By Holly Bull
Dr. Tony Kinkel took over the position of PPCC President last week. He follows in the footsteps of former PPCC President, Joseph A. Garcia, who recently took a position as the President of CSU-Pueblo.
Dr. Kinkel said his reason for coming here was “the community of Colorado springs is one of the finest communities in the U.S.” PPCC as a part of this community is recognized nationally as one of the finest community colleges. When you get the opportunity to work with the best, you take it,” said Dr. Kinkel on Thursday.
When asked what had impressed him about PPCC so far, President Kinkel said, “The people. The thing that strikes me is the incredible talent of the people that work here.”
During an interview Thursday, Dr. Kinkel gave some insight on his plans for the future of PPCC. One of his immediate plans is to work with the new governor and legislature on acquiring more funding for higher education. Upon arrival, Dr. Kinkel had been told, funding levels have dropped 35% in the last five years. He said, “A little bit more investment in us will pay off for the economy. People of Colorado need to be convinced that an investment in higher education will benefit them.”
Another area of concern for Dr. Kinkel is working with the K-12 systems in order to get students better prepared for college. A special area of interest is high school students earning college credits before they’ve graduated.
Before coming to Colorado Springs, Dr. Kinkel served as Chancellor at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. Prior to that, he served in the Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota State Senate. Dr. Kinkel is married with two children.
For those interested in meeting the new president, he will be upholding the tradition of Pizza with the Prez. Dates and times are as follows:
11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Mon. Feb. 26 Centennial Campus, C-102
Tues. Feb. 27 Downtown Studio Campus, Student Commons
Wed. Feb. 28 Rampart Range Campus, Library
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