Gadsden County has a special place in my heart. It was where my career at Tallahassee Community College started – at the Pat Thomas Law Enforcement Academy, now part of the college’s Florida Public Safety Institute, back in 1999 – and it was where I began to fully appreciate the role that the College plays in transforming people’s lives. I spent eleven wonderful years at FPSI before becoming president. While there I had the privilege of working with elected and…
Now that we’ve wrapped the 50th anniversary, people are already asking me where I think Tallahassee Community College will go in the next 50 years. While I cannot imagine the changes in degrees and programs that will occur long term, we will remain faithful to the principles TCC was founded on and continue to be demand-driven and student-focused. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how to hit the ground running in 2017. Here are a few of the things we…
In Tallahassee Community College’s 50 Anniversary video, “Celebrating a Legacy, Building a Future,” Dot Binger, the third employee hired by Tallahassee Community College in 1966, said “You need always be grateful for founders.” That quote has stuck with me throughout this year as we looked back at the rich history of this College. Being at the helm during such a milestone anniversary has been both a privilege and a far greater responsibility than many realize. TCC started in 1966 with…
2016 has been full of moments both challenging and inspiring. As we get ready to break for the Thanksgiving holiday, I find it so important to pause and reflect on what I am most grateful for. I am thankful for the work we do here at Tallahassee Community College. I am thankful for being able to work with colleagues who are dedicated to TCC’s mission and are passionate about our students’ success. I am thankful for the students themselves who…
The start of fall is always a great time to be at Tallahassee Community College. The campus is busy with students again! Some of you are returning and, hopefully, ready to get back in the swing of things. Some of you are taking your first steps onto a college campus and starting a new chapter in your life. Either way, we are excited you chose TCC as part of your journey and can’t wait to see how far you’ll go….
As most of you know, 2016 is our 50th anniversary as a college. Over the course of those 50 years we have grown and changed, sometimes in response to changing needs and often as a result of inspired leaders whose vision and leadership guided the college through periods of great challenge. As we moved into our 50th anniversary year, I learned things that have been especially moving for me. In the past three months, I’ve heard stories from our rich history that…
Taking time to be retrospective is a wonderful exercise. Months ago when we started preparing for TCC’s 50th Anniversary year we spent a lot of time looking back, from the foundation of the College to today, and who helped us along the way. The photos and documents we pulled from the archives, some of which dated back years before the doors even opened, were a wonderful reminder of our rich history and the significance of our institution. With our anniversary…
Every organization has a certain amount of inertia or velocity with which it moves steadily forward. This forward momentum is almost never the result of one massive push, but rather many small and determined pushes that are motivated by a collective desire for progress. I have the honor of being at the helm of Tallahassee Community College as we celebrate our landmark 50th anniversary. This institution has seen some of the most hardworking, most dedicated people come through its doors…