Ken Collins has been synonymous with the Automotive Systems Technology program throughout his 25-year tenure at Central Piedmont.

His history with the college stretches back even longer, though. In 1987, during a career change, Collins began taking courses at Central Piedmont, eventually earning his associate degree in 1990.

Collins would eventually become department chair, coordinate the Toyota Motor Corporation Technician Training and Education Network (T-TEN), and help establish the Tesla START program in 2018, a 12-week automotive technician training program designed to provide students with the skills necessary for job placement as service technicians at Tesla Service Centers across North America.

A three-time teaching excellence award winner, Collins also made several television appearances for the college, including a segment called “This is for Your Car” and an appearance on a CBS morning show about flooded cars.

“I have always enjoyed working at Central Piedmont,” Collins said. “We are allowed to utilize the best of the best tools that help us bring vehicle technology to these young students.”

Collins has enjoyed visiting shops and seeing his graduates work in the field. The relationship with one of those graduates, Nana Danso, helped bring Tesla to the college. ⭐