By. Alexis Hill, intern
TCAT sent out a press release on July 24 about its ribbon-cutting ceremony.
More information in the press release below:
Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT)
McMinnville officially celebrated the opening of its new Coffee County campus with a
ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 10, 2026. Located at 2790 Woodbury Highway in
Manchester, the event drew over 200 community members, local leaders, and students for the ceremony and subsequent campus tours. Several dignitaries spoke during the ceremony. Dr. Melody Edmonds, President of
TCAT McMinnville opened the ceremony. Other speakers were Dr. Flora Tydings,
Chancellor, Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR); Janice Bowling, Tennessee State
Senator; Rush Bricken, Tennessee State Representative; Richard Skipper, CTE Director at Coffee County Central High School (CCCHS); Anne Hosea-Majors, Executive Director of the Industrial Board of Coffee County.
Additionally, the following student representatives spoke about their specific programs: Haley Miller – Cosmetology; Jayden Carter – Industrial Maintenance; Holly Martin – Practical Nursing; Isreal Castrejon – Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Electricity; Donald Gannon – Truck Driving; and Jackson Musall – Welding Technology. Then, Dr. Edmonds gave the closing remarks and invited everyone to tour the campus. Dr. Melody Edmonds, President of TCAT-McMinnville, which includes the TCAT at Coffee County campus, remarked, “For us, the prize is not this building. It is the students. It is the generations of individuals who will walk through these doors, gain valuable skills, build rewarding careers, and create better futures for themselves and their families. This facility represents opportunity, growth, and a long-term investment in our community.”
Pictured below from left to right: Dr. Steven Gentile, Tennessee Higher Education
Commission Executive Director; Janice Bowling, Tennessee State Senator; Regent
Emily Reynolds, Vice-Chairman of the Tennessee Board of Regents; Dr. Flora Tydings, Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor; Richard Skipper, CTE Director at CCCHS; Dr. Melody Edmonds, President of TCAT McMinnville; Rush Bricken, Tennessee State Representative; and Mr. Dick Tracy, Executive Director of Facilities, Tennessee Board of Regents.
