Dr. Jim Helms, a mathematics instructor on the Waycross campus, has been named as the 2025 Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction winner for Coastal Pines Technical College.
Dr. Helms has been employed as an instructor with the college for thirteen years. He started with Okefenokee Technical College is December 2011 and continued working for the college after the merger in July 2014.
Dr. Helms was nominated by a fellow instructor who had this to say about him, “Since I began with CPTC over six years ago, Jim Helms has been a constant inspiration. In General Education department meetings Jim asks important questions and often contributes to our collective learning with his examples from the classroom or from his overall educational experiences. He is a natural leader, filled with humility, and committed to providing an education with excellence to every student he encounters. Jim has a superior work ethic and obvious enthusiasm for promoting technical education. When I heard Jim’s story in the video excerpt played at the August 2024 staff development meeting, I was deeply touched by both the personal connection he has with technical education and the dedication to his craft that he so easily embodies.”
The state Rick Perkins Award winner serves as an ambassador for technical education in Georgia and must have made significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in his or her field of instruction. The winner must also exemplify excellence and a commitment to the mission of the Technical College System of Georgia.
Dr. Helms will go on to represent Coastal Pines Technical College at the regional competition, and later, the state competition in April 2025 in Atlanta.
For more information on Coastal Pines Technical College, visit www.coastalpines.edu.