Reid State Technical College has been conducting classes for some time in the Atmore area, but Friday the school officially opened their doors to the community with a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at their new Atmore campus on Brookwood Drive.

Reid State has operated using space on the Atmore campus of Jefferson Davis Community College, but will now offer classes in their own facility, which they are leasing from Creek Indian Enterprises, the marketing and economic development arm of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

Reid State President Dr. Douglas M. Littles said the move is a great transition for the school, which primarily focuses on nursing.

“Atmore is a great place to be,” Littles said. “We are very pleased to be here. This is an exciting time. We look forward to being here a long time.”

Littles said he is also looking forward to possibly expanding the classes offered on the campus in the future.

“We look forward to, not only having practical nursing, but other health related programs as well,” Littles said.

Littles also praised PCI and CIE officials for helping house them in their new home.

“We couldn’t have a better place to be,” he said. “We have to thank our sister college (JDCC) for being good land lords for the last few years, but it is good to be in our new home.”
That new home includes roughly 24,000 square feet and, while only a portion of the building will be occupied by Reid State at first, Littles said the opportunity for growth is there and added he hopes the program will soon be large enough to inhabit the entire two-story structure.

CIE President Tim Martin was unable to attend Friday’s grand opening, but said during an October announcement of the new partnership that he too is excited about the future of the program.

“As president of CIE, the economic development arm the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, we are invested in this community,” Martin said. “If you go and look at any great community across the United States you have what I would say is a three-legged stool. You’ve got to have a good education system foremost.  You’ve got to have a good health care system and you’ve got to have good, stable governance. We’re here today to talk about two of those things. Education and healthcare.”

Following the ribbon cutting, those in attendance were treated to a tour of the new facilities, complete with state of the art medical dummies and other technologies, along with refreshments.

Littles said students will begin classes on the new campus in January.