Dr. Marjorie Dowd Receives SC Regional Career Specialist of the Year Award
Dr. Marjorie Dowd, GCS Director of Education and Economic Development, has been recognized as the SC Regional Career Specialist of the Year by the South Carolina Department of Education. The award recognizes Dr. Dowd’s leadership and the strong relationships she has developed between business and industry stakeholders and career and technology education.
Dr. Dowd’s accomplishments include:
- Coordination Furman University’s Diversity Leadership Institute for high school Freshman Academy students to learn the value of soft skills in the workforce and for 7th graders as “Dream Connectors” to tour business and industry.
- Partnership with BetaBox and Roper Mountain Science Center where the mobile shipping container converted to a hands-on simulator shows instructional relevance to Gateway to Technology and Project Lead the Way students.
- Establishment of “Principal for a Day” program in our middle schools.
- Coordination of “Girls Auto Know” where more than 400 middle school girls gain exposure to non-traditional careers in the engineering and automotive industry.
- Grant writer for a $4,000 Bosch grant for counselors to tour manufacturing facilities, a $5,000 Fluor grant to incorporate 3D printing into drafting and animation curriculum, and two Duke Foundation grants through Clemson’s Center for Workforce Development totaling $7,000 to implement career exploration into after-school programs through Communities-in-Schools.
- Implementation of Career Development Facilitator training for 170+ school counselors.
- Coordination of “PlastiVan” which excites students about the vast career opportunities in the plastics industry.
- Creation of http://coolcareerstuff.weebly.com to house various resources.
- Coordinated the district’s first-ever Summer CNA (certified nursing assistant) Training for high school students with an overwhelming response that garnered a waiting list for participants.
- Implementation of Junior Achievement’s “It’s My Future” curriculum in middle schools.
- Co-Chair of Greenville Chamber’s Education Committee and member of the “Ten at The Top” Economic & Entrepreneurial Vitality Task Force.
- Founding member of the Upstate STEM taskforce and iMAGINE executive board member.
- Graduate of the Greenville Chamber’s “Leadership Greenville” Class #40.
Dr. Dowd has worked in the Office of Career and Technology Education since 1998. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership from Clemson University, a master’s degree from The Citadel, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina.