Cowley honors sixth graduating class from Aviation Tech Center

With the continued growth of Cowley College’s Aviation Tech Center, located at 7603 E. Pawnee in Wichita, 32 students was a part of the sixth graduating class on August 4.

Charles “Sam” D. Gemar gave the commencement address. Gemar retired from NASA in 1994 and moved to Wichita where he is the Director of Test-Flight Operations for Bombardier.

Cowley is set to open another Aviation Tech facility at Wichita’s Mid Continent Airport in the fall. The facility will be the same size as the current facility, which is 27,500 square feet. Enrollment for day classes at the new facility is already full.

Noel Gary, chief executive officer for the Aviation Tech program, gave the opening remarks and was assisted by Cowley College President Dr. Pat McAtee during the certificate ceremony. McAtee commended the students and faculty for their hard work during his closing remarks.

Other dignitaries in attendance along with Gemar, Gary, and McAtee, were, Pete Gustaf, President of the Wichita Area Technical College; Dan Dymarkowski, director of labor relations at Raytheon Aircraft Company; Kent Irick, manager of technical training at Cessna Aircraft Company; Dave Unruh, First District Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners; Mark Paton, Cowley College Board of Trustees; and Gene Cole, Cowley College consultant.

Here is a list of graduates: Kenneth Burge, Glen Craft, Ron Ferguson, Nathan Ferguson, Richard Gerdsen, Robert Hancock, Allen Hatcher, Eric Hegeman, Evan Hollingshead, Russell Hopper, John Jackson, Nicholas Kuhn, Nathan Lee, Chris Lesley, Vinn Ley, Brandon Ley, James Lutkie, Patrick Main, Jason Meirowsky, Wade Moore, Llem Nguyen, Shane Oldfield, Garrett Owen, Russell Paton, Aaron Petrask, Brent Redden, Gene Ricken, Robert Romero, Ronnie Shackelford, Nicholas Sims, Jerry Tuggle, and Jeffrey Widmar.

Fall 2007