News and Features

Bachelor's degree graduates who want to teach part-time in North Carolina high schools now have an avenue through Central Piedmont.

Central Piedmont’s High School Adjunct Instructor certificate program provides a course of study leading to the development of the general pedagogy and competencies needed to become an adjunct instructor in a public high school in North Carolina. 

Coursework includes classroom management and pedagogy, effective instructional methods, foundations of education, educational technology, and other related topics. Potential candidates should have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and apply through the College Foundation of North Carolina website.

For more information about Central Piedmont’s K-12 teacher preparation programs, contact Jennifer Perkins, program chair, K-12 education.  

"As a provider of K-12 teacher preparation programs, Central Piedmont can impact the current teaching shortage in the Charlotte region and across North Carolina," Perkins said. "The high school adjunct instructor certificate program is a direct path to prepare those interested in teaching part-time by providing the coursework and support to be successful in a high school classroom."

Thanks to a grant from Faison Enterprises, Inc., 70 Central Piedmont Community College students in the Construction Management, Electrical Systems Technology, and Welding programs received a tool set valued at nearly $500 to help jump-start their careers.

Tools included safety glasses, helmets, multimeters, measuring tapes, backpacks, and more. Central Piedmont instructors selected the tools to best work for the students as they begin their careers. 

In addition to the tool sets, the students also received a $750 cash supplement to use however they need as they embark on the next step in their academic and career journey. 

“This is an amazing gift,” said Colton Droke, an electrical systems technology student. “I didn’t have the money to afford something like this, and this a great opportunity. I’ve been using my grandfather’s toolbox, which is more like a tackle box, and a variety of hand-me-down tools. I’ll use this every day.” 

“This will help me immediately,” added Farris Robertson, a dual enrollment student studying carpentry. “I’m very grateful because I would have had to purchase this out of my own pocket, and now I can use that money elsewhere.” 

“Faison is very excited to partner with Central Piedmont and launch this pilot program,” said Kris Fetter, President and CEO of Faison. “Central Piedmont is such an important institution serving the Charlotte community. We want these students to receive the best education in these fields of study so they can enter the workforce and have a productive, meaningful career.”

Faison Enterprises, Inc. was founded in 1988 by Henry J. Faison. His vision was to create a firm that focused primarily on real estate investing, but above all to be a good corporate citizen. The firm’s mission is to honor the legacy of Mr. Faison by partnering with nonprofits on transformative initiatives. The pilot program at Central Piedmont fulfills one of the firm’s objectives in promoting career/workforce readiness. For more information, please see www.faison.com.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Hendrick Automotive Group and local business leader Rick Hendrick have given Central Piedmont Community College approximately 23 acres of land adjacent to the college’s Levine Campus in Matthews. Central Piedmont will use the donated property to build a new first responder training facility. 

The gift is the latest milestone in a long-time relationship between Central Piedmont, the Hendrick family, and Charlotte-based Hendrick Automotive Group. The college opened the Joe Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology in 2006 at the Levine Campus. Each year, the center, named for Joseph R. Hendrick Jr., father of Rick Hendrick, serves more than 3,000 students who aspire to be automotive technicians as well as employed technicians who seek updated skills. A gift from the Hendrick family allowed the college to construct the center. 

“Institutions of higher education can flourish and make an enhanced impact only when they have corporate and community partners who are willing to collaborate and dream with them. Central Piedmont has such a partner in Rick Hendrick and Hendrick Automotive Group,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont president. “This generous gift will allow the college to realize its vision of building a first responder training facility in southeast Mecklenburg County, where none currently exists. The college appreciates its long-running partnership with the Hendrick family and Hendrick Automotive Group.” 

Plans for the first responder training center include law enforcement, fire and rescue, EMS, forensics, detention, and telecommunicator facilities. Outdoor training spaces will include a scenario training village and emergency driving range. Indoor facilities will provide a firing range and a fire and rescue area with specialized equipment for comprehensive training. The center will be constructed in phases, with the first phase opening in 2027, and phase two opening in 2028. 

