Corporate Trainers

Kenneth Rabon Sr. is an experienced forklift operator with over two decades of experience. He has been a certified forklift training instructor since 2019. Kenneth is also a bi-vocational pastor since 2004 and manages his own plumbing business, both in Greenwood, SC. Kenneth’s outgoing personality and heart for helping others benefits his students and helps them stay engaged during his classes, reach their goals and succeed.

Matthew Lester’s full skill-set includes mechanical, electrical, welding and machining. His 20 years of experience in industry included maintaining, repairing and rebuilding machines used for metal forming, chemical systems, plastics, foam injection, charging systems, robotics, wash systems, VFDs, main line assembly, ovens, presses and more. Matthew has worked on a variety of equipment on a large scale.

Thom Knight has more than 30 years of experience in industrial electrical maintenance both as a technician and department manager. He brings a world of industry knowledge to his teaching of all 12 courses that comprise the Industrial Electrical Maintenance Technician program, specializing in industrial sensors, variable frequency drives, programmable logic controllers and system troubleshooting.

Kit Hale is a highly seasoned and accomplished plumbing instructor with an impressive tenure of 30 years in the field. With over three decades of hands-on experience, Kit possesses a wealth of knowledge and expertise in all aspects of plumbing. His extensive industry background lends him a unique perspective, allowing him to bridge the gap between theory and practical application in the classroom

Jeff Sigley has a background of 20 plus years in the machining industry prior to joining MTC. Jeff’s operating and programming experience consist of machining and turning centers as well as Wire EDM. In addition, Jeff has developed custom training programs to assist local manufacturers. Jeff’s certifications include Esprit CAD/CAM, Haas Milling and Turning and Six Sigma Green Belt.

Devan Jordan has a wealth of experience spanning over 17 years in plumbing and construction. As a new instructor, Devan injects a valuable perspective and real-world experience into the classroom setting. His industry background enables him to shape course objectives not just through an academic lens, but also with a keen understanding of the practicalities and demands of the business world. Devan's instructional range includes Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) and Entry Level Plumbing programs. 

Griffin Sturkie, an accomplished Welding Technology Professor, stands out as a remarkable educator who empowers students to excel and become trailblazers in the industry. Having graduated from Midlands Technical College, Griffin wholeheartedly embraces his responsibility to foster student achievement. He continually strives to impart cutting-edge welding techniques, ensuring that the welding objectives taught remain at the forefront of advancements in the field, thereby producing exceptional welders. With a wealth of experience in welding, Griffin boasts an impressive array of qualifications, including his certification as a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) and his ACCP Level II certification from the esteemed American Society for Nondestructive Testing.

Tom Ledbetter is a management professional with over 40 years of experience in advanced manufacturing, technology development, small business management and higher education. His experience includes line, staff and executive management responsibilities across a broad spectrum of organizations. He is an engaged and proven advocate of local community development activities, entrepreneurial development, workforce development strategies.

Keith Gardner’s primary focus is to provide training on the use of continuous improvement initiatives, methods and tools to drive business excellence and profitability. For over 20 years, Keith Gardner has worked with hundreds of clients from various industries in f 17 countries around the world. By consulting c with senior executives, Keith can serve as a technical expert to business excellence practitioners such as green, black, and master black belts.*

For over 15 years, Kristin Lynch has been providing training in the areas of quality and productivity improvement to service, manufacturing and governmental organizations. Kristin’s primary focus is teaching the concepts necessary to drive improvements in quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction. She has dealt extensively with cross-functional teams in problem solving, statistical process control, measurement systems assessment, Lean and Six Sigma.*

Glenda Doles delights training audiences throughout the Carolinas with humor and heart. She brings more than 37 years of experience with Duke Energy in North Carolina as the former manager of Retiree Affairs which received national recognition as the most successful volunteer program in America. Her engaging style, practical ideas, and proven techniques enrich the learning experience. She truly makes learning fun.

Dr. Sharon Givens has developed and conducted over 500 training/seminars across the country and in West Africa. Sharon is a Certified Career Counselor, Board Certified Life and Career Coach, a Global Career Development Facilitator, a Career Development Facilitator Instructor, National Career Development Association Master Trainer, a DISC Personality Trainer, Birkman, Franklin Covey, and True Colors facilitator. She developed and instructs our Essentials Skills certificate program.*

Christie James is a former marketer, broadcaster, and actor that brings experience and insights in all the public speaking skillsets: crafting an engaging and relevant message, delivering with authenticity and impact, and shaping nervous energy into enthusiasm. Her mission as a trainer is to help others free their authentic voice with knowledge, mastery and confidence. Christie facilitates discussions that challenge individuals and organizations to drive at the heart of personal empowerment. She leads training around creativity, communications and leadership.

