The Kentucky Community and Technical College System has a new president, and it’s a familiar name to Kentuckians—Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Ryan Quarles.
His selection as the new president comes after an extensive and thorough interview process with both Quarles and other potential candidates. In the end, there were three finalists—Quarles, Dr. Dean McCurdy of Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana and Dr. Beverly Walker-Griffea of Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan.
While Quarles currently serves as Ag. Commissioner, that stint is coming to an end this year and he has served in that role since elected in 2016. Before that, he served as a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2011 to 2016. Quarles holds seven college degrees, including a doctorate in higher education administration from Vanderbilt University, a master’s degree in higher education from Harvard University, and a juris doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He earned his four other degrees, including two master’s degrees, from the University of Kentucky.
Quarles says, “I am both humbled and excited to further my public service towards the Commonwealth through KCTCS—our state’s most impactful higher education entity. For countless Kentuckians, our community and technical colleges change lives everyday as we not only fulfill career dreams, but also strengthen our state’s workforce needs. As a former community college student, I’m excited to get started.”
Quarles will serve as the fourth president of KCTCS.