March 23, 2021
Dr. Mary Thornely, president of Trident Technical College, gave an uplifting talk about how her school has weathered the pandemic and its ambitious plans for the future. Trident is truly an educational foundation for our community and offers a wide range of opportunities for developing much-needed skills. Our participation in the Rotary Ready program kicked into high gear with volunteers from the club lending a hand at three different sites around Charleston. With the vaccine distribution ramping up in teh Lowcountry more violuneteers are still needed. Check out the post below to find out how you can help.
This week, we were fortunate to have Dr. Mary Thornley, President Trident Technical College, speak to us about TTC many benefits to our community and their challenges over the past year.
Like everyone TTC became aware of the first US COVID-19 cases in January 2020 and by March all their classes went completely online. Their employees discovered innovative ways to not only maintain the teaching and training, but to make improvements. TTC is as comprehensive community college offering 185 diverse programs from English 101 to Industrial Electricity. They have offered virtual English 101 classes for 30 years. They had never offered Industrial Electricity online.
TTC has the largest nursing program in the state with 211 Registered Nurses graduating last year. Their nursing instructors created a very innovative video detailing household materials that can simulate tactile experience of catheterization. In their culinary program, 80% of students lost their jobs. Faculty came up with a program to prepare meal kits with video instructions. Students would learn to prepare the meal and then have what might be needed meal to share. Another idea that was driven by the need for social distancing was having a full day of open lab time instead of a prescribed 3-hour period. This allowed students to do their lab time any time from 7 am to 11 pm. This is something that has worked well and will be continued after the pandemic ends. The school has held virtual open houses for prospective students including virtual tours of the new Aeronautical Engineering building. Last year also happened to be the scheduled 10 year reaccreditation. TTC went through that for the 3rd time and once again passed with no exceptions or recommendations from the board.
As for COVID-19 impacts, yes there has been a decrease in enrollment. Nationwide community colleges have seen a 10% decline. Colleges in South Carolina have seen 6.5% reduction and TTC has had 5.6% loss. Dr. Thorney quoted from a Post & Courier article that “economic inequality has marked the pandemic recession and recovery”. She cited the contrast between the record job losses, foreclosures, evictions, and hardships amid record breaking sale of houses of high-end houses. Disproportionally job losses have impacted those at the lower income occupations. The article goes on to state that for millions of those Americans the recovery will take a very long time. Many of the students at TTC are among this group.
5 years ago, students approached Dr. Thornley and asked to set up a food pantry for students in need. Pre-pandemic the pantry was giving out 2,000 pounds of food a month. That more than doubled to 4,700 pounds during the pandemic. The students who use the food bank have similar stories: they or other members of their households have lost jobs and income. The average TTC student is not 18 or 20, but 26. They face more challenges than younger students: childcare expenses, home schooling, and other adult commitments and responsibilities.
The loss of enrollment fees and other associated revenue has had major impacts on TTC’s budget. Previously at $91 M, it was revised to under $87 M. This was a big deal and unprecedented. Hiring was frozen and temporary employees were let go first, but ultimately, they had to reduce full time employees from 687 to 629. That is 58 people a name and story and she played a role in their jobs being lost. This was the definition of pandemic pain.
So yes, there has been an impact on students and subsequently on staff, but the need for TTC and their students has grown. There is a skills mismatch in our economy, and we need to value all work. During pandemic did you find yourself redefining whose jobs were essential? We have a shortage of skilled workers. Many are retiring from fields where there may be a lack of interest by younger people. There is a focus on 4-year degrees by parents and guidance counselors. Many schools look at graduation with 4 years degrees as the measure of success. We need to prepare people to meet the demands of the job market. The 21st century economy has much shorter-term employment than in the past. The average is currently 4.1 years with the same company.
