Penny Hill, the college’s new associate dean for Tec-Smart, was featured In The Spotlight of the May 27 edition of The Business Reveiw:
Penny Hill is on what she calls “an amazing trip to the future.”
Hill, the new associate dean for Tec-Smart, the Malta satellite campus of Hudson Valley Community College, can see the new GlobalFoundries computer chip plant from her window.
What surprises Hill is that, although the 18-month-old Tec-Smart has students, it is not at all crowded.
“I can’t believe this place isn’t bursting at the seams with people trying to get into this program so they can work at GlobalFoundries. You’d think there would be more.” Getting more students in Tec-Smart seats is one of her goals.
Hill is managing a semiconductor training program and two training grants, and supervises staff. Among the new initiatives is a wind energy training program: Just this week, General Electric Co. was set to deliver a windmill assembly, valued at $850,000, for students to train on. There is also a solar program.
While those technology certificate programs make the news, Hill wants to underline that the campus also offers general classes, in subjects such as English and psychology, to students looking to avoid the commute to Troy. The students would not, however, be able to get degrees in those areas attending just Tec-Smart.
There is also a program with Ballston Spa High School; 25 juniors from there are expected in the fall.
Hill joined Tec-Smart from the Workforce Development Institute in Troy, where she was regional director for four years. She oversaw training grants, pre-apprenticeships, and math and science training for those in the building trades in an 11-county area.
Before that, Hill spent two years with the Workforce Investment Board for Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties. For the 10 previous years, Hill ran her own business doing medical evaluations for insurance companies. She sold the company in 2001.
Hill, 57, graduated from HVCC and received a bachelor’s degree in biology from the state University at Albany in 1977. She also holds an MBA, with a concentration in marketing, from Russell Sage College (1990).
Hill grew up in Melrose in rural Rensselaer County and now lives in Rotterdam. She has a grown daughter and is a new grandmother.
Hill is interested in social and environmental justice issues; she convened the regional chapter of the Apollo Alliance for clean energy and jobs, and took part in the Green Jobs New York campaign. She also enjoys farmers’ markets, the outdoors, hiking, golf and tennis.
Published: Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000 by d.gardner