(Denmark, SC Press Release of Denmark Tech) - To close out their celebration of Black History Month, Denmark Technical College was visited by members of the Bamberg County Council and county administration on February 28th to present a proclamation outlining the college’s valuable contributions and to name the third Tuesday of every February Denmark Technical College Day in Bamberg County.  

"HBCUs are essential to our place in Black History," said Spencer Donaldson, Chairman of the Bamberg County Council, and sponsor of the proclamation. "These colleges and universities educate our best and brightest students and have an overwhelmingly positive impact on our area. While this will be celebrated for years to come as a day in their honor, this is also about equal representation, inclusion and diversity. As a graduate of Denmark Tech and a community leader of their CDL program, it is important to me that we give this engine of economic development and educational opportunity the recognition it deserves."

 "We deeply appreciate this recognition from Bamberg County. Denmark Technical College is an asset and resource for the entire region and the county’s partnership has been invaluable as we work together to forge onward into a new era of success for our small HBCU located in rural South Carolina," added Dr. Willie L. Todd Jr., President and CEO of Denmark Tech. 

Starting in March 1948 as the Denmark Branch of the South Carolina Area Trade School System, later changing to Denmark Area Trade School in the 1960s and now as Denmark Technical College, the college has educated thousands of students across generations.  

The college’s primary service area is comprised of Bamberg, Barnwell and Allendale Counties with a legislated mandate to serve students throughout the state. As an open-door institution, the college provides affordable, post-secondary education culminating in associate degrees, diplomas and certificates to citizens from diverse educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. 

County Councilman Larry Haynes, another alumnus of Denmark Tech who has witnessed the renaissance of the school, commended the new leadership team for their hard work and applauded the efforts between the administration at the college and county officials. Recent collaboration has yielded the launch of the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Academy in alliance with MedShore Ambulance Service and, together, they are exploring the potential for a four-year-degree pilot training program. 

"We are grateful for the long-standing relationship between Denmark Technical College and Bamberg County," said Haynes. "When Denmark Tech succeeds, Bamberg County succeeds."

The proclamation recognizes the school’s transformative impact on the lives of legions of students and alumni around the world and in the Bamberg community. With hundreds of students enrolled, the two-year institution has been especially beneficial in the intellectual, cultural and economic life of Bamberg County and its surrounding areas. Donaldson added that the county is pleased to designate the seventy-five-year-old HBCU as an official Bamberg County Ambassador. 

Also in attendance were Denmark Technical College Executive Vice President for Administration and Innovation Dr. A. Clifton Myles, Denmark Technical College Vice President for Finance Clarence Bonnette, Denmark Technical College Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Effectiveness Dr. Sasha-Johnson-Coleman, Denmark Technical College Associate Vice President for Finance Rashad Rogers, Denmark Technical College Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Lamar J. White, Denmark Technical College Vice President for Academic Affairs Tia Wright-Richards, Bamberg County Councilman Phil Myers, Bamberg County Councilwoman Sharon Hammond, Bamberg County Deputy Administrator Thomas M. Thomas and Bamberg County Administrator Joey Preston. 

The culmination of the event was the presentation of the proclamation by Council Chairman Donaldson and certificate acknowledging the school as an official county ambassador. 

"Denmark Technical College was first established to serve the needs of a bustling city that was yearning for a place that offered academic excellence," added Joey Preston, Bamberg County Ambassador. "As an institution with a rich history, Denmark Tech has gone through multiple name changes, structure redesigns and leaders, yet it remains and will continue to be a historic gem that shines in Bamberg County and throughout South Carolina."