“Central Piedmont is a cornerstone of the Charlotte community and our broader region,” said Hendrick, the chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group. “Over many years, we’ve been humbled by our relationship with the school, and we’re delighted to support the continued growth of its exceptional Levine Campus. When we broke ground on the Joe Hendrick Center back in 2005, I could not have predicted how substantial its impact would be. With the knowledge that Central Piedmont will use this land to develop a world-class training facility for our first responders, today’s announcement is especially meaningful. My family and our teammates at Hendrick Automotive Group are truly honored to be involved.” 

In addition to its law enforcement, fire and rescue, EMS and forensics programs, Central Piedmont offers an associate degree program in Public Safety Administration. The two-year program provides students multiple tracks to tailor their experience toward their desired career or current field of expertise.   

The college has designed the Public Safety Administration curriculum to provide students, as well as practitioners, with knowledge and skills in the technical, managerial and administrative areas necessary for entrance or advancement within various public safety and government organizations. Students completing the program can pursue careers within fire and police departments, emergency management organizations, governmental agencies, industrial firms, correctional facilities, private industries, insurance organizations, educational organizations, security and protective organizations, and through self-employment opportunities. 

See the Central Piedmont website for more information about the college’s first responder and public safety administration programs. 

*Editor’s Note: To support our branding initiatives, please refer to the college as:
First reference: Central Piedmont Community College  
Second reference: Central Piedmont  
The college no longer uses the “CPCC” acronym.  

About Central Piedmont  

Central Piedmont Community College is highly accessible and convenient to people of all ages who seek a real-world, affordable, hands-on education that will transform their lives and strengthen the economic, social, and cultural environment of Mecklenburg County. Central Piedmont is also a smart investment. At a fraction of the cost, students learn by doing, receiving a combination of technical and soft skills training from quality faculty who prepare them to enter the workforce and make a difference in their family, business, community, and world. Founded in 1963, Central Piedmont Community College has eight locations throughout Mecklenburg County, offering nearly 300 degree, diploma, and certification programs; customized corporate training; market-focused continuing education; and special interest classes. For more information, visit cpcc.edu, or connect with the college on social media at https://www.cpcc.edu/social.  

About Hendrick Automotive Group 

Representing 131 franchises and 25 manufacturer nameplates from the Carolinas to California, Hendrick Automotive Group is the largest privately held automotive retail organization in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company employs more than 10,000 people in its 94 dealership locations, 21 collision centers and four accessories distributor installers in 13 states. For more information, please visit www.HendrickCars.com.

Central Piedmont Community College’s Truist Honors Program understands the importance of preparing scholars for the next step in their life journey.

Central Piedmont’s first research subcommittee of Truist Honors Scholars developed dissertation-like proposals and research-based academic presentations to present at academic conferences followed by an Honors Program Expo, where scholars presented to a group of students, faculty, staff, and college leaders.

The goal of the research subcommittee is to educate and expose undergraduate honors scholars to experiences and opportunities related to their interests and long-term goals whether they plan to earn a degree, transfer, or enter the workplace. The program defines success as preparing scholars for beyond what’s next.

Scholars worked for months to understand the terms associated with research, how to conduct a literature review, the use of theories to support their research, the population of interest, and the justification of choices made to support their proposal method and design. Universities and employers value individuals who know the usefulness of research in addition to knowing how to utilize data to tell a story, make decisions, and develop plans.

Ultimately, they desire critical thinking, communication, collaboration, information and technology literacy, individuals who are comfortable with research and data, and understand the practical application without the fear that many students have when they hear the word research.

Truist Honors Scholars can participate in designated honors courses, honors curated events, and/or immersion experiences aligned with research, scholarship, and innovation. All of these align with the foundations of Central Piedmont’s Honors Program from the hands-on experience of developing a research proposal, identifying existing literature and credible resources, applying research to the local and global community, and using their leadership skills to create clearly defined goals during the research process.

