
Forsyth Tech chosen for education study
Forsyth Technical Community College has been selected as one of five institutions nationwide to participate in an initiative to improve community college education operations.
Education Design Lab's Reimagining Community College Design Challenge is aimed at transforming community colleges to better serve today's learners, Forsyth Tech said in a press release. This opportunity comes as the college enters the final year of its current strategic plan, Vision 2025.
This opportunity will help shape the college's next strategic direction, aligning its goals with the evolving needs of students, employers, and the broader community, said Janet Spriggs, president of Forsyth Tech.
"Through this initiative, we will build on the goals achieved over the last five years and position Forsyth Tech as a leader in reimagining how community colleges serve students in a rapidly changing world," she said.
Community colleges serve approximately 9 million learners across the country and are gaining national recognition for providing affordable, accessible pathways to economic mobility. With strong employer partnerships and short-term credentials, these institutions equip learners with the skills needed for their careers.
Over the next three to five years, Forsyth Tech and its fellow cohort members will work with the Lab to develop and implement strategic plans focused on "future-proof" skills, clear and stackable educational pathways, job-relevant applied learning, and equitable access to support services, the press release said.
The other institutions taking part are Rio Salado College in Arizona, St. Paul College in Minnesota, Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio and Lone Star College-Tomball in Texas.
The initiative is about ensuring that community colleges continue to serve as engines of economic mobility and workforce development, said Lisa Larson, interim CEO of Education Design Lab.
"By embracing bold, human-centered design, we can support colleges in their missions to meet the needs of today's learners and tomorrow's economy," she said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Business Insider
05-05-2025
- Business Insider
This tech CEO is using travel rewards to build stronger teams — and it's working
The CEO of a tech-focused marketing agency hosts regular retreats to strengthen team culture and spark ideas. Capital One Venture X Business card helps cover travel costs through rewards. Their trips mix strategy and fun, with past getaways including Puerto Rico and Maine. Lisa Larson-Kelley believes strong team relationships are the foundation for meaningful collaboration and bold ideas. As CEO and founder of Quantious, a tech-focused marketing agency, she brings her remote team together every nine months for exciting retreats. Most recently, employees traded their home offices for the sunny beaches of Puerto Rico for team building, where they snorkeled off a catamaran, kayaked through a bioluminescent bay, and bonded in poolside cabanas. Larson-Kelley made it all happen by using her Capital One Venture X Business card to offset travel costs — turning routine business expenses into strategic investments in culture, connection, and creativity. Retreats fuel culture and collaboration "Camp Quantious," as her team calls these getaways, boasts a history of memorable destinations. Recent trips have taken them to the coast of Maine, the picturesque Hudson Valley, and the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. Now, Larson-Kelley has her sights set on the West Coast for her next company retreat. "With every destination," she said, "we look for a place where adventure, reflection, and team bonding can thrive side by side — continuing the momentum we've built from previous retreats." Larson-Kelley credits her company's strong culture to the team trips they've prioritized over the years — energizing "workcations" that fuel in-person brainstorming, authentic connection, and deeper collaboration. These getaways go beyond strategy sessions; they embody Quantious' core values by fostering meaningful relationships, sparking fresh ideas, strengthening team alignment, and supporting local communities. Team members return refreshed, reconnected, and ready to deliver work that reflects the strength of those bonds. Making the most of business travel rewards "Capital One leaves no stone unturned when thinking of everything a traveler could want or need," Larson-Kelley said. In addition to the quantity of rewards she earns, she credits the ease of booking her team's travel, comprehensive travel protection, premium lounge access, and the flexibility to transfer miles as reasons she has enjoyed the Capital One Venture X Business card so much. Larson-Kelley puts her significant savings to good use, making each team getaway feel extra special. After Quantious' internal events specialists, Katie Brown and Maggie Johnston, booked through Capital One Travel for their trip to Puerto Rico earlier this year, they cashed in their remaining rewards to surprise attendees with goody bags filled with travel essentials and gifts from local Puerto Rican artists and businesses. Fresh guava cookies quickly became a team favorite. For