District Winners

2022 District 2 Pacesetter

Dr. Scott Williams
President
Owensboro Community & Technical College
Owensboro, KY

Thanks to Dr. Scott Williams, Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) is the region’s go-to institution for workforce economic development. When he became college president in 2015, Dr. Williams prioritized students and their success over the institution’s success, emphasizing the importance of diversity.

Dr. Williams doubled marketing’s budget and, after reviewing the findings of a strategic enrollment management team, funded two new positions for recruitment/marketing. The team’s efforts, which eventually expanded to charge individual departments to develop their own steps to contribute to enrollment and student success, led to record enrollment during a time when other colleges were experiencing a decline:

• Fall 2021: 4,111 students, up 5.3%, the largest growth in seven years.
• Spring 2022: 3,769 students, up 20%, putting enrollment equal to pre-pandemic levels.
• Underrepresented minorities: 15% of total enrollment, the highest in the college’s history. 
• Black and Hispanic enrollment: Up 35%.
• Fall 2022 (as of mid-fall): Up 9%.

In partnership with the Owensboro Health CEO in 2022, Dr. Williams was an integral part of developing the proposal for and securing the funding to support the Commonwealth West Healthcare Workforce Innovation Center. The Kentucky legislature was so impressed by this public/private partnership, it allocated $38 million to fund the center as a model for the state. The partnership includes all regional higher education institutions, health care organizations and OCTC. The state-of-the-art simulation center will promote and recruit students to health care careers.

During Dr. Williams’s tenure, regional support for OCTC has increased substantially. He is visible in the community and served on multiple boards, including the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corp. and Rotary International. For four of the last five years, OCTC has earned the Messenger-Inquirer Reader’s Choice Platinum Award, which is voted on by the community.

“Dr. Williams is supportive of professional development and committed to lifelong learning,” Bernadette Hale, OCTC director of marketing and communications, writes in Dr. Williams’s nomination. “His actions are aligned with the NCMPR mission, and his proactive approach to marketing has (given) OCTC a strong foundation for continued future growth.”

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