Alphonso A. Buie, program chair for hospitality programs at Athens Technical College, was among the top career, technical, and agricultural (CTAE) educators who were honored by the Georgia Association for Career & Technical Education (GACTE) during its 76th Annual Summer Conference.

Held at The Classic Center in Athens, Georgia June 14-16, 2023, the conference drew over 1,700+ CTAE educators from throughout Georgia. Nominated by their division peers and evaluated by a panel of judges, Buie was presented with an award naming them as 2023 the Marketing Post-Secondary Teacher of the Year winner. Each division winner was then considered as a nominee for the corresponding state award. 

Buie is the program chair for hotel, restaurant and tourism management as well as culinary arts, where students can receive certificate, diploma or associate degree credentials. An educator for more than nine years, he earned a doctorate in business administration, management and operations from Argosy University-Phoenix as well as an MBA and a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences from Lincoln University in Missouri. 

"I am a huge advocate for earning college credit while in high school," said Buie. "You can find me driving up and down the highways speaking with leadership and students advocating for CTE programs, creating partnerships with organizations, and establishing local and state-level articulation agreements. I have recently served on two committees to sequence programs and match GaDOE course standards to TCSG student learning outcomes for articulation agreements." 

Since assuming the role in Dec. 2020, Buie has focused on updating the curriculum, engaging the program advisory committee and partnerships with individuals and organizations for internships and experiential learning such as The Georgia Club, Ritz-Carlton, The Classic Center, Epting Events, and more.