Gary Crossey – Director of Computer Training School
Irish roots and vast tech experience bring a new approach to our well established team at Charlotte Street Computers, Asheville.
February 6, 2011 – Charlotte Street Computers announces the establishment of its new training institute headed by Gary Crossey. With the school being founded in January 2011, Crossey brings a host of customized classes on the Adobe and Google Suite of products in addition to the basic Mac and iPAD classes offered by Charlotte Street Computers. Specifically, his new classes include Google Documents for Businesses and Educators; Introduction to Advanced Adobe for interactive design in print, online, video and audio production; workshops on WordPress and Google Android; and seminars on Social Networking.
Previously, Crossey has taught classes for Lark Crafts, UNCA, and A-B Tech. He is founder and head of the Asheville Adobe User Group and leads seminars on SEO guidelines and social networking for businesses. With a constant focus on workflow ideas and techniques, Crossey’s ideas have been included in six of Thompson Delmar’s multimedia/web design books. His technical blog can currently be found at www.irishguy.us and features volumes of time saving tips. His company Irish Guy Productions is an award winning contemporary web and multimedia design firm and can be visited at www.irishguy.info.
Crossey’s awards and accomplishments include “The Public Choice Award” from WIRED magazine for Best Business Website (2007); Instructor of the Year at A-B Tech (2009); Twice selected as a judge for the Competitive Event Series of PBL’s National Awards Program; and Summa Cum Laude honors with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communications from the American Intercontinental University, Atlanta GA where he was recognized with the President’s Award for Excellence.
His work in animation and design has been showcased at the Royal Palace in Lakenhal, Belgium, The Fulton Opera House in Lancaster,Pennsylvania and with Tersicorps at the Diana Wortham Theatre Asheville NC.
Crossey is Co-Founder of LessImpact (www.lessimpact.info) which focuses on creating a smaller environmental footprint through farming, crop growing and animal husbandry. This particular interest has allowed him to draw hundreds of students whose primary interest is in the environment, yet who need technology to accomplish their goals. Says Crossey, “it’s a meeting of high tech with the back-to-the-basics of farm life”.
Tom Quinlan – Mac / iPAD instructor
Tom Quinlan bought his first Mac in 1994 at People’s Computers (which was also where he held his first computer job as a sales associate) on Tunnel Road in East Asheville, and has never looked back.
Tom soon began working with Adobe Photoshop and the popular Desktop Publishing Apps of the day (PageMaker and Quark XPress). When a Photoshop teaching opportunity in the Continuing Ed. Dept of AB Tech opened up, he jumped at the chance. Tom sold technology at Office Depot for 11 years, and went to the Electronic Office in 2005 so that he could sell Macs again. He taught Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign regularly in the evenings over the years until he started at Charlotte Street Computers in 2008 and began taking on additional responsibilities here.
Tom enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for the Mac platform in the “Mac Basic” class, the “iPhoto Basics” and the “iMovie Basics” classes. He is also teaching our class on the iPad.
Stewart Young – Digital Photography
Stewart Young, originally from London, works as a freelance photographer and lives with his wife and son in Asheville, North Carolina.
Stewart’s work appears in magazines and books including The Worldʼs Greatest Black and White Photography and The Boathouse: Tales and Recipes from a Southern Kitchen.
His fine art work graces the walls of Carolinas Restaurant on Exchange Street in Charleston South Carolina and Storm Rhum Bar and Bistro in Asheville North Carolina.
Stewart has been shooting with digital cameras since they first became available and has a broad knowledge of the subject which he is able to share with students in an easy to understand way.