Throughout their experiences, scholars are required to reflect and describe their academic, professional, and personal growth as well as the impact of these experiences on their future. Truist Honors Scholars described these experiences as life-changing for a variety of reasons, but the number one reason is that they now know they can do it.

Deninne Pritchett, honors program faculty director, shares that “even as a seasoned professional and terminal degree holder,” she learns more about research every day, as well as ways to improve how to investigate, display, and manage data. She adds, “If there had been a focus on research, data, and reporting during my community college years, I would have understood more about developing original research than I did at the beginning of my PhD journey.”

This highlights the importance of Central Piedmont’s Truist Honors Scholars’ taste of doctoral life while attending community college which opens a whole new world of possibilities.

Central Piedmont hopes to fuel students’ interest and passion for research by launching the Piedmont Interdisciplinary Studies Journal (PISJ), a peer-reviewed academic journal for undergraduate and graduate researchers to publish starting in Fall 2024. The honors program-supported journal will accept scholarly work from various academic fields: empirical research, literature reviews, theoretical analysis, book reviews, and literature-supported student topic papers.

Contact Dr. Deninne Pritchett for details about the Truist Honors Program and the Piedmont Interdisciplinary Studies Journal.

CHARLOTTE, NC – Central Piedmont Community College has received a $1 million gift from Coca-Cola Consolidated to support U.S. military veterans and first responder scholarships, provide program support, and assist with other critical needs at the college.

Central Piedmont provides its military veteran students a range of services in a purposeful and caring way aimed at helping them transition from military service to civilian success in the classroom and the community while accessing all available veterans benefits. The college’s first responder or public safety programs include Basic Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, Emergency Medicine, Fire Protection, and Public Safety Administration.

Headquartered in Charlotte, Coca-Cola Consolidated is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States, serving consumers, customers and communities for more than 122 years. The company makes, sells and distributes beverages of The Coca-Cola Company and other partner companies in more than 300 brands and flavors across 14 states and the District of Columbia to approximately 60 million consumers. Coca-Cola Consolidated was named the “World’s Most Admired Company” by Fortune and “America’s Most Successful Midsize Company” by Forbes in 2024.

“We are honored to partner with Central Piedmont to support U.S. military veterans and first responders in this way,” said Morgan Everett, Vice Chair, Coca-Cola Consolidated. “Our purpose to serve others includes extending a pathway to opportunity, and we hope this gift will provide critical job-readiness skills to our community members as they enter the workforce.”

Recognizing the growing need for public safety professionals in Mecklenburg County, Central Piedmont launched a new associate degree program in Public Safety Administration in August 2023. The two-year program offers students multiple tracks to tailor their experience toward their desired career or current field of expertise. The program tracks include security and loss prevention, emergency and fire management, law enforcement, and corrections.

“Central Piedmont thanks Coca-Cola Consolidated for its generous gift in support of our military veteran and first responder students,” said Dr. Kandi Deitemeyer, Central Piedmont president. “This gift will ease the financial burdens of deserving students who have chosen to serve their country and protect our community. Coca-Cola Consolidated’s support will have a significant and positive impact for generations to come.”

The Coca-Cola Consolidated gift is the latest initiative in a multi-year partnership between the company and the college. Coca-Cola Consolidated and Central Piedmont also have collaborated to develop a unique workplace learning program. The Coca-Cola Consolidated Apprenticeship Program is a hands-on learning opportunity that provides paid apprenticeships to stimulate interest in high-demand positions in the manufacturing, equipment repair, and logistics sectors at Coke Consolidated's facilities in the Charlotte area. Through the program, apprentices work approximately 20 hours weekly while completing three to four college courses each semester. Apprentices transition to full-time positions upon successful completion of the program.

