In April 2024, the Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL) broke ground on the second building at the New River Campus. This building, named the Arthur E. Brown Regional Workforce Training Center, will offer new and expanded programs in manufacturing, logistics, business and entrepreneurship, computer technology and more. The center’s new programs also align with ongoing initiatives by local chambers of commerce and economic development organizations that are recruiting key sectors — aerospace and defense, headquarter and back office, green and alternative energies, cybersecurity— to expand or locate here.

“The Arthur E. Brown Regional Workforce Training Center is a critical investment in the future of our regional workforce. Naming it after General Brown—a dedicated donor, passionate advocate, and esteemed member of both the TCL Board and Commission—ensures that his legacy of leadership and service will continue to inspire generations to come.” – TCL President Dr. Richard Gough

To learn more about the center and General Arthur E. Brown, Robyn Zimmerman was able to spend an afternoon with the retired four-star general and Mary Lee Carns, Vice-President for Advancement and Workforce Development for TCL.

On a sunny January afternoon, I was honored to “sit” at the kitchen table of Retired General Arthur E. Brown at his home in Port Royal Plantation on Hilton Head for a “chat”. He talked briefly about his 36 years of service to our country, but more importantly he lit up as he shared stories about his beloved wife, Jerry, who passed away ten years ago. Even his sweet daughter Marian Shope, who he calls Nene, stopped by to bring her 95-year-old Dad some chocolate chip cookies. In our short time together, it was evident that General Brown has lived a lot of life in 95 years, marked by unwavering hard work, exceptional leadership at TCL, and, most importantly, a deep commitment to his family.

From left to right – Robyn Zimmerman, General Arthur Brown, Mary Lee Carns

General Brown graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1953, immediately married Jerry and became an Infantry Officer. Over the next three decades, the Army moved them all over the country.

“I had two tours in Europe, one in Germany and one in Brussels and two tours in Southeast Asia, and three years in Hawaii, which was really pretty neat. Being stationed in Hawaii, you think of as the cat’s meow, but in fact, our division was really hard working. We sent troops to Africa and Australia and places in the Pacific, Japan, and Korea, a challenging but learning experience for me.” – General Brown.

In 1980, the General left Hawaii as a Brigadier General to return to West Point as the Deputy Superintendent. He became the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army in June 1987 and held that position until he retired in January 1989. That same year, he and Jerry moved to Hilton Head Island to relax; however, that is exactly what the General and Jerry did not do. They both became extremely involved in the local community, Jerry with the Special Olympics and the Heritage Classic Foundation, and the General as a founding member of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, the Boys and Girls Club, and Technical College of the Lowcountry.

In 1986 under General Brown’s leadership, the TCL Foundation was established. He served as chair of the Foundation for more than ten years. In 1997, he was appointed to the Technical College of the Lowcountry Area Commission. After 23 years on the Commission, fifteen years as chair, General Brown resigned on July 1, 2020. Guided by his leadership the college oversaw tremendous growth in the college. It opened the Mungin Center in Hampton South Carolina, the Bluffton New River Campus and Angus Cotton Building, and in 2021 the Culinary Institute of the South. General Brown was foundational to the college’s success.

“When I joined the college about ten years ago, General Brown was chair of the TCL Area Commission, and his leadership left a lasting impression. He was the best kind of change agent—thoughtful, forward-thinking, and always looking for ways to make things better. One of his favorite sayings was, ‘I think there’s a pony in that stable.’ Even today, when a new idea or opportunity comes up, that phrase still finds its way into the conversation—it’s a reminder to recognize the potential in front of us.” – Mary Lee Carns

Construction at the New River campus is set to begin in early 2026 and when complete will dramatically increase TCL’s capacity by an estimated 850 students. The center’s course offerings also mirror the training needs of two other key workforce groups in the Lowcountry: military and small business. Military members and veterans often turn to TCL to help translate their aviation electronics and aircraft maintenance service into industry-recognized credentials, which sets them up for future employment opportunities.

“These sectors have been strategically identified to fit well within the Lowcountry way of life while having the potential to offer higher wages and to create a more diversified local economy,” said John O’Toole, Executive Director for the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation. The center’s program alignment will become an important part of the recruitment pitch to prospects, according to O’Toole.

When asked what it meant to have this training center named after him, General Brown replied:

“Well, it’s pretty extraordinary to be honest with you. I think of my dear close friend Angus Cotton for whom the original building on the New River Campus is named. It is a great honor to have a building named for me on that same campus that will train the workforce of tomorrow. It really smacks you right in the face.”

Carns expressed TCL’s gratitude towards General Brown for his leadership by saying, “General Brown is in the DNA of the Technical College of the Lowcountry. Naming the workforce training center in his honor is a tribute to his lasting impact on the college and our community.”