Renee’ Santos is a former corporate trainer who has developed and implemented training plans with Fortune 500 companies. She brings enthusiasm and real world experience to the variety of training programs she delivers. Her business experience and understanding of customer service add value to her role as an instructor. She is a certified True Colors® personality styles instructor and a FISH Philosophy® consultant. She is the primary instructor for business writing, grammar and other related topics.

Ariella O. Hughes is an impactful and effective People Development Strategist with proven results!  She has over 17 years of progressive experience producing and delivering leadership development programs that increase employee engagement, improve team performance and shape visionary leaders. Ariella is recognized as a transformational learning partner and effective communicator who builds and optimizes organizational infrastructure through people.  Her innovative and creative learning solutions equip leaders and teams to overcome challenges and prepare for what’s next.  Ariella has managed local, international and virtual teams and uses her experiences and expertise to grow others.  She earned her bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication from the University of Georgia.  She also has a master’s degree in Human Resources Development from Webster University.  She is certified through Toastmasters International as a Competent Leader and Competent Communicator and she received her Training Generalist Certification from Langevin Learning Services in Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Tammy Moye-Johnson is dedicated to developing people. She is the chief executive officer of "Right" Decisions Productions, LLC., which produces positive television shows and seminars designed to give tools and strategies for a successful life. In addition to her production company, Dr. Moye- Johnson is a retired educator, having served for 31 years. During her educational career, she was a teacher for five years and a school and district-level administrator for 26 years. The favorite part of her educational career was the blend of being a district-level administrator and developer as she served as the director of professional development. She has eighteen years of experience as a professional developer and twenty-eight years of supervisory/leadership experience. Dr. Moye-Johnson has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast News and a Bachelor of Science degree in English Education from North Carolina A&T State University, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Regent University. She earned her Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Columbia International University.

Charlene Cornwell brings 23 years of information technology experience leading industries in implementing information systems, business process re-engineering, and change management using project management and business analysis best practices. She successfully trains students and businesses to define business needs, accomplish business objectives efficiently and recommends valuable solutions to enable change in organizations resulting in advance in information technology.*

Sylvia Aull-Holcombe has over 25 years of experience as a Human Resources Professional in a variety of industries including academia, consulting, banking, finance and food-processing. She has worked closely with all levels of employees to assist with career management, succession planning, and professional development. She has designed and facilitated programs to assess and improve individual and team performance. As our main facilitator for the public supervisory certificate program, she has helped hundreds of local managers excel in the workplace.

Karin Hill’s extensive background is in managing human resources and organizational development departments while working with large health care systems, Fortune 500 companies and consulting firms in the not-for-profit and for profit arenas. In addition, she holds numerous national training certifications as well as the SHRM-SCP and SPHR certifications. Karin brings a wealth of knowledge, skills and experiences into the classroom. She is an expert in training design and development and has trained many government and business cohorts in leadership and team building.*

Dr. Iwana Ridgill is a frequent keynote speaker and corporate trainer for agencies, organizations and companies. She speaks often on the topics of customer and client services, projecting professionalism, and job motivation. Her practical suggestions and enthusiastic presentation combine to provide relevant information and inspiration. She especially enjoys topics related to motivation and putting more humor (and joy!) in our daily activities. With nearly 30 years helping organizations upskill their employees, her contributions can be seen far and wide.*

Buffy Smith's background in fundraising, leadership training, personal coaching and counseling is showcased in her passion for helping people realize their strengths and gifts, and how to bring those personal strengths into the workplace. Her practical suggestions provide relevant information and inspiration in job-related topics such as dealing with conflict, customer service, projecting professionalism and managing multiple projects in the workplace. Her can-do spirit and excellent facilitation skills motivate and encourage her learners.

Rob Gasparik brings a valuable perspective to classroom instruction with more than 25 years of IT and IT leadership experience. He holds several certifications, including the CCIE, Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert; and CASP, CompTIA’s Advanced Security Practitioner. The CCIE certification is accepted worldwide as the most prestigious networking certification in the industry while the CASP is CompTIA’s most advanced cybersecurity award.

