April 10, 2025 Agenda and Minutes | GCTC

Board Meetings

April 10, 2025 Agenda and Minutes

Board of Directors Meeting
Convening Center, Room B123
500 Technology Way, Florence, KY 41042
Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.

Board Members Present: 

  • Larry Brown
  • Michelle Hughes
  • Olivia Keller
  • Dr. Paul Klein
  • Col Owens
  • John Baines
  • Madeline Kues

Board Members Absent: 

  • Agnes VanderPutten
  • Charles Coleman
  • Dr. Fernado Figueroa

Gateway and KCTCS Faculty and Staff Present:

  • Tess Burns, Vice President of Advancement
  • Phil Dischar, Media, and Marketing Specialist
  • Leslee Wermuth, Executive Assistant, President’s Office
  • Christi Godman, Vice President of Operations
  • Amy Hatfield, Vice President of Human Resources
  • Doug Penix, Associate Vice President for Academic Services
  • Antoine Smith-Rouse, Associate Vice President of Workforce Solutions
  • Paul Tontillo, Associate Vice President of Budget, and Fiscal Affairs
  • Dr. Teri VonHandorf, Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs
  • Dr. Ingrid Washington, Vice President of Student Affairs
  • Chris Rickels, Dean of Business, IT & Professional Studies
  • Beth Settlemoir, Dean of Arts and Sciences
  • Sam Collier, Dean of Manufacturing & Transportation Technology
  • Amber Carter, Dean of Health Professions

Guests:

