CONWAY, S.C., Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) Area Commission has selected Lori A. Heafner, Ph.D., as the next president of Horry-Georgetown Technical College following a comprehensive national search.

The Area Commission made its selection during a special-called meeting Friday, Sept. 18, following finalist visits and public forums held on the Conway Campus. Heafner will assume the presidency Jan. 4, 2027.

“The Area Commission entered this national search determined to identify the leader best prepared to build upon HGTC’s strong foundation and guide the college confidently into the future,” said Robert P. Hucks, II, chairman of the HGTC Area Commission and Presidential Search Committee. “Lori distinguished herself through her depth of experience, knowledge of higher education, commitment to students and understanding of the communities we serve. She knows this college and our region and has demonstrated throughout her career an ability to bring people together around a shared commitment to student success and institutional excellence. We are confident in her ability to lead HGTC forward.”

Heafner currently serves as vice president for academic affairs at HGTC and has more than 25 years of experience in higher education, including 20 years at HGTC. Her leadership experience spans academic affairs, institutional effectiveness, strategic planning, accreditation, grants, assessment and community and workforce partnerships.

Throughout her career, Heafner has helped advance academic and workforce pathways, transfer opportunities, dual enrollment and early college partnerships, and collaborations with K-12 schools, universities, health care organizations, businesses and community leaders. She previously served as HGTC’s vice president for institutional effectiveness and development and has also served as an adjunct instructor.

A community college graduate, Heafner began her higher education career at Cleveland Community College before joining HGTC in 2006. She earned a doctorate in educational sciences with a concentration in higher education administration from Coastal Carolina University.

The Area Commission’s selection followed a comprehensive national search conducted with assistance from the Association of Community College Trustees. Three finalists were invited to HGTC for campus visits and public forums, providing faculty, administrators, staff, students and members of the community an opportunity to hear from the candidates and provide feedback.

“I am deeply honored to be selected as the next president of Horry-Georgetown Technical College,” Heafner said. “For 20 years, HGTC has been an important part of my life, and I have had the privilege of working alongside extraordinary faculty and staff who are deeply committed to our students and communities. I am grateful for the confidence of the Area Commission and excited to build upon the college’s strong foundation as we expand opportunities for our students, strengthen our partnerships and continue meeting the changing educational and workforce needs of our region.”

About Horry-Georgetown Technical College

Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) is a public, two-year college serving Horry and Georgetown counties with campuses located along the Grand Strand in Conway, Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, South Carolina. A member of the South Carolina Technical College System, HGTC offers more than 80 associate degree, diploma and certificate programs, including many online options, designed to prepare students for careers or transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The college also provides workforce development programs that support regional economic growth. HGTC is the fourth largest of South Carolina’s 16 technical colleges and among the fastest-growing higher education institutions in the state.

For more information, visit www.hgtc.edu.

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Free to The Public, World’s Largest Mental Health Day Festival Reveals Mainstage Sessions with NBA Champion Karl-Anthony Towns, Actor, Host and Author Terry Crews, #1 New York Times Bestseller & Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt, Nina Westbrook, Licensed Therapist, and More

Gala, Hosted by Carson Daly, Co-Anchor of NBC’s “Today” and Host of “The Voice,” To Honor Chris Barbin, Founder and CEO of Tercera with the 2026 “Humanitarian of The Year,” Nespresso as “Corporate Visionary of the Year”

Previously announced TV Creator Bill Lawrence Honored as “Storyteller of the Year”; Naeem Khan, The Evening’s Artistic Curator and Fashion Designer to The Stars, To Unveil Beyond the Glitter, An Interactive Installation Highlighting The Intersection of Fashion And Mental Health; DJ Samantha Ronson to Bring Her Signature Sound To The Nonprofit’s Gala

Festival To Feature Full Day of Conversations, Movement, Music, Creativity and Immersive Experiences with Fitness Influencers and Puppies to Foster Community and Connection

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NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Project Healthy Minds, the leading mental health tech nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to mental health services across the United States, today announced new details for its two highly anticipated annual events: its fourth annual World Mental Health Day Gala on Thursday, October 8th; and its fifth annual World Mental Health Day Festival, taking place Saturday, October 10. Both events will be held at New York City’s Spring Studios.

FESTIVAL NEWS
Free to the public, the fifth annual gathering, held on Saturday, October 10th, is grounded in six pillars: Connect, Move, Restore, Reflect, Create and Care. Considered the world’s largest public event on World Mental Health Day, the festivities unite world-renowned thought leaders, celebrities, authors and sports personalities for a full day of conversations and experiences addressing what has been called “the defining public health issue of our time.”

