Honoring Employee Legacies
April 23, 2025
Motlow State recently said farewell to two women who dedicated their careers to the betterment of education and the Motlow family. Charle Coffey and Vera Brooks both spent over four decades at the College helping students to achieve their goals and furthering the cause of education.
Pictured: Charle Coffey
In Coffey’s 41 years of service, she held many titles. She began her career as Job Placement Officer with the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). She then moved to Admissions and Records but was soon promoted to Director of Public Relations, a position that allowed her to learn more about higher education and find her calling in the field. Some of the many positions she held during her career include Director of Academic Services, Director of the Education Department, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Director of Special Projects as well as several interim titles. Regardless of which hat she wore, Coffey sought to improve education in Tennessee and meet the needs of students.
She stated, “I got to get up every morning knowing that there was value in the work that I did. Whether as an administrator or a faculty member, I knew (and found intrinsic value in knowing) that my work contributed to changing students' lives for the better.”
Some of Coffey’s accomplishments during her career include developing and launching the Associate of Science in Teaching at Motlow, developing the first 2+2 program in Education with Tennessee Tech University, serving on several committees with the Tennessee Board of Regents to improve education, coordinating dual enrollment for six districts, and launching the first Adult College Express program. While she was Director of the Education Department, Motlow’s Education program was named among the top 50 of its kind in the country. She received an award from the Tullahoma Chamber of Commerce in 2023 for impacting the community in the field of education. She was also a Motlow Teaching Excellence Award Recipient for 2020-2021 and recently received a Motlow Trailblazer Award at the third annual Women’s History Luncheon.
Coffey’s wide array of professional experience taught her valuable lessons that served
her well. She added, “Don't work for an employer. Work for yourself. By that I mean
that one must find joy and meaning in the work, find intrinsic satisfaction in both
the tasks performed and the results gained, in order to be successful - and, more
importantly happy - in the career that they choose. This is a very important point
for
anyone to understand when choosing a career (especially in Education) and applies
to any role, whether as an administrator or faculty member."
Coffey looks forward to spending more time with her family and traveling now that she is retired.
Vera Brooks, Associate Professor of Business in the Business and Technology Department at Motlow College, retired after 44 years of teaching. She chose the education profession because she desired to be a positive influence in the lives of others.
Pictured: Vera Brooks
She participated in many professional organizations, including the National Business Education Association, Southern Business Education Association, Tennessee Business Education Association, and Tennessee Association of Careers and Technical Education. She received an award from the Southern Business Education Association (SBEA), which named her Post Secondary Teacher of the Year. She was selected for the award out of business educators from states throughout the Southeast Region for outstanding contributions in teaching business education.
While at Motlow, she participated in the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) Workshop, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which presented training to faculty, staff, and anyone advising students in career planning on how to access free online resource software and information.
When asked what her career taught her, Brooks stated, “This is a profession that takes a lot of hard work and dedication. You have to learn to do the best you can with the resources available. You may get discouraged, but don't give up. Never be afraid of change or of becoming the change maker if it will result in a better tomorrow.”
She served on the Motlow Faculty Council for several terms, developed curricula, participated in several education committees with the Tennessee Board of Regents, and enjoyed getting to be a part of the Motlow community. She hopes that the next generation of educators will remember that the work they do every day impacts the future of humanity.
She added, “Technology will make the job easier and more exciting, but it must be approached with caution--so as not to delete the human element out of the equation.”
Motlow College is only able to exist through the hard work of great people like these two women. Educators must have not only a passion for learning but a heart for helping others, which these two women exhibited each day.
Learn how education can propel your career by visiting Motlow.edu.