TSTC in Marshall hosts Rep. Jay Dean for visit

(MARSHALL, Texas) – Texas State Technical College’s Marshall campus hosted a visit Tuesday by state Rep. Jay Dean, R-Longview, who represents the newly redrawn District 7 at the state Capitol.

Dean’s visit was his first to the Marshall campus.

“It has been a very impressive trip to visit the facilities and visit the faculty and visit with some of the students,” Dean said. “The thing that has impressed me very much is the fact that so many of the faculty members are actually alumni of TSTC, have worked in industry, and have decided to come back to help our youth find high-paying jobs for the future.”

Dean visited several of TSTC’s programs, including the Automation and Controls Technology and Precision Machining Technology programs.

Josh Stampley, an instructor in the Architectural Design and Engineering Graphics Technology program, told Dean about the curriculum and showed off some of the projects that students have made.

“It puts the bug in the ear, and he can see what the students learn at TSTC,” Stampley said. “He can spread the message far and wide.”

Russell Hutcherson, lead instructor in the Welding Technology program, told Dean about the welding processes that students learn. Hutcherson is a graduate of TSTC’s Welding Technology program in Waco.

“Welding has been good to me,” Hutcherson told the representative. “TSTC has been good to me. I try to pay that forward for the students.”

Dean was escorted on the tour by TSTC staff, including Barton Day, the campus provost.

“It was a pleasure to host Rep. Dean during his inaugural visit to the Marshall campus,” Day said. “We look forward to seeing him in the near future.”

Andrew Parks, TSTC’s director of government relations in the Office of Government Affairs, was also part of the campus tour.

“Rep. Dean has taken a strong interest in the programs we offer, the great-paying jobs we place our students in, the return on investment we provide to Texas taxpayers, the improvements we make in the Texas workforce, and the appreciable benefits we bring to the economy in East Texas,” he said. “We believe our relationship with Rep. Dean is off to a great start, and we look forward to working with him in Austin.”

Rush Harris, executive director of the Marshall Economic Development Corp., said Dean’s visit signifies his priorities for economic growth in Marshall, Harrison County and the state of Texas.

“Technology and skills demand are shifting rapidly,” Harris said. “I am glad our Texas leadership maintains communication and collaboration with TSTC to stay on top of it.”

House District 7 encompasses all of Gregg, Harrison and Marion counties, according to the new district maps being used for the current state election cycle.

For more information about TSTC, go to tstc.edu.