Attendees will have an opportunity to connect and engage in conversations tackling some of the most urgent and culturally relevant questions surrounding mental health today. The dynamic lineup of changemakers and visionaries onsite includes: Karl-Anthony Towns, NBA Champion and New York Knicks star whose personal conversation will be moderated by Rich Kleiman, Boardroom Co-Founder and CEO; Terry Crews, actor, host, author and Global Ambassador of Wellbeing for Wellhub; Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of “The Anxious Generation”; Nina Westbrook, licensed marriage and family therapist, former college athlete and Founder. Hands-on activations and fitness classes will be led Sydney Miller, founder and CEO of HOUSEWORK; Kelsey Wells, global fitness trainer & mental health advocate; Becs Gentry, Peloton Instructor and ultramarathon runner; Timm Chiusano, author; Joe Gonzales, founder of Brooklyn Stroll Club; Jack Bauer, certified breathwork facilitator, mindfulness coach and fitness instructor; plus an award-winning puppy yoga class hosted by Puppy Sphere™. More to be announced!

Timely sessions will explore mental health through the lens of music, motherhood, entertainment, identity, performance and technology. Panels will include: “Turning Tragedy Into Triumph: New York Knicks Star & NBA Champion Karl-Anthony Towns on Grief, Loss, and High Performance,” “What Tech Crowds Out” with Jonathan Haidt and “Who Am I Now: Getting Ready for Change” with Terry Crews. Additional sessions and workshops to be announced. 

Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Festival 2026 is sponsored by Propel, Nespresso, ENOUGH, World of Hyatt, lululemon, and Wellhub.

GALA NEWS
On the evening of Thursday, October 8, Project Healthy Minds will host its fourth annual World Mental Health Day Gala at New York’s Spring Studios. The event supports the nonprofit’s mission to connect over 10 million Americans with mental health services over the next decade.

Hosted by Carson Daly, co-anchor of NBC’s “TODAY,” host and producer of NBC’s “The Voice,” and a member of Project Healthy Minds Board of Directors, the special evening will feature the presentation of Project Healthy Minds’ annual honors including Chris Barbin, Founder and CEO of Tercera, will receive the Project Healthy Minds Humanitarian of the Year Award; Nespresso will receive the Project Healthy Minds Corporate Visionary of the Year Award; and as previously announced, Bill Lawrence, who serves as the executive producer of five TV series including “Shrinking,” “Ted Lasso,” “Scrubs,” “Rooster” and “Bad Monkey,” will receive the 2026 Project Healthy Minds Storyteller of the Year Award, presented by 2024’s honoree Michael D. Ratner, Founder & CEO of OBB, CEO of Fanatics Studios, Co-Founder & Co-Executive Chairman of rhode and Gala Dinner Chair. Renowned DJ Samantha Ronson will provide the evening’s soundtrack with a high-energy set, with special guests including Jack Goldburg, founder of Jack’s Dining Room & Yes Chef Group and more. The event will also feature a special to be announced musical performance.

Adding a special dimension to the evening, Naeem Khan, world-renowned fashion designer and the Gala’s Artistic Curator, will bring to life his interactive “Beyond the Glitter” installation, an immersive exploration of the intersection of fashion and mental health. Known for his work with Beyoncé, the Kardashians, Sabrina Carpenter, Priyanka Chopra and Michelle Obama, Khan will use fashion, light and visual storytelling to examine the tension between outward radiance and the inner realities we all carry and invite guests to consider what exists beneath the surface, and how the way we see ourselves can shape the way we experience the world.

2026 Dinner Chairs include OBB’s Ratner and his wife Lauren Ratner, Co-Founder, rhode; co-anchor of TODAY and NBC News Chief Legal Correspondent Savannah Guthrie and her husband, Mike Feldman, Partner, Co-Chairman, North America, FGS Global; Joseph and Jacqui Canney, Chief People and AI Enablement Officer, ServiceNow; Kalen Irsay Jackson, Owner & Chief Brand Officer, Indianapolis Colts; Motive Partners Chair Jeff Yabuki who with his wife Gail, direct the Yabuki Family Foundation; Rich Kleiman, Co-Founder & CEO, Boardroom, and his wife Jana Kleiman; Joanne and Navid Mahmoodzadegan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Moelis & Company; CEO, Thrive Hospitality and famed event planner Colin Cowie and Daniel Peuscovich; Jennifer Koman, Founder, The Little Things, and Jim Koman, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, ElmTree Funds; PepsiCo Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer Becky Schmitt; former president of Marc Jacobs, Carolyn Risoli; and Joe Silvestri, Co-Founder, Managing Partner & Head of Industrials, Court Square Capital; ESPN college sports reporter Jessica Sims, influential fitness expert, speaker and instructor; Ronnie and Michael Kassan, Founder, 3C Ventures; Marc Jacobs’ Chief Marketing Officer, Head of Digital, Kristin Patrick; Bushra and Atif Zaim, Deputy Chair and Managing Principal, KPMG U.S.; and digital content creator Kat Stickler.

Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Gala is sponsored by PepsiCo and OBB.

Phillip Schermer, Project Healthy Minds Founder and CEO, said: “Mental health is not one issue among many facing modern culture. It’s the thread running through every other question we’re asking about who we are and where we’re going.” He added, “You cannot understand this century through its technology, politics, or economics alone. You have to understand its mindset. That is what we gather to do: put the loneliness epidemic and the return of the run club on the same stage, because they’re the same story told twice. Once as the wound, once as the healing. And we do it free and open to anyone, because you don’t need a diagnosis to belong in this room.”

Gala host and Project Healthy Minds Board of Directors member Carson Daly added: “Every fall, this community reminds me why I keep showing up for this work. The Festival and Gala have grown into something bigger than an event. They’re proof that when people talk openly about mental health, real change follows. I’m honored to serve on this Board and grateful to everyone who gives their time, energy and resources to keep this movement going.”

Past Festival and Gala participants and honorees have included Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Demi Lovato, Sophia Bush, Arianna Huffington, Katie Couric, Chance the Rapper, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Sanaa Lathan, Dr. Becky Kennedy and more.

Additional honorees, presenters and performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

ABOUT PROJECT HEALTHY MINDS:
Project Healthy Minds is a Millennial & Gen Z-driven mental health tech nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to mental health services across the United States for every community. Project Healthy Minds focuses on three programmatic areas: (1) destigmatizing mental health by mobilizing culture-makers; (2) expanding access to mental health services through the world’s first free digital mental health marketplace; and (3) advocating for innovative workplace investments in employee mental health. Project Healthy Minds’ programmatic initiatives have served more than 500,000 people. For more information, visit www.projecthealthyminds.com.

PRESS CONTACT:
FerenComm on behalf of Project Healthy Minds
TeamPHM@ferencomm.com

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Milestone makes EPB Quantum Center SM America’s first commercial quantum computing and networking hub

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — EPB today launched the IonQ Forte Enterprise quantum computer at EPB Quantum Center℠, bringing commercial quantum computing and networking together in one facility for the first time. The milestone further positions Chattanooga as the most comprehensive resource in the U.S. for commercializing real-world quantum solutions. Companies can develop, test and deploy quantum technologies here with access to advanced quantum infrastructure and a growing network of development partners, including the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and Vanderbilt University.

“Today’s launch represents another major step in the growth of a quantum ecosystem found only in Chattanooga,” said Vicky Gregg, Chair of the EPB Board of Directors. “Just as EPB’s decision to launch the world’s first community-wide gig-speed internet shaped our community’s future back in 2010, this milestone carries forward our strategy of building advanced infrastructure that enhances the way we serve our customers while opening new economic opportunity for our community.”

“EPB and IonQ have built something unique. This Forte Enterprise system complements EPB’s quantum networking capabilities, laying the foundation for a full suite of applications for quantum communications and commercialization for their clients,” said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ. “Together, we’re creating a first-of-its-kind environment where organizations can explore quantum applications today and help shape the opportunities this technology will create tomorrow.”

Putting Local Customers and University Partners First
As part of EPB’s commitment to benefiting its customers, the EPB Quantum Computing Fellows will be the first to use the new quantum computer, so they can run the quantum algorithms they have been developing to further optimize local power grid circuits. Funded by a $4 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the initiative has brought eight graduate researchers with expertise ranging from quantum information science to physics and engineering from all over the U.S. to Chattanooga. The effort focuses on finding ways to further optimize the operation of EPB’s advanced, highly automated power grid to reduce costs and enhance resilience for the benefit of local customers.

Starting in early October, EPB Quantum ComputingSM will be open for business. UTC will be the first customer, beginning with research the university is already prepared to run. EPB is also working with Vanderbilt to line up its first project.