Larson-Kelley, the Capital One Venture X Business card offers a simple way to manage company spending while earning travel perks. She advises fellow business owners to streamline finances by using a single business card and maximizing its rewards. To stay organized, she also recommends automating payments for recurring expenses. Finally, Larson-Kelley encourages business owners to capitalize on opportunities to earn more points. "You can reinvest these in countless ways to benefit your business and employees," she said. Benefits of the Capital One Venture X Business For business owners like Larson-Kelley, the Capital One Venture X Business card is a powerful tool for building a bright company future. As she put it, "Capital One helps turn those dreams into reality and makes every part of the journey that much smoother." With your own Capital One Venture X Business card, you'll enjoy the security and versatility of a trusted financial partner while maximizing travel rewards to empower your team's journey. Venture X Business is a pay-in-full charge card with big purchasing power so you can spend more and earn more rewards. With your card, your businesses will enjoy unmatched flexibility, savings, and unique travel perks: Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase. Receive a credit of up to 10,000 bonus miles each year. When booking through Capital One Travel, earn 5X on flights, 10X on hotels and rental cars, plus an annual $300 credit. Redeem miles on flights, hotels, rentals, and more — with no restrictions or blackout dates. Enjoy luxury benefits with access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide and credits for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry. Skip foreign transaction fees, benefit from $0 fraud liability, and secure your payments with virtual card numbers. Customize employee spending limits, track transactions, and earn rewards through free employee cards. Plus, for a limited time, new cardholders can earn up to 350,000 bonus miles in their first six months. Start earning ASAP Larson-Kelley is already planning to put her rewards toward Quantious' next amazing getaway. "There's no need to feel like we're penny pinchers," she said. "The rewards we've earned by investing in this trip are helping us fuel the next." Rick Esposito Quantious has seen firsthand that investing in its team through travel has paid significant dividends, strengthening company culture, inviting creativity, and driving success. If you're a business owner looking to forge team connections, boost innovation, and create lasting memories, the Venture X Business card could be your key to making it happen. This post was created by Insider Studios with Capital One.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
Graphic Packaging Holding Company Announces New Share Repurchase Plan Authorization
ATLANTA, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK) ("Graphic Packaging", or "the Company"), a global leader in sustainable consumer packaging, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a new $1.5 billion share repurchase authorization. This authorization is in addition to the July 27, 2023 share repurchase authorization under which $365 million remains available, bringing the aggregate available authorization as of April 30, 2025 to $1.865 billion. The new authorization allows for the repurchase of shares from time to time through open market repurchases, privately negotiated transactions and Rule 10b5-1 plans in accordance with applicable securities laws. The timing of repurchases, if any, will depend on a range of factors including market conditions, the Company's financial condition, debt maturities, and cash flow. Graphic Packaging President and CEO Michael Doss said "With the last major investment of Vision 2025 moving toward completion, the Company's capital spending needs will decline significantly. While we will always prioritize reinvestment to maintain and build on our leadership position in sustainable consumer packaging, we expect to generate cash well in excess of our needs over the next several years." The Company's Board of Directors previously approved a ten percent increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.11 per share, paid on April 5, 2025 to common stockholders of record at the close of business on March 15, 2025. "We measure every potential investment against the alternative of repurchasing our stock, and expect to return a substantial amount of available cash to stockholders in the months and years ahead through a growing dividend and opportunistic share repurchase activity" Mr. Doss added. Investors: comms@ Forward Looking Statements Any statements of the Company's expectations in this press release, including, but not limited to the timing of the completion of the major investment in Waco, TX, future spending needs, and future cash generation, a growing dividend, and returning cash to stockholders, constitute "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's historical experience and its present expectations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, inflation of and volatility in raw material and energy costs, changes in consumer buying habits and product