Chattanooga State Community College names the Center for Engineering, Technology, Arts and Sciences (CETAS) in honor of Gerald McCormick, a former Tennessee House of Representatives member. McCormick served from 2004-2018 and was a longtime champion of higher education across the state. The building will now be called the Gerald McCormick Center for Engineering, Technology, Arts and Sciences. 

“Over a decade ago, when Chattanooga State had the opportunity to purchase a 60,000 square foot processing facility from Olan Mills, the visionary leaders of Chattanooga State at the time saw this as an opportunity to transform this space into a state-of-the-art learning facility for Engineering and IT programs. It was due to Leader Gerald McCormick’s bold leadership and support that the college was able to purchase this building and renovate it into the amazing educational facility that it is today,” stated Dr. Rebecca Ashford, Chattanooga State president. 

Today the Gerald McCormick Center is home to the Wacker Institute, two high schools—STEM and Polytech, and most recently, the Global Center for Digital Innovation, a partnership with Hamilton County Schools. In addition, all the college’s Engineering and IT programs are in the center providing instruction in robotics, programmable logic controls, welding, non-destructive testing, chemical engineering, construction management, Mechatronics, Information Technology, cyber security, and many other in-demand fields. 

The program included remarks from Dr. Flora Tydings, Chancellor, TBR College System of Tennessee, Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson, Bob Corker, member of the US Senate from 2007–2019, Zach Wamp, member of the US House of Representatives from 1995–2011, and Tom Griscom, Regent of TBR College System of Tennessee from 2010-2020. Gerald McCormick thanked all who helped make this possible, and President Ashford presented him with a framed copy of the permanent plaque. 

The dedication of CETAS in McCormick’s honor is a fitting tribute to his leadership to higher education in Tennessee, his impact on Chattanooga State, and his notable achievements as a veteran and public servant for the Tennessee General Assembly. The Gerald McCormick Center will continue to shape the region’s future for generations. 

Event video highlights.