The Chattanooga Technology Council (ChaTech) has named Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Dwight Watt as one of three finalists for the Unsung Tech Hero of the Year award.

The winner will be announced virtually during the 2021 Chattanooga Technology Excellence Awards (TechX) program on August 18.

Watt, GNTC instructor of Computer Information Systems Technology, was nominated for the TechX award earlier this year. The nomination came as a result of Watt quickly taking his in-person courses online during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.

“I see myself as a representative for all of the GNTC instructors who were in the same boat,” he said. “It has been a challenge converting courses completely online and not in-person, but it has been a rewarding challenge to offer more online live sessions for the students.”

Now that in-person classes have resumed, Watt finds himself traveling between the Catoosa, Whitfield Murray and Walker County Campuses to instruct GNTC’s Computer Information Systems Technology students. He teaches classes on computer support, web design, networking and cyber security.

The two other finalists for the Unsung Tech Hero of the Year award are Jennifer Edwards, Kenco Logistics, and Racheal Sauceman, Full Media. The TechX awards have 11 categories total, celebrating Chattanooga-area technological talent and their outstanding performance and dedication to the community. For more information about the ceremony visit https://chatechcouncil.org.

Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma or a certificate in business, health, industrial or public service career paths. This past year, 11,820 people benefited from GNTC’s credit and noncredit programs. GNTC has an annual credit enrollment of 8,591 students and an additional enrollment of 3,229 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution.