Words and Image from Bevill State Community College
Nine men graduated from the HVAC Fast Track Program on Thursday, August 27. It was a momentous occasion, as it marked 100 graduates who have completed the program since its inception.
What started in 2019 as a partnership between Bevill State Community College’s Workforce Solutions Division and Alabama Power, with support from industry partners, has steadily grown, meeting the demand for more HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) workers across the country.
Thursday’s graduation for the Class of 2026 Cohort 2 was held at the state-of-the-art HVAC Training Center in Jasper.
The latest group of graduates are David Allen, Alphonso Tyreke Bell, Landis Cannon, Kamdon Dodson, Justin Kaden Herron, James Howard, Andrew Lynn Pendley, Marcus Pierce, and Kreston Wilson.
“We’ve got several firsts here today. Congratulations to Charlie Morrow. Today is his first graduation ceremony as the director of the facility, and we have our 100th graduate today,” Bevill State President Dr. Joel Hagood said while opening the graduation ceremony. “It just shows you the success and the demand of this program and how it continues to grow, especially as I was talking to vendors earlier and how much that demand is still prevalent and still present there.”
Hagood thanked Alabama Power for its partnership in providing high-quality training at the center.
“Alabama Power each year provides scholarships to assist in covering the cost of these classes, so a big ‘thank you’ for the investment and the future of this high-demand skilled trade,” Hagood said.
He went on to provide some background on how the HVAC Training Center operates. Hagood said Alabama Power’s instructors lead the classes taught there, and Bevill State’s Workforce Division handles recruiting, the enrollment process, and certification of completion.
“It’s a competitive process to get in the program, but once accepted, they go through an 12 week program — 295 hours of instruction, which includes technical knowledge and skills to prepare to install, service, and maintain the operating conditions of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. It also includes diagnostic techniques, use of testing equipment, and principles of mechanics, electricity, and electronics as related to repair,” Hagood said. “It gives you an idea of what these guys have been doing over the last 12 weeks. It’s a very intensive program.”
Kolby Russell of M&A Supply Company in Brentwood, Tennessee, was the guest speaker at the graduation ceremony. Russell is no stranger to the HVAC Training Center. He was one of the “fab five” — the first five students to graduate from the program in 2019. He now does inside sales at M&A Supply.
Russell said he first worked in the field as a service technician for a well-known Birmingham-area HVAC company. He later moved into the distribution side of the HVAC industry before making his way to M&A.
“We work with the contractors, the technicians and the commercial customers,” he said. “We identify the equipment’s age, the parts you need, and if it’s covered under warranty or not.”
Russell gave the graduates much advice. For one, he stressed they don’t need to believe they know everything — they don’t. He encouraged them not to be afraid to admit that and to seek advice from those seasoned in the industry when difficult situations arise.
“Your training prepares you to start, but your perseverance keeps you going forward. You cannot stop and say, ‘I know everything now.’ Trust me, you do not,” he said.
He also told graduates to stay teachable and not to quit, noting that every career has bad days.
“Do not quit. You are called for a purpose. You are called for a plan, and God has a plan for your life. Don’t stop now,” he said.
Russell said he never dreamed of working in the sales side of the HVAC industry and encouraged the graduates to always look for growth opportunities.
“Your career is not defined by where you started,” he said. “It is shaped by how you respond to the journey.”
Lastly, he spoke about how life-changing his time in the program was seven years ago.
“Congratulations to every one of you today, and welcome to the HVAC industry,” he said. “It is an opportunity that I got seven years ago that has changed my life. I cannot think of what it would be today if I had not had this opportunity to come through these classes today. It is up to you to learn, to keep growing, and to pursue what you have been given.”
Before awards were presented, Dean of Workforce Solutions and Economic Development Al Moore took a moment to discuss how the training center, located at 3711 Industrial Court, began. He first recalled when the center was under construction.
“When you first walked in this building … you could look all the way to the back of this building, and there was nothing here,” he said. “Fast-forward to the build-out of this facility … and we’re sitting here today.”
Moore said the building was purchased in 2015, with the renovations done in 2017. At that time, college leaders were discussing how to expand the HVAC training program.
“The power company already had robust HVAC training that was relocated to this facility from Verbena, and we were looking at how we could extend partnership and training between the college and the power company,” he said. “In 2019, we came up with the original name of it (the training program offered at the center), the HVAC Boot Camp.”
It was referred to as the HVAC Fast Track program after the first year. He recalled that the first class, which included Kolby Russell, had only five students.
“That class was amazing. They blew it out of the water,” he said. “Fast forward from 2019 to 2026, we are so thrilled and so excited. One hundred students have gone through this program since 2019. That’s really impressive because we didn’t know how this would work. For a student to be with us and give up 12 weeks of their lives to go through this intensive training program, we didn’t know how it would work, but it has been amazingly successful.”
Moore went on to present class awards. David Allen was selected by his instructors as the Most Outstanding Student, which Moore described as “a student who performed classroom and lab work at a level of excellence that set the standard of achievement within the class.”
Allen was also recognized by his peers as the Class Leader for setting “the standard for excellence in the classroom and motivating classmates to strive for comparable classroom performance.”
Graduate James Howard, who couldn’t attend Thursday’s ceremony because he was at work, was voted by his peers as the Team Player, which Moore described as “a classmate who was consistently helpful to fellow students and worked to help others, ensuring group success.”
The Outstanding Instructor Award was presented to Greg Creel for “engaging in exemplary instruction, developing impactful student relationships, and cultivating a learning environment where students can thrive.”
Charlie Morrow thanked the whole team at the HVAC Training Center for their service, including Dale Jones, Eddie Hardee, Jim Goolsby, Greg Creel, Tim Hardy, David Burdette, and Tricia Russell.
“If all the companies knew the knowledge these individuals have and the dedication they have to this center, they would be knocking down the door to get in,” Morrow said. “They all understand the platform that they have been given here, and they don’t take that lightly.”
All of the graduates were presented with certificates of completion and, for the first time, received customer service certificates. That opportunity is now being offered as part of the HVAC Training Program.
“You are on a journey to greatness, and already you’ve hit that first great benchmark because you’ve shown responsibility in persevering through this program,” Moore said, congratulating the graduates.
Morrow concluded the program with a message for graduates: “You chose this trade. You’re the professional on the job site. You’re the person entrusted to solve the problem. You’re getting paid to do the work, and it’s your responsibility to get it done. That mindset taught me how to push through challenges, how to keep going when I was tired, and how to face adversity head on. Most importantly, it taught me that there is always a solution if you’re willing to work for it.”
Morrow said many opportunities are out there, but they must earn them.
“Show up early, work hard, keep learning, take pride in what you do, and if you do those things, the industry can provide a tremendous future for you and your family. Today marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another for you guys,” he said. ” … Today, you should be proud of what you have achieved.”
You can learn more about the HVAC Fast Track Program by visiting https://www.bscc.edu/hvac-
