McGee creates comfortable futures

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The Hartwell Sun, the Hart County Chamber of Commerce and the Hart County Charter System have partnered to demonstrate how Hart County is truly #ONEHARTBEAT. Each month, a school and a local Chamber of Commerce business will be spotlighted to show how the business and the schools are working together to prepare all students for their futures. This month, McGee Heating and Air is featured, as this business has been a proven devoted business partner for Hart County schools.

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  • Sunshot by Michael Hall - McGee Heating and Air president Robert Kesler, right, talks to students at the Hart College and Career Academy this week about how a central HVAC system works.
    Sunshot by Michael Hall - McGee Heating and Air president Robert Kesler, right, talks to students at the Hart College and Career Academy this week about how a central HVAC system works.
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Imagine: It’s near the end of September with the fall season just under way. The leaves are changing, college football is in full swing and the temperatures are nice and crisp. Yes, imagine that as if in Georgia, the fall season actually played out that way. Instead, the weather forecast here usually still calls for the high 80s one day, but 35 degrees the next, with rain scattered in between. Just because, well, that’s how it is.  

While for some these random weather patterns wreak havoc on their sinuses and allergies, their daily flows and routines, for others, the wishy-washy weather may just mean a bustling business. Robert Kesler can attest to as much. As president of McGee Heating and Air in Hartwell, he and his staff work on a daily basis to keep their customers comfortable no matter what Mother Nature may bring their way. 

“This is a business that will never go out of style,” Kesler said. “I mean, when it’s hot, you need that air conditioning. When it’s cold, you need that heat. It’s just that simple.”

But to say the business is simple is an understatement. This is an industry of high demand, and it is one locally being supported by a new class of employees coming from Hart County schools — especially from the Hart College and Career Academy. 

Through the designated pathways and work-based learning program at the academy, students are offered an experience in hands-on education while taking steps to shape their futures. Ask Ethan Sellers. He has a kick start to life after high school. The senior at Hart County High School has already started his career, taking an internship with Kesler at McGee Heating and Air through the Career, Technical, Agriculture and Engineering (CTAE) pathway. No surprise, his focus is on HVAC. 

“I like working with things, fixing things,” Sellers said. “This career makes sense for me. This is a positive place to work, and knowing that I have a future here and in this field, that’s just a great opportunity. I know that when I graduate and am out of school, I have a career set for me.”

Carving out positive pathways for students is the overarching goal of the College and Career Academy and Kesler is more than excited to help that mission play out in Hart County. Born and raised in the Hart County community, Kesler doesn’t take his place in creating futures in his hometown lightly. He shares the same vision Hart College and Career Academy CEO Brooks Mewborn sees, which is to shine a spotlight on technical careers and technical education. 

Opening doors to different options is a positive change in the educational landscape of today and it is a change that has been long in the making, Mewborn will tell you. 

Careers such as working in the electrical and HVAC arena are not only lucrative- with, average wages starting out in the $20-per-hour range, but they are also in high demand. As the current generation of highly trained, skilled employees retire, they are leaving room for growth and expansion for younger generations. 

“I want us to embrace this change and encourage our students to see these opportunities,” Kesler said. “I can see our local kids, looking for these opportunities, and I see the College and Career Academy as being a part of this change. Helping to open these new doors to students, knowing McGee can be a part of the community in that way, it is a blessing.”