About Central Piedmont

Central Piedmont Community College is highly accessible and convenient to people of all ages who seek a real-world, affordable, hands-on education that will transform their lives and strengthen the economic, social, and cultural environment of Mecklenburg County. Central Piedmont is a smart investment. At a fraction of the cost, students learn by doing, receiving a combination of technical and soft skills training from quality faculty who prepare them to enter the workforce and make a difference in their family, business, community, and world. Founded in 1963, Central Piedmont Community College has eight locations throughout Mecklenburg County, offering nearly 300 degree, diploma, and certification programs; customized corporate training; market-focused continuing education; and special interest classes. For more information, visit cpcc.edu, or connect with the college on social media.

About Coca-Cola Consolidated, Inc.

Coca-Cola Consolidated is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States. Our Purpose is to honor God in all we do, to serve others, to pursue excellence and to grow profitably. For over 122 years, we have been deeply committed to the consumers, customers and communities we serve and are passionate about the broad portfolio of beverages and services we offer. We make, sell and distribute beverages of The Coca-Cola Company and other partner companies in more than 300 brands and flavors across 14 states and the District of Columbia, to approximately 60 million consumers.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Coca-Cola Consolidated is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “COKE.” More information about the Company is available online. Follow Coca-Cola Consolidated on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. 

Featuring an array of vegetables, flowers, trees, and ferns, Central Piedmont’s Horticulture Technology students held their semi-annual plant sale on Cato Campus April 19-20. 

The plant sales draw not just employees and students from the Central Piedmont community, but plenty from the public as well. 

Jacquelyn Sumrell, a first-year student who is making a career change and eventually would like to be a horticulture instructor, said the plant sale provided an opportunity to put her skills learned in the program to practical use. 

“We do everything in this process, from cleaning up the plants, preparing them for sale, tagging them correctly, and helping spread the word by marketing the sale,” explained Jacquelyn Sumrell, a first-year student. “It’s helped me gain a better understanding of the process of growing a plant from start to finish. I also have a better appreciation of what the customers are looking for and how to help them.” 

The knowledge of the students was evident in their work with the customers. One prospective buyer asked a student for the best way to deter deer, rabbits, and squirrels from his garden, and was directed to the peppers to keep the wildlife at bay. 

Kelly Black, who is in her ninth year as an instructor in the program, praised the way the students have worked this year to ensure the success of the spring sale. 

“They take a lot of pride in the program,” Black said. “To take something they grow, then sell it to a customer, is special for them. They love the hands-on work that is involved in it.” 

Given the length of time it takes for some of the plants to propagate, students in this cohort are also finishing what previous classes started last year. That cycle will continue and is a point of pride for students in the program, some of whom return to the plant sale to see their work. 

As part of their coursework, the students are required to take a business class to help prepare them for that part of the work, and Black said they research the costs and set their own prices for selling the various plants.  

“We want them to have the experience of running their own business,” she said.

With menus inspired by their heritage, Central Piedmont’s Baking and Pastry Arts students have enjoyed a successful launch to Tasty Traditions Bakehouse & Takeout, a capstone project that doubles as a business venture for the students. 

Entering its second week, the students on Harris Campus sold out all their meals during their opening week of business and expect similar results moving forward. 

Offerings have ranged from Moroccan Chicken Salad to Pollo Guisdao to Pork Musubi and have represented a departure from typical selections one might expect from students in the program. 

“We wanted to do something ambitious for this class,” student Natalie Fischer said. “We knew we could just do a standard bakery pre-order, but we wanted to offer meals. It would challenge us more as students, but also be a benefit to staff and students here who usually have to Doordash their lunch.” 

There are nine students in the capstone class, and they rotate responsibilities during the course to further help prepare them for all the ins-and-outs of the food industry. 

“I’m in the front of the house now, making sure orders are packed and fulfilled,” student Ashlen Ramos explained. “We have a marketing team that oversees social media, distributing flyers, and using word of mouth to promote the business. Then you have the back of the house, which is really the backbone of this, to make sure orders are prepared and ready every day.” 

