Blair Carson
Funeral Services Director/ Instructor
Blair Carson is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the State of Georgia. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Ferris State University, and an Associate of Applied Science degree in Funeral Service Education from Ogeechee Technical College. She previously managed and was the Funeral Director in Full and Continuous Charge of Gamble Funeral Service in Savannah, Georgia, where, with the assistance of an excellent staff, she helped maintain their status as recipients of the National Funeral Director Association's Pursuit of Excellence Award. Gamble Funeral Service is the only funeral service provider in Chatham County, Georgia to receive this prestigious award, and one of only five in the State of Georgia as of 2025. She has been a Funeral Service Education Instructor at Ogeechee Technical College since 2024 and is currently pursuing an MBA.
Emily Thomas
Funeral Services Instructor
Emily Thomas is a licensed mortician in the State of Maryland. She earned her Associate of Applied Science degree in Mortuary Science from the Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville in 2015, followed by her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University and her Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University, both in 2023.
Emily worked at Thomas Funeral Home, P.A., in Cambridge, Maryland, where she compassionately and faithfully served families for 13 years. In 2023, she began teaching Mortuary Science at the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. She recently relocated to Georgia with her three cats, where she joined Ogeechee Technical College to continue educating and inspiring the next generation of funeral directors and morticians.
Emily is passionate about creating meaningful and memorable educational experiences for her students, bringing together the unique blend of science, art, and compassion that is so vital to the funeral service profession. Her goal is to inspire students to become more than successful funeral service professionals—to become thoughtful, skilled, and compassionate individuals who provide comfort, guidance, and dignity to families during life's most difficult moments, all while honoring the rich traditions and carrying forward the meaningful legacy of this beautiful profession.
Barry Turner
Funeral Services Instructor (PT)
Barry Turner is a veteran funeral director and embalmer with service stretching back to 1977. Extensively involved in all aspects of funeral service for many years, he is positioned to give students the benefit of his many years of experience, while also focusing on modern funeral service trends. A 1980 graduate of Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service, he also has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a master’s degree in Organizational Management, and additional master’s credits in Psychology. He is a member of the Academy of Graduate Embalmers of Georgia, the Georgia Funeral Directors Association, and the National Funeral Directors Association.
Turner was the first member of the Funeral Service Education faculty at OTC in 2000, and went on to retire as Vice President for College Advancement in 2019. He subsequently returned to teach in the FSE program in 2023.
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Lucas "Luke" Teague
Adjunct Funeral Services Instructor
Originally from Atlanta, Luke received his journalism degree from the University of Georgia and initially worked in broadcasting before becoming a licensed funeral director and embalmer, which he believes is both a career and a calling. In addition to being employed with Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors in Augusta for over thirteen years, Luke works as an adjunct instructor of mortuary science at Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro and was formerly an Associate Editor and Staff Writer of Southern Calls, a funeral industry trade publication. With Southern Calls, Luke interviewed the late Robert Waltrip, founder of SCI and attended the funeral service of Rev. Billy Graham, writing articles about these experiences among countless others.
He is actively involved with the music ministry at Wesley United Methodist Church and Blythe Baptist Church, serves as Vice President of the Board of Trustees for the Augusta Choral Society, Past Chairman of the Columbia County Coalition for Quality Government, and is on the Board of the Rhodes Hill HOA. In his spare time, you might find Luke visiting various local churches as a guest musician or adding to his collection of vintage stringed instruments. He is married to Caroline and they share their home with canine companions, Holly, Daisy, and Rosie.
