McCrory visits High Point – Governor at ceremony marking charter school expansion
Gov. Pat McCrory joined 500 students, staff and elected officials Wednesday at the Phoenix Academy charter school to celebrate the opening of its John Yowell Aviation and Logistics Lab.
“I’m very proud to help open this unique lab, which will help give students more choices in their education and better prepare them for exciting careers and opportunities,” McCrory said. “This innovative lab is a benchmark for how industry and education in North Carolina can work together to discover and develop talent to better foster economic development.”
Kip Blakely, vice president of customer and governmental relations of HAECO Americas, said the aviation lab will be important to his industry and to Guilford County. “It’s only when government can work together with education that we can change the lives of thousands of students,” Blakely said. “It can change our communities and certainly change our companies by having these bright young faces come into our aviation center.”
Students at Phoenix will have opportunities for job shadowing, earning college credits by co-enrolling at GTCC’s aviation program and can “walk right into an aviation career,” Blakely said. “We look forward to seeing you in our facilities very soon.”
Audrey Floyd, program director of GTCC aviation management and career pilot programs, said she sees value in the aviation lab to “help provide a pipeline of new students” who have basic aviation knowledge and skills.
Dave Machado, new director of the state Office of Charter Schools, said the lab demonstrates what cooperation between the education and business worlds can accomplish.
“The great thing about charter schools is that each can have its own vision and mission,” Machado said. “Not every charter school has the vision or capacity to do this.”
June Atkinson, superintendent of the public schools of North Carolina, spoke to Phoenix Academy students later in the day to point out ways they are among the state’s first. For example, she credited Phoenix Academy co-founder and superintendent Kim Norcross with starting a positive behavioral support program that has spread to other schools. She also advised the students to take advantage of opportunities to become career, college and citizenship ready.
Academy co-founder Paul Norcross and David Congdon, president of Old Dominion Freight Line, spoke in memory of John Yowell, the former chief operating officer and executive vice president of Old Dominion whose name the aviation and logistics lab bears. Yowell’s family was seated in front of the auditorium.
Congdon described Yowell as his “most important right-hand man,” who helped build the company’s computer platform, information technology, marketing and brand awareness through his 28 years with the company.
“He meant an awful lot to our community,” Congdon said.