Pallas bids farewell to Technology Center
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The doctor has accepted an administrative position at a Florida community college to be closer to his wife, Pam, who left the community some months ago to accept a position at the University of Florida at Gainesville.
“I’m certainly going to miss McMinnville, and especially the people I work with. They’re very supportive,” said Pallas. “I think working with a group of people that cares about students has made my job here a lot easier.”
Under the leadership of Pallas, the local technology center has seen a number of changes and improvements, including the doubling of full-time enrollment, from 125 students to 250 students. The center’s program offerings have increased from seven to 10, nursing sections have doubled, and nearly every program has increased in size.
“But what I’m most proud of,” said Pallas, “is the fact our students and staff feel as strongly as they do about being part of the community. Here at the technology center, we don’t just prepare people to work in the technology field, but also good workers who will contribute to society.”
Last year, the center adopted a work ethics program in which every student participates. The program focuses on such areas as attendance, teamwork, communication and attitude.
The school also values community service. Each year the center’s students and staff undertake a number of community service projects. One of the biggest is its annual holiday food drive. Other such projects include donations to Families in Crisis and food baskets at Thanksgiving.
Pallas said he will miss the giving spirit of those he leads, as well as the “can-do attitude” found at the technology center.
His next job will take him back to a more academic setting as he will serve as chairperson of the allied health division at Lake City Community College, about 40 miles north of Gainesville, where he will oversee the school’s six health programs.
Pallas’s replacement will be chosen by the Tennessee Board of Regents, likely during its October meeting. Assistant director Marvin Lusk will serve as interim director until that time.
“McMinnville has a good reputation among the state’s technology centers,” said Pallas. “We’ve made a lot of progress, but there are still a lot of new initiatives available for the new director. We’ve certainly not peaked.”