Meeting at a glance
Here’s a quick look at Tuesday’s BCC Board of Trustees meeting.
• The trustees received a report on the college’s fourth Leadership Institute.
• Vice President of Administration Mark Dean presented the November financial statement.
• Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman presented the strategic planning report.
• A small revision was made to the Emergency Succession Plan Policy
• The board approved hiring Gina Owen as a support and testing specialist at the Adult Education Center and Leann Steinert as a financial aid communications specialist.
• It was the final board meeting for trustee Mike Minton.
A tradition of growing leaders from within continues at Barton Community College. This week, the BCC Board of Trustees heard from Whitney Asher, assistant director of Financial Aid, who is the coordinator of the Leadership Institute.
In 2015, the average age of a full-time employee at Barton was over 49 years old. To face the challenge of future retirements in administrative and management positions, the college started the Leadership Institute, with applications open to all employees.
After a year of planning, the first institute began in the fall of 2016. Participants establish mentor relationships with current leaders as they develop a practical understanding of a leader’s role and responsibilities. Participants are able to clarify their professional goals, assess their personal readiness for career advancement and build a professional networking system.
“This is our fourth year of the Leadership Institute and we have our largest class yet with nine participants selected,” Asher reported. They are:
• Abby Kujath – Customer Service, Enrollments & Accounts Coordinator
• Jenna Hoffman – Assistant Director of Human Resources
• Deanna Heier – Instructor
• Erin Eggers – Director of Distance Learning
• Curtis Rose – Multimedia and Instructional Designer
• Shelli Schmidt – EA Tech Support Specialist
• Orlando Hernandez – Senior Coordinator of Enterprise Technology
• Karla Hitz – Divisional Administrative Assistant
• Julie Munden – Video Coordinator
“A fun fact about this group is that of these leaders, over half are BCC graduates,” Asher said.
“Barton has seen a great deal of growth and success from our Leadership Institute alumni,” she continued. “Many have accepted new responsibilities and positions within the college and there are a couple who have recently started work toward their doctoral programs. We look forward to seeing what the future brings for these individuals, and the impact they will continue to have on Barton.”
Minton’s final meeting
Tuesday was the final BCC Board of Trustees meeting for 2019 and the final meeting for Trustee Mike Minton, who did not seek re-election in November. Trustee-elect Mike Boys also attended the meeting. He will be sworn in at the first meeting in January.
Minton shared some parting thoughts about the positive impact of the college.
“Every day I become more and more amazed at the exceptional performances of the people, the processes and the technology at Barton,” Minton said. He thanked Barton President Dr. Carl Heilman and the administrative team “for your continued vision and pursuit of greatness” and he thanked “each and every employee who strives on a daily basis to give our students exactly what they need. ... I believe in the mission and just want to thank you all.”
