Dr. Aaron Thompson, President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (KCPE), will visit Owensboro on Monday, March 4 and Tuesday, March 5 to meet with community leadership, Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) faculty, staff, students and visit the Innovation Academy at Owensboro Public Schools, as part of his statewide listening tour.
Key topics will include pathways for students and adults to pursue and receive a college degree or credential, job placement opportunities and collaborative partnerships between colleges, CPE and communities.
Thompson’s visit will include meetings with small groups including OCTC Early College students, GO FAME students and students from the Innovation Academy.
“We are very grateful to Dr. Thompson for his dedication to higher education and his leadership in exploring new pathways and making the vital connections between higher education and the workforce,” said OCTC President Dr. Scott Williams.
Thompson is a nationally recognized leader in higher education with a focus on policy, student success, organizational leadership and design. He was named President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education in October 2018, following the retirement of Robert L. King.
He came to the Council in 2009 from Eastern Kentucky University, where he held a variety of leadership positions, including Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, University Programs. In May 2016, he left the Council to serve as Interim President for Kentucky State University and returned to the Council in the summer of 2017.
His leadership experience spans 27 years across higher education, business and numerous non-profit boards. Thompson has researched, taught and consulted in areas of diversity, leadership, ethics, multicultural families, race and ethnic relations, student success, first-year students, retention, cultural competence and organizational design throughout his career.
“I’m looking forward to visiting with business leaders from Owensboro along with the students, staff and the community,” Thompson said. “I hope to learn from their perspectives what we need to do to improve higher education overall, including pathways to careers, as well as what we’re doing well and the opportunities we can leverage moving forward.”
The OCTC faculty and staff session on March 4 at 3:30 p.m. is open to the community and the listening session is free. For a complete schedule of events please contact [email protected].