TTC has currently has 7 campuses throughout the tri-county. An 8th campus in Dorchester County is coming in June. For years Dorchester County has wanted more of TTC presence in the Summerville area and now they will have one. The site is a former retail center on Oakbrook Road. The county is providing funds to renovate the center. Dr. Thornley said the campus will offer general education, IT, and cybersecurity programs, but she is excited that they will have an impressive HVAC shop. TTC offers HVAC at Rivers Avenue campus, but the program is full. This field has a demand for new workers and offers good salaries. The average age of an HVAC tech is 54. There are 3 high schools nearby, and none offer HVAC.
TTC pulled all the aviation programs to the Rivers Avenue campus and this created space at the Berkeley Campus. They knew they needed to put programs back at that campus and it became obvious what that needed to be. With the arrival of Volvo and Mercedes and the announcement of a new Walmart distribution center in the county, TTC plans to offer a Logistics and Transportation program. They are seeking $12 M from the state and raising private money. They have received a $1 M grant from Truist for a commercial truck driving program. Much of the demand for these workers is being spawned by the growth of the States Port Authority. The first phase of the new Hugh Leatherman terminal is on track to open this spring and when complete it will double the capacity of SPA.
In closing, Dr. Thornley quoted a journalist she deeply respects who refers to Covid 19 as the most consequential event of the century. She agrees with this and her primary concern is for the return and recovery of TTC students. We should care about that too. These are the people who will repair your car, clean your teeth, care for your pet, repair your utility problems, take your x-rays, wire your house, bake your birthday cake, serve your meal at Rotary, repair your HVAC, fix your company’s cybersecurity problems, and they will nurse you back to health.
To see the recording of this week’s meeting, go here.
Submitted by Jeff Webb, Keyway Committee
IN OTHER MEETING NEWS
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- Michael Smith gave the Invocation and led us in the pledge.
- Joseph Tecklenburg introduced our visiting Rotarians & guests.
- President Lisa presented Health and Happiness.
- Mary Peters introduced our guest speaker, Dr. Mary Thornley, President, Trident Technical College.
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MORE IN THIS WEEK’S KEYWAY
March 30, 2021 | Issue 5001 President: Lisa Van Bergen
COMING EVENTS
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- March 30 – John Darby, “How the Beach Company makes our region even better”
- April 6 – John Warren, President/Kiawah, PGA Championship (ZOOM ONLY)
- April 13 – Catherine Brack, The Gaillard / 11 am Board Meeting
- April 20 – Sam Konduros, SCBio, “The Life Sciences Industry in SC”
- April 27 – NETWORKING
NEWS BRIEFS
COVID: In-Person Reminder
As we go back to attending meetings in person, we wanted to again share the below from the District. Members are asked to keep this in mind.
It has come to my attention that we need to set some ground rules for dealing with Rotarians who contract COVID-19 and how we deal with this in our clubs. First, for the Rotarians themselves. We MUST maintain absolute confidentiality for ANYONE who tests positive for COVID-19 unless they give us permission to share their information. That said, we MUST also ask, even require, that any Rotarian who has been to an in-person Rotary meeting or other function and later suspects they have COVID-19 report this to their Club President as soon as possible. This could be due to being in close contact with a person who tests positive or that they show symptoms. And, they absolutely must let the Club President know immediately if they test positive. Then, keeping confidentiality, the Club President MUST let all who attended that event know that there was someone at the event or meeting who came down with symptoms or tested positive. This will, at least, give all those notified the option of being tested immediately. And, it gives them a warning that maybe they should limit their contact with others until it is proven that they are not infected.
Rotary Ready Update – COVID Vaccine Rollout

The daily vaccine clinic with MUSC to be held at 180 Lockwood in the former DMV Offices will not be a drive-in event. People will park their cars and walk in the building. Once those appointments go live later this week, they will need to register at: https://muschealth.org/get-vaccine They will be automatically registered for their 2nd dose 3 weeks later at the same time and location for the Pfizer vaccine.

There will be a drive-thru event at East Cooper Medical Center starting on March 20 weekly. First dose events are scheduled on March 20 and April 10. Registration will be on the East Cooper website when they become available: https://www.eastcoopermedctr.com/our-response-to-COVID-19 and click on “Request Vaccine Request”. They will also be registered for their 2nd dose 3 weeks later at the same time and location for the Pfizer vaccine.