Instructor Jennifer Cubillos said the knowledge gained during previous classes, including a course on cost control and one in marketing, helps prepare the students to take the reins and run the business.  

“A lot of our students want to be entrepreneurs and own their own business, and this is a testing ground for that,” Cubillos said. “We want our students to understand the practice of creativity and the practice of leadership. The students are managing themselves with real money and real product. They must collaborate with each other – kitchens are team sports.” 

The success of Tasty Traditions and the overall program has gained some attention off-campus as well. People not affiliated with the college have purchased meals, and Queens University recently placed an order for sugar cookies. 

There are two weeks left to order meals through Tasty Traditions, and they also offer graduation cake sales as well. You can also follow Tasty Traditions on Facebook and Instagram. 

Forbes and Statista recently announced that Central Piedmont Community College had been chosen for the second consecutive year as one of “America’s Best-In-State Employers.” Central Piedmont is ranked as one of the top 100 employers in North Carolina for 2023. The college also was included in the Forbes 2022 ranking.

According to Forbes, America’s Best-In-State Employers 2023 were identified based on an independent survey of employees working for companies and other organizations from all industry sectors employing more than 500 individuals. Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey 70,000 workers at companies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Participants were asked if they would recommend their employer to others and to evaluate their employer based on working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, potential for development, company image, and more. Participants also assessed employers other than their own. All surveys were anonymous to encourage candor.

Central Piedmont is an attractive option for individuals seeking employment within an institution that strives to serve its community. The college aims to facilitate student learning, success, and completion by providing exceptional education and globally competitive training in an engaging, supportive environment. Central Piedmont prides itself on being Mecklenburg County’s primary workforce development partner.

Approximately 43,600 students call Central Piedmont home. With eight locations and nearly 300 for-credit programs, it is one of the largest colleges in the Carolinas. It serves people of all ages who seek a real-world, affordable, hands-on education that will transform their lives.

To learn about  Central Piedmont’s career opportunities, visit the college’s employment webpage.

Central Piedmont dedicated the Pauline Dove Gallery, located in the college’s new Parr Center, on September 8.

Pauline, affectionately known as “Polly,” taught art at the college for 30 years, before retiring in 2000.

A world-renowned artist, her work has been exhibited across the globe, including in Canada, India, Germany, Finland, Kenya, and Peru. Today, her paintings can be viewed on billboards across the Queen City, promoting ARTPop, an Arts & Science Council initiative that showcases local artists’ work in public places to make art accessible to all people in the Charlotte community.

Forbes partnered with Statista to compile its annual list of “America’s Best-in-State Employers.” Central Piedmont is ranked #81 among the top 100 North Carolina businesses.

The ranking is based on a survey of 70,000 American employees, representing 25 different industries, who offered their feedback on the organization’s employee experience, specifically its working conditions, salary, potential for growth, and diversity. Individuals directly affiliated with the college, as well as those who are indirectly associated with Central Piedmont, were surveyed. View the complete list of honorees.

“This recognition reinforces Central Piedmont’s reputation as an employer that provides abundant opportunities and a positive and inclusive work environment,” said Mark Short, the college’s chief of staff and leader of talent development. “Of the thousands of employers eligible for this designation, only a select few were awarded in each state. This supports Central Piedmont’s commitment to its faculty and staff members and their overall professional development.”  

Central Piedmont is an attractive option for individuals seeking employment. The college is recognized as a Mecklenburg County resource for workforce development, academic excellence, and cultural enrichment. At present, some 40,000 students attend Central Piedmont. With eight locations, it is one of the largest community colleges in the Carolinas and serves people of all ages who seek a real-world, affordable, hands-on education that will transform their lives and strengthen the economic, social, and cultural environment of Mecklenburg County.

To learn how to join the Central Piedmont family, visit the college’s Human Resources Web page.