preferences, competition with other paperboard manufacturers and product substitution, the Company's ability to implement its business strategies, including strategic acquisitions, productivity initiatives, cost reduction plans and integration activities, as well as the Company's debt level, currency movements and other risks of conducting business internationally, the impact of regulatory and litigation matters, including the continued availability of the Company's U.S. federal income tax attributes to offset U.S. federal income taxes and the timing related to the Company's future U.S. federal income tax payments. Undue reliance should not be placed on such forward-looking statements, as such statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements, except as may be required by law. Additional information regarding these and other risks is contained in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About Graphic Packaging Holding Company Graphic Packaging Holding Company (NYSE: GPK), headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, designs and produces consumer packaging made primarily from renewable or recycled materials. An industry leader in innovation, the Company is committed to reducing the environmental footprint of consumer packaging. Graphic Packaging operates a global network of design and manufacturing facilities serving the world's most widely recognized brands in food, beverage, foodservice, household, and other consumer products. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Graphic Packaging Holding Company Sign in to access your portfolio

Associated Press
30-04-2025
- Associated Press
GEON Performance Solutions Reports Reductions in Waste, Water Consumption, Electricity Usage in 2024 ESG Report
WESTLAKE, OHIO / ACCESS Newswire / April 30, 2025 / GEON® Performance Solutions, a global leader in the formulation, development and manufacture of performance polymer solutions, released its 2024 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report which illustrates advances in bringing its sustainability strategy to life for global associates, customers and 2024 ESG Performance GEON 2024 ESG Performance The ESG Report measures GEON's progress towards its three overarching sustainability goals: 1) Optimize and advance operational excellence, 2) Shape thriving communities, and 3) Collaborate and innovate across our value chain. 'Our 2024 report indicates our all-encompassing commitment to imprint a sustainability mindset into every aspect of our operations,' said GEON Chief Executive Officer Tracy Garrison. 'Sustainability is not just a goal at GEON, it is part of our ethos. I'm proud of the results outlined in our 2024 report and pleased to share progress on all the pillars.' Among the many ESG accomplishments covered in the report, a few key highlights from 2024 demonstrate how GEON: GEON began its ESG journey in 2020 when it launched GEON Vision 2025: a set of actionable, outcome-driven goals to evolve its business and maximize positive impact. 'As we work through the final year of Vision 2025, we do so with a mindset to optimize and advance operational excellence, shape thriving communities, and collaborate and innovate across our value chain,' Garrison said. View GEON's full progress in the 2024 ESG Report. For more on GEON's approach to sustainability, visit our Sustainability website. About GEON Performance Solutions GEON® Performance Solutions is a global leader in the formulation, development and manufacture of performance polymer solutions. With a portfolio of highly adaptable vinyl and polyolefin polymer technologies as well as a full-service manufacturing business, GEON combines three powerful traditions into a single, customer-focused business. GEON Performance Solutions is a leading innovator in the development of performance material solutions for a broad range of markets including appliances, building & infrastructure, electronics, medical, transportation, power & communications and more. GEON Performance Solutions has approximately 1,200 global associates and 15 world-class manufacturing plants with headquarters in Westlake, Ohio. Please visit us at to learn more. GEON Performance Solutions is a portfolio company of SK Capital Partners. About SK Capital Partners SK Capital is a private investment firm with a disciplined focus on the specialty materials, ingredients, and life sciences sectors. The Firm seeks to build resilient, sustainable, and growing businesses that create substantial long-term value. SK Capital aims to utilize its industry, operating, and investment experience to identify opportunities to transform businesses into higher performing organizations with improved strategic positioning, growth, and profitability, as well as lower operating risk. SK Capital's portfolio of businesses generates revenues of approximately $12 billion annually, employs more than 25,000 people globally, and operates more than 200 plants in over 30 countries. The Firm currently has approximately $9 billion in assets under management. For more information, please visit ### Contact InformationRenita Anderson Vice President, Marketing & Business Development 678-772-8953 SOURCE: GEON Performance Solutions press release