During its August 12 meeting, the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Board of Trustees approved renaming the main building of the Geneva Regional Career Technical Center (G-TECH) after Alabama Senator Donnie Chesteen, honoring the state legislator who was an integral part of the creation of the center.

G-TECH was created through a regional partnership – led by then-Representative Chesteen – between Geneva City Schools, Geneva County Schools, the Alabama Community College System, and the Alabama National Guard. The center was designed to give Geneva-area high school students access to hands-on career training and college credit while still in high school.

Chesteen became a vocal advocate for keeping local National Guard armories open in Geneva County, including Fort Fred M. Fleming. In October 2015, when the Alabama National Guard announced potential closures of as many as 21 armories, Chesteen traveled to Montgomery to meet with officials from the governor’s office and the National Guard. His advocacy ultimately helped lead to a new vision for the facility, leading to the partnership that would allow the building to serve an educational and workforce-development purpose.

Renovations of the facility, which cost around $5 million, were made between 2016-2017. The facility reopened as G-TECH in Fall 2017 and was used collectively by the school systems and the National Guard for a time.

For the first semester, over 100 students took dual enrollment courses in one of the five original programs in education, health sciences, automotive technology, aviation maintenance technology and welding. Courses were provided by through local community college partners, including Enterprise State Community College, providing students the opportunity to earn college credit while gaining practical experience in career fields during their time in high school.

Today, G-TECH serves around 200 students annually and offers seven high-quality dual enrollment programs.

In 2024, ESCC assumed complete ownership of the G-TECH facility, bringing the center into a new chapter as an ESCC campus while continuing its original mission of preparing students for college, careers and the workforce.

ESCC’s continued partnership with Geneva City and Geneva County schools remains central to G-TECH’s success. ESCC also appreciates the continued support of Senator Chesteen as well as the leadership and collaboration of the Geneva County and Geneva City Schools superintendents in supporting this shared vision for career and technical education.