**Rotary volunteers from all the Lowcountry Rotary Clubs will be providing volunteers for all these events, but our club is primarily responsible for the DMV daily clinic for non-medical roles (12 3-hour shifts per day). Signup is looking good so far! Link is here to register to volunteer: www.rotaryready.com and select the Charleston site.
Charleston 50
We made it!! We are at 100% of our goal of 50 donors by our goal date of March 15! Thank you to our inaugural class of the Charleston 50 for their generous support. This special group of 48 Rotarians and 2 community donors committed to contribute $500 annually to the RCCF, which funds our club’s community and international projects and grants. The Charleston 50 was a wonderful alternative to a fundraiser during these COVID times and will serve the club well in the future. Thank you to Phoenicia Miracle and Jeanne Jamme for all their efforts in making this such a success. We can continue to do our good works into the 2021-2022 year!
March Madness Fundraiser
What a difference a year makes! MARCH MADNESS is back!! A big thank you to all our Rotarian college basketball fans for supporting our March Madness basketball pool. The first weekend was packed full of some exciting games! The current leader is “unknown” as their name is not posted — if it is you, please let Joseph Tecklenburg know. Over $400 has been collected. The top 3 winners will be awarded a small share of the pot and the remainder will be donated to the RCCF. What a fun way to support our club’s foundation! Thank you to Joseph Tecklenburg and Digit Matheny for coordinating!
Global Grant in Peru Completed
Dr. Bill Greene of the Daniel Island Rotary Club joined us this past Tuesday to share some good news … The Global Grant our club (through our RCCF) supported during the 2019-2020 Rotary year in Loma Negra, Peru has been completed. Ten clubs in the Charleston area joined the Piura Oeste Club in creating this Global Grant. The Charleston area clubs together raised a total of $28,750.00 with our RCCF being the largest single contributor. This money was then matched by our District 7770 and Rotary International with a contribution of $75,532, so the total grant ended up being for a $104,264. Every last dollar was spent to construct 200 sanitary latrines. Thanks to the efforts and expertise of Water Missions.
Dr. Greene also introduced our members to a new Global Grant water project in a hospital in Haiti. Our club, as well as other clubs in our area, have committed to support this project, as well. We will hear more about this project as it is still in the developmental stages.
April Social at Baker and Brewer
All members and their guests are invited to join us for our monthly Happy Hour on Thursday, April 29th from 5pm-6:30pm. In April, we will be visiting Baker and Brewer, 94 Stuart Street. This will be another wonderful opportunity to catch up with fellow Rotarians over a cold beverage. If you know that you are planning to attend, please RSVP to the Evite, so we can have a rough idea of how many people to expect. An RSVP is not mandatory, so if you find at the last minute you can join us, please do!
PR Committee Seeking Volunteers
Our club’s PR Team is looking for additional members to join their committee. Specifically, volunteer photographers are needed to take photos at our meetings. If you are interested in serving on the PR committee and helping in this role, please email Mike Sottak at [email protected]. Fancy cameras are not required, an iPhone will do! It would be wonderful to have a couple of volunteers alternating the weekly duty.
Support The CART Fund
It is easy for club members to make individual contributions and support The CART Fund electronically. The CART Fund has a new portal www.mycartfund.org, which you can easily access. As a Rotarian and a DACdb user, you automatically have an account already set-up in your name. Your user name and password are the same as it is for the DACdb.
Support the Rotary Foundation
The District 7770 Million $ Campaign and dinner will be held on May 5th 2021 at the Francis Marion Hotel. Our own Sandy Morkel is the Chair for that event. $10,000 spread over 3 years or a Bequest gets you an invite.
And do not forget your opportunity to be recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. Eighty-five dollars a month gets you there. Please reach out to Karl Riner, Club Foundation Chair, to sign up or ask questions. You can also donate to Rotary’s efforts to end polio now: https://endpolio.org/donate.
