It’s not everyday the governor comes to Campbell County though Tuesday he did visit the TCAT campus.

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – It was the ideal setting for a governor who ran on strengthening the state’s vocational training as Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee was on hand at Tuesday’s ribbon cutting on the new addition to the Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Jacksboro campus.

TCAT President Debbie Petree (above) extended a thank you to a long list of those who helped make the new wing a reality. “TCAT began here in 1967, and this building is a new part of that legacy. A lot of leadership along the way led to this day,” said Petree. One of those past leaders, Coy Gibson, was in attendance yesterday. Gibson was the school’s director in the 1990s.

Two legislators who helped drive the new facility are Rep. Dennis Powers and Sen. Ken Yager (below)
Sen. Ken Yager pledged he would raise or donate $15,000 to the school’s foundation and is well on his way to that goal.

“The new 13,000 square feet wing will serve up to 75 students. It came at a cost of just over $2 million” said Petree.

It was said that the need for a qualified workforce to fill the demands in the HVAC and construction fields in Campbell County and neighboring communities drove this expansion. The governor, who comes from an HVAC, plumbing and electrical career of 35 years, lauded Petree and the community around her.

Petree was joined around the podium by a core of supporters from Lee to Mayor E.L. Morton, State Rep. Dennis Powers, State Sen. Ken Yager and Chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents Flora Tydings. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 09/01/2021-6AM)

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