Arts programs. Past recipients include: Former Governor Zell Miller, Arnold Tenenbaum, Judge Griffin Bell, Tom Coleman, Dick Eckburg, Arthur M. Gignilliat, Jr., Bob and Alice Jepson, Howard Morrison, Stratton Leopold, Chef Jean Vendeville, Ted Kleisner, and Kevin “Catfish” Jackson. For ticket and sponsorship information visit savannahtech.edu/gala or contact Gail Eubanks (geubanks@savannahtech.edu or 912.443.3022).

About STC’s Freedom Fund Military Scholarship:

STC’s Freedom Fund has supported 219 military-affiliated students with $130,151.11 in scholarship awards during the last five years. This needs-based fund provides up to 95% for out-of-pocket expenses

for soldiers, veterans and spouses, whose tuition assistance does not cover tuition, fees, books, or equipment. Examples of support for those who serve includes:

buying books and tools for active duty service members;
paying registration fees each semester for military spouses (MyCAA) students;
covering unpaid tuition and registration fees up to 95% for those with VA benefits less than 100% education benefits;
supporting a veteran who has run out of education benefits before completing their program of study.

One in four STC students is a veteran, active duty service member or a military dependent/spouse. Last year, the College was ranked as the top Military Friendly® and Military Spouse Friendly School in the U.S. (2021-22). For the past four years, the College has been ranked as one of the top Best for Vets public technical and career college in the U.S. by Military Times.

The College waives all general mandatory fees for active duty service members using military tuition assistance. Other services Savannah Tech offers for veterans include workshops and grants.

Original source can be found here.