No subject is more of a “hot button topic” in America as 2018 comes to an end than immigration—both legal and illegal. And very few residents of Southcentral Kentucky are as good an example of legal immigration benefitting both the immigrant and his new country as SKYCTC’s Mike Greer.
In Bowling Green, Franklin and Russellville, he is known as a skilled craftsman who is a college associate professor, the father of three high-achieving grown children, and a high school soccer coach.
In the past, he has been in a low-paying five-year apprenticeship program, an infantryman in a civil war in Africa, and an immigrant entering four different countries.
Mike was born in Wales far away from both Africa and Kentucky, but when he was three years old his father moved the young family to Johannesburg, South Africa for him to work as a Ministry of Mines machinist. After that, they moved on to Malawi, and little Michael had to ride 14 miles to school in a company bus that often got stuck in the mud.
A second family immigration found the Greers moving to Rhodesia, which is now Zimbabwe. Most of his childhood education came there. After high school, he entered a five-year Tool and Die apprenticeship modeled after the British system. He learned a trade and also took what was considered college level courses.
That was interrupted after just one year by his being drafted into that country’s civil war. He was literally on the ground, fighting real life battles with other Rhodesians for two years as a section leader. When his tour of duty ended, he went back to being an apprentice, but was able to transfer to South Africa. He completed his training to become a journeyman with a National Technical Craftsman Certificate.
In the meantime, he met and married Kim Brown, the daughter of American missionaries, the David Browns. Mrs. Brown was part of the Gill family of Allensville on the Todd-Logan county line.
Mike and Kim were married and lived in South Africa for three years but decided the country’s political unrest was not good for a young family. They decided to pursue immigrating to America and after dealing with a considerable amount of “red tape,” they were eventually on their way to the United States.
They considered settling in Nebraska, Texas, Florida, Tennessee or Kentucky. Greer had been required to have an American sponsor with substantial assets to get his Green Card, and that came from the Gills. They decided to make their American start in Russellville, Ky., where Kim’s dad and his wife Colleen now live. The Gills were his sponsor.
Greer worked for Mark Wetton at Pro Fab Metals in Russellville, then known as G&W Metals for Gill and Wetton. A position closer to his skill set came open in nearby Franklin at the Potter Brumfield plant, which later was purchased by Siemens. He worked as a tool and die maker for that company for 20 years until management decided to relocate the plant to another country.
While he was looking for a new employer, fate intervened. Bowling Green Technical College (now SKYCTC) was opening a training program based on the German model. Mike’s experience of having done the apprenticeship in Africa and having overseen the training program for Siemens made him a strong candidate for the position.
A problem arose that his college education in Africa was not recognized in Kentucky. He needed to earn degrees to continue
He started his American education at the now-defunct Mid-Continent University, but the cost and redundancy of courses he had already taken in Africa proved to be a burden. He then transferred to BG Tech. The courses were more useful and far less expensive. He also took courses at WKU which counted on his degree.
Today he is an educated and experienced professor teaching Computerized Manufacturing and Machining along with blueprinting at SKYCTC’s Transpark campus in the heart of Southcentral Kentucky manufacturing.
Over the years, one of Mike’s hobbies has been running. He has run numerous marathons, including a 50-miler in South Africa. He has coached youth league, middle school and high school soccer in Simpson County for many years.
Mike and Kim, who works for the Simpson County Schools, have three grown children. Lindsey, 30, and her husband met in photojournalism school and now work for the Omaha World Herald newspaper; they have an 18-month-old daughter, Dylan, 27, has a masters degree in business. Ian, 24, is completing his doctorate in physical therapy.
Mike also is an American citizen, having completed the process to reach that distinction in 2002.
As far as the immigration debate is concerned, Mike says he understands why families are trying to work their way into the Unites States to provide a better life for their children. He thinks it’s important, though, that they do it the right way by taking legal steps to qualify for immigration.
He believes what he is doing at SKYCTC is good for students and for his adopted country. He says, “This is a great avenue to pass on to young people skills and expertise so that they can better themselves.”
That’s appropriate, since Mike Greer has spent most of his life doing just that for himself, his family and young people of the world.