A New Hope in Military Town for Everyone
The New Col. Ralph Puckett VECTR Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center Offers Much to Georgia Community
Columbus, in the west-central part of Georgia, has a population of over 200,000 and is also home to Fort Benning, an army post that supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve soldiers, retirees and civilian employees.
“There’s a strong relationship between Columbus the community and Fort Benning. A lot of interaction, a lot of working together,” explains Martha Ann Todd, President of Columbus Technical College (CTC).
CTC, with an enrollment of about 5,000 students, offers technical and career-focused education serving the Columbus community and programs that help provide career training and support to transitioning military service members from Fort Benning and their families.
Despite a plentiful workforce from the town and army base, Todd observed there was a consistent mismatch between the companies’ hiring needs and the community’s skill sets. Many companies eventually recruit from the outside, not within Columbus or the more than 2,000 soldiers exiting military service into civilian life.
“We need to do everything we can to connect people with the right training and potential employers here in Columbus. Our vision is to be able to build out our workforce, take advantage of the population that we already have here, and give them better access to training,” explains Todd.
Todd knew that in order to create these opportunities, CTC needed a larger facility that offers hands-on career training and skills development for these high-demand jobs.
Thus, the vision for a new Colonel Ralph Puckett Jr. Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center was born.
“We are thankful to Reinvestment Fund for partnering with and helping us navigate this campaign and understanding the New Markets Tax Credit program.”
Martha Ann Todd, President of Columbus Technical College
The project, which is estimated to cost $14.25 million, started with trustees of the college and community foundations then eventually expanded to include other partners. This eventually led to the opportunity of leveraging New Market Tax Credit (NMTC), a federal incentive that helps drive private investments into low-income communities by offering tax credits. The site of the future VECTR Center sits on a severely distressed NMTC-eligible tract where a significant portion of the population lives below poverty standards.
An introduction to Solaris Capital led Todd to the team at Reinvestment Fund, who has a deep understanding of NMTC programs and similar development projects that have helped vulnerable populations gain invaluable skills.
“We are thankful to Reinvestment Fund for partnering with and helping us navigate this campaign and understanding the New Markets Tax Credit program. It was great to have the team present,” Todd recalls.
While Todd appreciates the partnership with Reinvestment Fund, she is also proud of the strong local philanthropic support.
“85% of our fundraising for this project has come from the community. The VECTR Center is truly a community endeavor. It is going to transform lives,” said Todd.
The new center will be operated by CTC and will provide workplace development for both transitioning military families and benefit many low-income residents in the community. The VECTR Center will provide training in careers such as advanced manufacturing, welding, cybersecurity and healthcare. It will also provide dedicated career counseling and job placement partnerships with major local employers.
Todd sees CTC as an opportunity to develop skills that will help students get a job, build a career, support their family and be financially independent. And by supporting students to do that, CTC can support the business industry in the community to get the workforce out there that they need.
The VECTR Center is slated to open in the summer of 2026.