Faculty and Staff

Dr.  Carson is a Vietnam veteran and retired from active duty with 21 years of service in the military and has worked at SGSC for over 20 years. Originally from Iowa, he now calls Douglas home.  He enjoys riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and working with wood. Specifically, he enjoys wood turning and is known for his turned wood bowls and vases.  He has Master's degrees in Instructional technology and adult education. In addition, he has a Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership. Dr. Carson is proud to be a part of SGSC's  popular elementary and special education teacher preparation program. 

Niki Hersey is a former elementary school teacher with 7 years of classroom experience. She has worked in Lowndes County Schools, the Valdosta City Schools, and in the Coffee County School system.  Originally from Valdosta, Georgia, Niki earned her bachelors and master's degrees in Early Childhood Education from Valdosta State University. Niki is married to Blake Hersey, a high school teacher in Jeff Davis Schools. Together they have two children, Mary and Roe. Niki enjoys baking, traveling, and spending time with loved ones. She has been with South Georgia State College since 2019 as an Assistant Professor and Field Placement Supervisor.

Amy Fitzgerald began her education career in 2006. During her 13 years in the Georgia Public School System, she served as a classroom teacher and instructional coach. During this time, she served a diverse population of students and received several certifications and endorsements including: Special Education, ESOL, Gifted, AP Macro/Microeconomics and Tier 1 Leadership. Mrs. Fitzgerald began working with SGSC as a part-time instructor and field placement supervisor in 2019 and transitioned to a position as a full-time Assistant Professor of Education in 2020. She earned her B.S.Ed in Secondary Education and M.A. in History from Valdosta State University. She earned her Tier 1 Leadership Certification through Augusta University and is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Leadership from Valdosta State University. Mrs. Fitzgerald and her husband Joey have four children who keep them busy with a variety of sports and music lessons.

Dr. Zena Lloyd has an instructional background in both elementary and middle grades education. Throughout her 12 years in the Georgia Public School System, she had the opportunity to not only serve as a classroom teacher, but also as an instructional coach and Title I/Family Engagement Coordinator. Dr. Lloyd attended Valdosta State University from 2005 – 2020, where she earned a B.S.Ed in Middle Grades Education, a M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction: Accomplished Teaching, and an Ed.S in Curriculum and Instruction: Exemplary Teaching. She concluded her graduate work at VSU upon earning her Doctorate of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. 

Dr. Lloyd and her husband, Zach, have 5, fury-four-legged, children that keep their lives very entertaining. She and Zach take every opportunity to travel, island hop, and simply enjoy the adventures life continues to offer them. 

Dr. Wendell Stone has recently retired from the Coffee County School System with over 30 years of service in education.  During his career in education, Dr. Stone has held various positions within the school system.  He has served as a high school math and vocational teacher at Coffee High School. He was also principal of two local elementary schools, Westside and Indian Creek. Dr. Stone earned the Doctor of Education from Valdosta State University in 2008.  He has been married to Nena Cadle Stone for 40 years and she is a second grade teacher at Westside Elementary School.  They reside in the Ambrose Community. He has two adult children and three grandchildren.    

Dr. Donna Ryan brings over 30 years of experience from various positions at the classroom, system, regional and state level.  She earned her bachelor and Master’s degrees at the University of Illinois before moving with her husband to Georgia where she served students with special needs (K-8) through both self-contained and resource models. She served as an adjunct instructor for Georgia State University while earning her PhD in Exceptional Students before rounding out her classroom experience as a team-taught high school English teacher. At the system and regional levels, she served as MetroWest GLRS Director, assistant superintendent and superintendent. She is excited to serve as one of SGSC’s field supervisors and honored to consult with the Department of Education at the state level for the Georgia Dyslexia Pilot. She is married to Tim and enjoys traveling and spending time with their three grown children and two grandchildren. Tim and Donna reside in Cogdell, Georgia.

Charity Couey hails from Jacksonville, GA. She was home schooled Kindergarten through twelfth grade and is an alumni of South Georgia State College, Middle Georgia State College and University, and Walden University. She teaches fourth grade at Telfair County Elementary School and has been a part-time instructor at SGSC for 3 years. She is married to Jeremy Couey  and they have one daughter, Harmony. Charity enjoys spending time with family, playing the piano, reading, and home decor. 

Mrs. Kim Tyre holds a Master's in Early Childhood Education with over 15 years of Early Childhood teaching experience in the classroom. She's been with SGSC since the Fall of 2019 in the Early Childhood Education Department as a part-time instructor and continues to teach full-time at Wacona Elementary School in Ware County. While teaching elementary school is her most rewarding service, she relishes the opportunity to positively impact future teachers in Southeast Georgia.

Kim has been married to her husband, Brian, for over 25 years and they've raised 2 daughters, Megan and Maggie. Megan is a senior at Georgia College in Milledgeville, graduating in May with an Early Childhood degree. Maggie graduated 2 years early from the University of Georgia with a degree in Management Information Systems.

Dr. Rebekah Morgan is from Homerville, GA. She has enjoyed a career in education for over 16 years. She served 12 years in the traditional classroom teaching grades 8-12 Social Studies. During this time, she also taught AP United States Government and Politics, gifted students and served as a Special Education Co-teacher. Dr. Morgan also holds certifications in Middle Grades Social Studies, Middle Grades ELA, and High School ELA. In 2018, she began working as the high school graduation coach for Clinch County High School, where she currently coordinates interventions and helps at-risk students graduate. In Fall of 2020, she joined the SGSC faculty as a part-time professor for the ELE/SPED Program.

Dr. Morgan has a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education from Valdosta State University and a Master’s degree in Adult Education from Troy University. She received her Doctorate in Curriculum Studies from Georgia Southern University in 2019. She is married to Rance Morgan, also an educator. Together, they have two children, Treadaway and Estee. As a family, they enjoy bowling, camping, fishing, and attending baseball games.

Mrs. Dennison is originally from Douglas, though she has lived in many places and other states. After graduating from Georgia Southern University with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, she earned her Master's degree in Clinical Counseling Psychology from Valdosta State University. Mrs. Dennison spent several years working as a therapist and crisis counselor before transitioning into the world of education.  She began her education career as a special education teacher and obtained a Master's in Education from Valdosta State University. A few years ago, she pursued a gifted teaching endorsement and currently teaches gifted math at Coffee Middle School. 

When Mrs. Dennison is not teaching, she is home enjoying time with spouse Steve, son George and "fur babies" Earl, Eddie, Angel, Ted, Fred and Alice. In addition, she loves to read, cook, knit, spend time outdoors, and enjoy the simple joys of life!

Jeanette Lincoln is originally from Vidalia, Georgia. She lived in Savannah for over 25 years. While attending Savannah State University, she received a BBA degree in business administration and a Master of Education degree from Cambridge College in Boston, Massachusetts. She started her teaching career in Savannah Chatham Public Schools where she taught in elementary and middle school for 15 yrs. She and her family moved to Blackshear Georgia, and taught in Pierce County Schools for 8 years. Jeanette finished her teaching career at Ware County Middle School and retired in 2019 after 30 years in education. Her role as field placement supervisor is allowing her to observe, evaluate, and assist the training of inspiring new teachers. She is assigned partner schools to build relationships with administration, mentor teachers and interns. Jeanette believes that students are unique and need a teacher that caters to their individual needs while providing a safe and stimulating environment.