Mike Harris, EMS Education Manager

Agenda

  1. CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/MOMENT OF SILENCE/ROLL CALL
    Chair Larry Brown called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. The board recited the Pledge of Allegiance and observed a moment of silence. Roll call was taken. The record will reflect that a quorum was present.
  2. MISSION MOMENT
    Dr. VonHandorf introduced Mike Harris, EMS Education Manager, to share his experience partnering with Gateway.
    Mike highlights how Gateway's EMS program, in partnership with St. Elizabeth Healthcare and Florence Fire/EMS, is creating a pipeline of lifesaving professionals for our region.
    Upon assuming this role, he recognized the EMS workforce crisis—agencies were understaffed, and ambulances were not being used. A new approach was necessary. Rebuilding relationships was essential, especially with St. Elizabeth, which provided support and resources. This partnership allows students to gain firsthand experience with top-tier equipment, transforming their education.
    With Florence Fire/EMS now as a partner, Gateway is meeting community needs and expanding opportunities. The result? Our paramedic program has 100% job placement, with students often receiving multiple job offers even before graduation.
    Gateway's program is founded on three essential pillars:
    1. Collaboration: Strong relationships with local fire chiefs, EMS directors, and healthcare leaders enhance our reach and impact.
    2. Instructors: Our team brings over a century of EMS experience, with dedicated educators passionate about mentoring the next generation.
    3. Integrity: Our collaboration with Florence Fire/EMS is founded on trust, ensuring we maintain high standards that employers recognize and value in our graduates.
  3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
    Chair Brown invited discussion on the draft minutes. With no comments, he requested a motion to approve the minutes from the February 13, 2025, meeting. Col Owens moved to approve, and Olivia Keller seconded the motion. The minutes were unanimously approved.
  4. COMMITTEE REPORTS
    1. Finance and Facilities Committee:
      Committee Chair Michelle Hughes announced that progress on the budget is ongoing. The 2025-2026 budget will be presented at the next meeting on May 22nd.
    2. Performance Evaluation of the President's Committee   
      Chair Brown outlined the process for drafting the performance evaluation summary statement to be sent to Dr. Quarles between tonight and the May meeting. All board members are asked to complete the evaluation form and submit it to Olivia Keller by April 18. The committee will convene within a week to draft the summary. The vote to approve the summary will occur at the board meeting on May 22.
  5. CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT
    Due to time constraints, Chair Brown did not have any updates to share.
  6. PRESIDENT’S REPORT
    In Dr. Figueroa's absence, Dr. VonHandorf shared updates from the General Assembly. Dr. Quarles sent a summary of the 2025 Kentucky Legislative Session and its impact on KCTCS colleges. Below are two key legislative developments.
    Senate Joint Resolution 79, which did not advance as it is not a budget year. However, House Joint Resolution 34 has allocated $90 million for capital projects at three of our colleges, positioning us for the upcoming 2026 legislative session. The colleges involved are Somerset, Jefferson, and South Central.
    House Bill 4. This law prohibits any public post-secondary education institution from providing differential treatment or benefits based on individual religion, race, sexual orientation, or national origin. The law protects existing scholarships, academic freedom, and student support centers. Gateway will collaborate closely with our general counsel to ensure full implementation and compliance by June 27th. This means that aspects such as diversity statements on our website, hiring practices, and any offices within the KCTCS system that focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion will need to be adjusted.
    Dr. VonHandorf presented Get to Know Gateway #5- Academic Programming.
    Dr. VonHandorf provided a brief overview of Gateway's approach to academic programs and the process behind expanding existing programs, discontinuing certain ones, or introducing new offerings.
    She began the discussion with a story about Destiny VonHandorf, a former student who spoke as a guest at last year's Gateway to Greatness event. Destiny always dreamed of becoming a nurse, likely because her own health challenges inspired her interest in the medical field. She attended Eastern Kentucky University for two years. However, after her second year, she experienced a life-changing event. When she attempted to return to school, she struggled and returned home to work full-time. Unfortunately, she ended up with college debt and no degree. After about a year and a half, Teri encouraged Destiny to consider Gateway. Initially hesitant, she eventually connected with the director of nursing, who helped her to receive credit for some of the coursework she had completed at EKU, recognizing her prior learning. Destiny discovered her passion for labor and delivery, and about a year ago, she passed her NCLEX exam and became a registered nurse in the labor and delivery department at St. Elizabeth. Destiny's story highlights the significant impact of Gateway. Without this institution, her path and the impact on our community would have been vastly different.
    Academic Programs process:
    Dr. Vonhandorf took the board through the process of Should we...Start? Maintain? Expand? Sunset?
    She shared a brief overview of how we make thoughtful, data-informed decisions about our academic program portfolio to serve our students and regional workforce needs best.
    Gateway uses a tool from the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education — a program alignment chart — to help guide this. It plots workforce demand against student completion, helping us prioritize programs that should grow, those we maintain, and those we may need to sunset. In short, we do not just add programs because they sound good — we analyze need, cost, space, and sustainability. We sunset where appropriate and reinvest where there’s growth potential, always aiming to align with the mission and better serve the region.
    Dr. VonHandorf introduced our academic deans, who shared highlights of current happenings in their respective areas.
    • Dean Chris Rickels, Dean of Business, IT & Professional Studies, shared updates on Computer Information Technology, Education Programs, Paralegal Programs, and Computer Engineering Technology Programs.
    • Beth Settlemoir, Dean of Arts and Sciences, provided updates on AI initiatives, hybrid course redesigns, NSF S-STEM collaboration, and biology career camps.
    • Sam Collier, Dean of Manufacturing & Transportation Technology, shared department updates on Manufacturing and Transportation Technologies.
    • Amber Carter, Dean of Health Professions, presented updates on the Florence Fire Paramedic cohort, ACEN accreditation, part-time partnerships, and Kentucky Medication Aid.
  7. Chair Brown concluded the meeting by reminding the Board about the upcoming Commencement Ceremony on May 15, 2025, at 7 p.m.
  8. ADJOURNMENT
    Chair Brown called the meeting adjourned at 8:24 p.m.   

Important Dates to Remember

  • Commencement - May 15, 2025
  • Gateway2Greatness Luncheon - May 22, 2025
  • Board Meeting - May 22, 2025
  • Board Meeting - September 11, 2025
  • Board Meeting - October 23, 2025
  • Board Meeting - December 11, 2025