After five years of leading Flint Hills Technical College, President Dr. Caron Daugherty has announced she will be moving on to a new venture starting next year.
Daugherty announced on KVOE’s Tech Talk program Tuesday morning that she will depart the college in December to assume the role of President at State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri. Daugherty, who came to Emporia back in the summer of 2021, says there is “so much about this that is bittersweet.”
As for the timing of her departure, Daugherty says she is very confident in the institution’s state as it prepares for its leadership transition over the next few months, and that it is in a strong financial position.
Daugherty noted there are clear differences between technical college and community college structures, namely the difference in the breadth of programming offered between the institutions.
While community colleges offer more student engagement opportunities, Daugherty noted a major challenge that comes with that: the “exploratory” mentality community college students have during their time at the institution.
That said, Daugherty noted the mission remains the same, providing students with a quality education and hands-on learning experience that will set them up for successful careers in the future.
Daugherty was named as FHTC’s seventh president in the summer of 2021 following the retirement of longtime president Dr. Dean Hollenbeck in June of that year. As of Tuesday morning, an official succession plan has not been announced; however, Daugherty says she anticipates that plan to be in place before the FHTC board’s next regular meeting.
KVOE News will have updates on the search for the college’s 8th president as they become available.
