Skip to main content

The Leatherwood Legacy

Pictured (l-r) Angela, Gil, Mike, Linda, Nick, Brook, Bryon and Scott in front
of Leatherwood Manufacturing in North Charleston.
The Trident Technical College family mourns the loss of student, Bryon Leatherwood. In his honor, we would like to share a story from 2013, featuring Byron and others in his family who have attended TTC. The Leatherwoods are long-time supporters of the college and our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult time.
_________________________________________________________________________

What family traditions do you have? For Mike Leatherwood, president of Leatherwood Manufacturing in North Charleston, education at Trident Technical College has become an intergenerational family tradition. 

 Leatherwood has been an on-going student since the early 1970’s. His two sons, Scott and Gil Leatherwood, are TTC graduates, as is Gil’s wife Angela. Scott holds two associate degrees in industrial technology and welding technology. Gil and Angela, who met at TTC, both graduated with associate degrees in electronics technology. Angela also has a TTC medical assistant associate degree. Third generation grandsons Nick and Bryon are enrolled in two-year associate degree programs in mechanical engineering, while granddaughter Brooke is enrolled in a two-year program in nursing. With all the cousins and four more grandchildren coming along, Mike says he will probably have enough TTC graduates to have their own college reunion. 

 “There wasn’t a plan to establish a family tradition, it just happened,” Leatherwood said. “TTC offered and continues to offer career courses that are important to my business and to the future of my grandchildren. TTC is also affordable and offers almost any career path of choice.” 

 Leatherwood’s business, which provides contract manufacturing services for the aerospace, military, medical, industrial and commercial industries, has relied heavily for 27 years on the training offered at TTC. “I’m always delighted to see job applicants who have attended TTC,” said Leatherwood. “This always gets my attention as I know they have received the proper training for their selected careers.” 

 Over the years, Leatherwood has served on TTC’s academic advisory committees and now serves as a member of TTC’s foundation board. Mike and his wife Linda are strong supporters of TTC and are convinced that the college is the engine for economic development growth for the tri-county community. “Industry must have a well-educated and trained work force to survive and grow in today’s markets,” Leatherwood concluded.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Laptop is a Game-Changer

When life throws you one challenge after another, you start to appreciate the small wins.  For Trident Tech student Kristi Salvo, receiving a new laptop through the Student Urgent Needs (SUN) fund was a game-changer.  Like students across the country, Salvo’s in-person classes were abruptly switched to an online format this spring due to COVID-19. But she knew her older computer couldn’t keep up with the online demands and she couldn't afford to buy a new one. “I was already dealing with a lot and it felt like this was going to be the thing that would break me,” she said. Salvo, a veteran of the US Air Force, struggles with health issues, including a back injury and a severe autoimmune disorder. In March, she and her husband separated, leaving her to juggle the responsibility of being a student, while also being a teacher to their two young children. All this, while trying to stay healthy and safe during a global pandemic. After Salvo and her children moved into a smaller, more aff
Post a Comment
Read more

Loss of Former TTC Film Student Inspires Events

Sarah Jones, a 27-year old camera assistant, was tragically killed last February by a freight train while filming a movie in southeast Georgia.  Since then, many friends and colleagues of Jones, a former TTC student, have spoken out about the safety issues surrounding the film industry.  Film Veteran Presented Workshop in Honor of Sarah Jones Douglas C. Hart, a respected camera technician in the film industry, agrees that safety on film sets must be improved.   Hart presented a a free public workshop at Trident Tech last month. He literally wrote the book on working as a camera assistant. His textbook, “The Camera Assistant: A Complete Professional Handbook,” is used by film students at Trident Tech and at other colleges around the country. In a meeting with TTC film students and in the workshop, Hart focused on safety as well as many other aspects of working in the industry, including camera mechanics, on-set procedures, lenses and filters, and screen tests. To
1 comment
Read more

The Path to Success

As the 11th of 14 children, Kathy Simmons knows what it’s like to be a part of a close-knit family. Which is exactly why she has made her way back to Trident Technical College 33 years after graduating in 1985. Kathy’s path back to TTC began with her desire to fulfill two goals – advance her education and travel – and she figured the best way to accomplish both was through the military. So Kathy joined the Air Force in 1987, and did indeed accomplish both goals. She received her Bachelor of Arts while stationed in Minot, North Dakota, her Master of Arts from Erskine Theological Seminary and she has completed 60 hours toward a Doctor of Education from Walden University. She saw much of the country and spent time overseas in Korea. After the military, Kathy found herself back at TTC in the Admissions and Registrar’s office, and it was there she realized she really wanted to stay in education and help students find success. But a wise mentor once told her that in order to advance
6 comments
Read more