David Pfaehler brings over 28 years of IT leadership experience in various industries to classroom instruction. David’s understanding of the role of IT in business allows him to focus the teaching of subjects in information technology not only from an academic viewpoint but with an appreciation for how a business will benefit from its use. David has been teaching and inspiring students since 2010.

Chris Stanley has been working with network technologies for 22 years. He has over 20 IT-related certifications and a degree in mathematics. He has been teaching at MTC for 15 years and is passionate about the success of his students, both in the classroom and on the job. He leverages his experience and expertise to help students prepare for certification and apply their knowledge into marketable skill sets for the work place.

Matthew Stratton specializes in Front End Web Development courses that provide the foundation to building and programming websites and the architecture of how this foundation is built, maintained and executed. He brings 10 years of information technology experience to the classroom from various technology roles within the workplace. Holding a role as a director of IT services has helped shape Matthew into a well-rounded technology expert.

Jennifer Baxley owns Severien, a boutique IT consulting firm that provides software consulting and applications support for a wide variety of clients.  She is also an adjunct instructor in Corporate and Continuing Education. In addition to teaching, she has developed curriculum for many classes including HTML/CSS3, JavaScript, Web Development Lab, Business Analysis, and PHP & MySQL. In 2015 Jennifer won the award for Outstanding Continuing Education Adjunct Instructor from the South Carolina Association for Higher Continuing Education.

Tiana Langer Arroyave graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Technology from the University of South Carolina in 2014. After enrolling and completing the Full Stack Web Development certificate under the TechHire grant through Midlands Technical College, she was able to gain employment to develop and hone her skills. She continues to design, architect, create and deploy web-based applications while also teaching as an adjunct instructor at MTC.

Michelle White has 29 years of experience as a business professional and has worked in the educational sector for over 12 years. She is experienced in various financial accounting matters on corporate and government levels, along with payroll, bookkeeping, auditing, tax services, and more. She has a masters in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Management, both earned from UNC Pembroke. Additionally, she has served on boards as the treasurer and is an NAF Academy Director of Business and Finance for public instruction. 

Lydia Edmonds has over 40 years professional experience in accounting. Both her Bachelors and Masters Degrees came from Southern Wesleyan University with a concentration in Business Management. She has served on various boards but most enjoys Build and Bridge where they work developing small businesses in Haiti. With experience in many industries, small businesses are her favorite. “I love seeing the light go on when a topic clicks with a student or a business owner. Nothing is more rewarding than that!” Developing a passion in students to take another class or move to a new area of knowledge drives her to teach.  

Benji McCollum serves as the MTC paramedic program director. Benji spent over 17 years providing emergency medical care in the pre-hospital setting through a variety of agencies including fire services, urban emergency medical services and rural rescue squads. He currently serves on multiple local and state level EMS committees. He is a registered nurse; nationally registered paramedic; SC certified paramedic; SC paramedic instructor; American Heart Association ACLS, PALS, and BLS Instructor; and National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians PHTLS, AMLS, and GEMS instructor.

Taylor Gesner serves as a professor and clinical coordinator in the paramedic program at MTC. She gained significant experience, having worked for a high-volume, urban EMS agency where her background as a training officer allowed her to mentor the next generation of EMS professionals. Taylor is a nationally registered paramedic, SC certified paramedic, SC paramedic instructor, American Heart Association ACLS, PALS, and BLS Instructor, and National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians PHTLS and AMLS instructor. She remains active as a paramedic in the field and is passionate about educating aspiring EMTs and paramedics. 

Tony Wingard has been a health care professional for over 29 years and has worked with many organizations and individuals to advance careers in health care throughout SC. Tony is the EMT program coordinator and helped launch the MTC paramedic program. Tony is most proud of the many EMS professionals he impacted by establishing genuine relationships, providing effective leadership and being a perpetual source of mentorship. He is a Nationally Registered Paramedic, SC Certified Paramedic, SC Emergency Medical Technician Instructor, American Heart Association Basic Life Support Instructor, American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support Instructor.

Kelsey Marl is the Program Director of the Diagnostic Medical and Cardiovascular Sonography Programs. She received her Bachelor's Degree from the College of Charleston. She is a registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer and registered Vascular Sonographer. She is also a board member of the South Carolina Society of Echocardiography. Kelsey serves as the Sonography Program Director, and also is an echocardiography, vascular technology, and sonography physics instructor for the college. She is passionate about educating future sonographers, and enriching the sonography community by helping to provide continuing education for registered sonographers thru the SCSE.