Our Club is on Social Media
Members are encouraged to follow all of our social media channels and share posts with their followers too! We also need members to send us pictures of anything they do that relates to Rotary – service projects, meetings, events, etc. We would love to keep our accounts full of smiling Rotarians! Photos can be sent to Mike Sottak, [email protected], or Rob Byko, [email protected].
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Rotarian: Dwayne Green
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- JOINED: 3/2/2021 (former member of our club
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- SPONSOR: Past President Sandy Morckel & President-Elect Rob Dewey
- MEMBERSHIP INVOLVEMENT: New Member
- CLASSIFICATION: Legal Consulting/Gov’t Affairs
- PROFESSION: Attorney at Law, Green Law Offices and Consulting
- SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT YOURSELF: I am a former political opinion piece writer for the Charleston City Paper and very active in the local political scene.
- JOINED: 3/2/2021 (former member of our club
Birthdays
- 4/2 – Mary Peters & Campbell Coxe
By the numbers
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- Attendance on March 16, 2021 (In-Person and Zoom): 60
- Not in attendance: Baggs, Baus, Berry, Bini, Brack, Chico, Clark, Coe, Coghill, Cole, Cook, Coxe, Crouch, Curia, DeGraff, Diminich, Drafts, Echols, Fason, Fellabom, Fink, S., Galizia, Gill, Green, Hanger, Holmes, Husser, Imam, Jones, Jones, Kaynard, Loredo, Lucy, Mauk, Minson, Moore, Moring, Morelli, Oswalt, Palmer, Patrick, Plotner, Ravenel, Rust, Seguer, Shahid, Sidebottom, Smith, H., Stoney, Strickland, Taylor, Teller, Wackym, Walters, Webb, Weston, Williams
- Out of Town Make-ups: None
WELLNESS TIP
Start your day with a healthy morning routine
Start each day with fulfilling activities that set the tone for how you want to feel—whether that’s inspired, relaxed, productive, or something else.
ARE CLUB MEETINGS
Mondays
- Summerville – Oakbrook: 7:30 a.m., Monday, Westcott County Club, 5000 Wescott Club Drive, North Charleston
- North Charleston: 12:30 a.m., Monday, Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Blvd, North Charleston.
- Summerville Evening: 5:30 p.m., Monday, Montreux Bar and Grill, 127 W. Richardson Ave., Summerville
Tuesdays
- East Cooper Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cooper River Room at Waterfront Park, Mount Pleasant
- Charleston: 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
- Goose Creek: 12:45 m. Tuesday, Gilligan’s, 219 St. James Ave., Goose Creek
Wednesdays
- Daniel Island: 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Daniel Island Club, 600 Island Park Dr., Daniel Island
- St. John’s Parish (John’s Island): 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, 2817 Maybank Highway, Unit 1, John’s Island
- Mount Pleasant: 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, Harbor Breeze Restaurant, 176 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant
- Summerville: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sticky Fingers, Summerville
Thursdays
- North Charleston Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. Thursday, Embassy Suites, 5055 International Blvd., North Charleston
- Moncks Corner: 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Gilligan’s Restaurant, Moncks Corner
- St. Andrews (West Ashley): 12:30 p.m., Thursday, Bessinger’s BBQ, 1602 Savannah Highway, Charleston.
Fridays
- Charleston Breakfast: 7:30AM Hall’s Signature Events, 5 Faber, Charleston
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our Rotary club actively uses social media — and we encourage you to interact with us through social media.
- We’re on Facebook. Take a look at our page and be sure to “like us”.
- We’re on Twitter. You can follow us @chasrotaryclub.
- We’re on Instagram. You can follow us @ChasRotaryClub.
ABOUT THE KEYWAY
The Keyway has been published weekly as a newsletter for the Rotary Club of Charleston for more than 90 years.
- President: Lisa Van Bergen
- Keyway editor: Don Baus [email protected]
- Executive secretary: Carroll Schweers, [email protected]
- Mailing address: Rotary Club of Charleston, P.O. Box 21029, Charleston, SC 29413-1029
- Copyright 2018, Rotary Club of Charleston. All rights reserved