Renovations and expansions for nursing, dental assistants, culinary arts and welding. Educational agreements with Emporia State University, four-year universities and school districts across the state. Partnerships with local and regional businesses.
And wave after wave of enrollment records.
All are part of the legacy of Flint Hills Technical College President Dean Hollenbeck, who announced Monday his plans to retire next June after 15 years leading the college. On KVOE’s Tech Talk on Tuesday, Hollenbeck said the college “is in a good place,” and ongoing growth — a coronavirus-related dip for fall 2020 notwithstanding — is a feature of that.
Hollenbeck’s education career started as an agriculture instructor in Lenapah, Oklahoma, in 1974. He then served at Colorado Northwestern Community College and the Colorado Community College system in Denver. Before starting his education career, Hollenbeck received his bachelor’s degree in ag education from Oklahoma State University and both his master’s and doctorate in vocational education administration from Colorado State University.
Hollenbeck repeatedly thanked his staff and administrators for their work in moving the college forward.
Board chair Ken Roemer says FHTC has “significant change and growth” under Hollenbeck’s leadership and is well-positioned for the future as a result.
The college’s Board of Trustees is appointing a transition and search team to lay out the recruitment and selection plan. The active search will begin in December.
7:15 am Tuesday: Hollenbeck announces retirement from Flint Hills Technical College
The longtime leader of Flint Hills Technical College has announced plans to retire at the end of the current academic year.
Dean Hollenbeck, who has guided the college the past 15 years, formally submitted retirement plans during Monday’s FHTC Board of Trustees monthly meeting. The board accepted Hollenbeck’s decision.
Under Hollenbeck’s leadership, FHTC set several enrollment records and also increased emphasis on several programs, including culinary arts, instructional multimedia and welding. Hollenbeck oversaw construction of the Jones Education Center through a partnership with Kansas State University and USD 253 for Emporia school students with varying disabilities, a small windmill and solar panels to help bring that building closer to net-zero energy use and construction of the Welding Technology Building in southwest Emporia. In addition, he oversaw the move of certain programs to the Humanitarian Center.
Hollenbeck also led numerous academic agreements with four-year institutions, including Emporia State University, and he developed partnerships with local, area and state high schools and local and regional businesses.
Hollenbeck supplanted Lee Alderman, who resigned in 2005 and ultimately became director of the Emporia Rescue Mission in 2008.
Hollenbeck will have more on his retirement, education career and upcoming plans on KVOE’s Tech Talk at 8:20 am Tuesday.
