Revel teaches students, fills needs

Kenny Revel is an instructor at Escambia Brewton Technical Center, teaching and guiding students who choose to study and learn skills to live in today’s world.

For the past three years, he has been teaching the basics in carpentry and construction at the school.

The class’s most recent job has been to fill a need at W.S. Neal Middle School.

Laura Leigh Rambach is the principal at the middle school and she contacted the Escambia County School Board and made a request. Todd Williamson, career center director, felt like it was a job that could be done by Revel’s students.

“I was asked if we could make some picnic tables to be placed in the break area at the school,” Revel said. “As we need projects to build, I said we could.

“It’s not the first time we have built for others, but this was a big project. The project was funded by funds raised at the middle school.”

Now when the students at W.S. Neal Middle School get a chance to get outside, they can sit down at a table and enjoy being there.

Revel is an old hand at building. Born in Brewton, he attended the career center and graduated from T.R. Miller in 1977. He went straight into working in his dad’s construction business. After about 10 years, he moved into big company construction for about two years.

“I came back to Brewton and got a chance to work in the Escambia County School System in Atmore, teaching construction to students at Escambia County High School,” Revel said. “I stayed there for the next 17 years.”

He married Donna Lowrey in 1979 and went to work with her father, Thomas Lowrey, for a while in the heating and cooling business. Donna is also an employee of the school system and is currently an attendance in at-risk supervisor. They have three children and currently live in East Brewton.

“We have helped the members of the Brewton First United Methodist Church for years by pre-cutting some of the wood they use in making wheel chair ramps for those in need,” Revel added. “More than 300 ramps have been built at the latest count.”

The students, who number around 25, are taught their skills in small groups to provide more one-on-one training. They not only learn construction,but  they also have to know about design, measurements, and something about wiring and plumbing. Their classroom is filled with several unfinished projects. Each student usually has a project underway. It could be a birdhouse, a folding table, or a double adirondack chair adapted from the single chair.