A familiar face from Jeff Davis County is stepping into one of the top leadership roles in technical education. Teresa Coleman, a Hazlehurst native and Jeff Davis High School graduate, has been appointed interim president of Southeastern Technical College following the retirement of longtime President Larry Calhoun.
Coleman brings more than three decades of experience in technical education and has spent the past 30 years serving Southeastern Technical College in a variety of leadership positions. Since joining the college in 1998, she has served as vice president for operations and fiscal affairs before becoming vice president for academic affairs in 2007.
Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Greg Dozier praised Coleman’s leadership and expressed confidence in her ability to guide the college through the transition. “Teresa has been a valued leader at Southeastern Technical College for more than 30 years,” Dozier said. “Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in advancing academic excellence, supporting student success, and strengthening the College’s impact across the communities it serves.”
Coleman said she is honored by the opportunity to serve as interim president and remains committed to the students, faculty, staff, and communities served by Southeastern Tech. “I am deeply honored to serve as interim president,” Coleman said. “For 30 years, I have had the privilege of working alongside exceptional faculty and staff at STC to serve our students and communities.”
She noted that Southeastern Technical College continues to experience record enrollment and is expanding educational opportunities throughout the region. One of the college’s newest academic offerings is an Associate of Science in Education degree, which allows students to complete the first two years of an education degree locally before transferring to a partnering college or university to earn a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.
Coleman also highlighted continued growth in the college’s medical, cosmetology, industrial, business, and personal services programs, along with the expansion of Adult Education offerings that now include an accredited high school diploma.
A graduate of the University of Georgia, where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, Coleman later received a Master of Science in Postsecondary Education from Troy University.
Before joining Southeastern Technical College, she served as a career planning specialist at Altamaha Technical College and later worked with the Department of Technical and Adult Education Southeast Consortium, supporting six technical colleges across the region.
In addition to her professional responsibilities, Coleman remains active in community service. She currently serves on the HCA Memorial Health Meadows Hospital Board of Trustees, is a member of the Vidalia Rotary Club, and has completed several leadership development programs, including the Georgia Academy for Economic Development’s Regional Economic and Leadership Development Program and the Technical College System of Georgia’s Executive Leadership Academy.
Coleman and her husband, Warren, have two daughters, Morgan (Weston) Powell and Macy Coleman, and are proud grandparents to Crew and Case.
Community Compass
For many in Jeff Davis County, Teresa Coleman represents the value of investing in education and giving back to the community where it all began. Her appointment as interim president is not only a milestone in her career but also a point of hometown pride. As Southeastern Technical College continues to grow and prepare students for today’s workforce, Coleman’s leadership will help shape opportunities for future generations across Southeast Georgia.