“Access to a quantum computer is rare and valuable,” said Janet Rehberg, CEO of EPB. “We’re starting with our own work to directly benefit our customers while also prioritizing the universities that are investing to expand quantum education, workforce development and research right here in Chattanooga.”

Other companies can find out more about EPB Quantum℠ computing and networking resources at EPBQuantum.com.

Opening New Opportunities for Local Economic Growth

Driven by EPB’s mission of enhancing quality of life for the people it serves, Chattanooga’s quantum infrastructure is already drawing new investment, creating new jobs and supporting major expansions in university academics and research in the city. The investments announced in Chattanooga since EPB Quantum began installing the new quantum computer are projected to expand the local economy by adding hundreds of researchers, faculty, staff and students.

IonQ is investing $15 million to establish the Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center in Chattanooga, with plans to create approximately two dozen jobs, including quantum scientists and highly skilled researchers.The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, which in 2023 became the first American university to connect to a commercial quantum network, is expanding its quantum programs with plans to add 135 to 240 faculty, staff and students.Vanderbilt University is partnering with EPB to launch the Institute for Quantum Innovation, which will anchor Vanderbilt’s Chattanooga quantum innovation campus with approximately 250 researchers, faculty and staff.Hybrid Computing Project: In tandem with the EPB Quantum Fellows project funded by NIST, EPB, IonQ, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and NVIDIA have installed a classical supercomputer within the EPB Quantum Center, and they are collaborating on a hybrid computing project that combines quantum and high-performance classical computing to optimize portions of EPB’s advanced automated electric grid and evaluate future applications for increasingly complex energy systems. 

To further build on these gains, EPB is hosting the Quantum in Business (QiB) conference on October 1 with more than 400 business leaders, researchers and policymakers from across the U.S. gathering in Chattanooga to learn how companies can benefit from a projected $2.7 trillion in economic value by utilizing quantum computing in the near term while developing the expertise they need to lead their industries as quantum technology advances. The conference is especially targeted to business leaders in the insurance, logistics, automotive and manufacturing, financial, healthcare and chemicals industries, which are projected to gain tremendous value from quantum technology.

“Becoming the first U.S. hub to offer commercially available quantum computing and quantum networking under one roof is a milestone,” said Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. “Just as EPB’s fiber network made us a leader in the digital economy, EPB Quantum Center is attracting investment and talent by deploying a technology that is expected to shape industries and economies for decades to come. Over the next decade alone, EPB’s quantum initiatives are projected to generate up to $1.1 billion in economic gains for Chattanooga.”

How EPB Quantum prepares local people for the quantum jobs of the future

Developing a quantum workforce begins long before students enter college. Through partnerships with local schools, universities and industry leaders, Chattanooga is building a talent pipeline that introduces students to quantum and advanced technology careers at every stage of their education. Combined with EPB’s unique commercial quantum infrastructure, these initiatives are helping prepare local people for opportunities emerging in the rapidly growing quantum industry while giving companies new reasons to invest, expand and create jobs in Hamilton County.  

Franklin-Roberts Future Ready Center: EPB and Hamilton County Schools announced the Energy and Quantum Industries Academy, a new program expected to serve approximately 400 high school students annually beginning in 2028. The academy will provide hands-on experience in engineering, cybersecurity, energy systems, communications infrastructure and quantum science. TN QuantumWorks: The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development recently selected Hamilton County Schools to pilot a statewide K-12 quantum education initiative designed to introduce students to quantum concepts and build pathways into future quantum careers. 

“Our goal is to make sure every person in Hamilton County has an opportunity to benefit from the investments being made in our community,” said Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. “With hundreds of high school students set to train through the Energy and Quantum Industries Academy at Franklin-Roberts Future Ready Center, we’re giving young people a chance to see themselves as part of the next generation of quantum innovation.”

About EPB
Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, EPB is a nationally recognized energy and communications provider with a mission to enhance quality of life for the people it serves across its 600-square-mile service area. Starting in 2010, EPB gained notice as a national model for building and utilizing its 100% fiber-to-the-home network to deliver cutting-edge services such as the world’s fastest community-wide internet, now with service up to 25 Gig, and the nation’s most advanced automated electric grid.

As a pioneer in fiber optic innovation, EPB also launched EPB QuantumSM to provide access to cutting-edge quantum technology platforms and help innovators bring paradigm-shifting solutions into the real world. With the launch of EPB Quantum Network® in 2023 and EPB Quantum ComputingSM, EPB Quantum offers the most comprehensive, commercially available quantum technology platform in the U.S. Learn more at epb.com and EPBQuantum.com.

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