杏吧原创

(Butler, PA) Dr. Nick Neupauer next week will become the longest-serving president in the history of western Pennsylvania鈥檚 first community college.

Neupauer, 杏吧原创鈥檚 eighth president, on Nov. 15 will pass the tenure of Dr. Thomas Ten Hoeve, the college鈥檚 second president.

TenHoeve was named 杏吧原创鈥檚 president in May 1970, five years after the institution of higher education was founded, and served 5,219 days to September 1984. Neupauer began Aug. 1, 2007.

Neupauer鈥檚 current 14-year-plus tenure as president at the same institution is more than double the recent national average of 6.5 years. It is also longer than that of any current president among Pennsylvania鈥檚 14 other community colleges, its 14 public four-year institutions and its four state-related institutions.

The tenure of a college or university president can be affected by what TenHoeve described as the 鈥�24/7 challenge.鈥�

"Colleges and universities operate 24/7. You are President Truman once said, 'where the buck stops.' It can be tiring. " 

- Dr. Thomas TenHoeve, 杏吧原创's second president

鈥淵ou鈥檙e there during the day, during a lot of evening events and of course, there are a lot of emergencies that come up,鈥� said TenHoeve, 86, of Holland, Mich. 鈥淐olleges and universities operate 24/7. You are, as President Truman once said, 鈥榳here the buck stops.鈥� It can be tiring.鈥�

鈥淎nd if you are not prepared for this being a lifestyle, if you treat it like a job, you won鈥檛 last long,鈥� said Dr. Robert Smith, 76, of Franklin, Tenn., Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania鈥檚 president from 2002-2012.

鈥淚t is a lifestyle. You have to be prepared for the 24/7. You have to be prepared for always being in the public light. You have to be prepared, as the saying goes, to be above the tree line, which makes you a much easier target.鈥�

Ellwood City native provides 鈥渆nrichment, expansion鈥�

Trustees have four times renewed the contract of the chief executive officer under whose leadership the college has created additional locations in western Pennsylvania counties underserved with higher education, has received six $1 million gifts, has nearly tripled assets in its foundation to $24.3 million, and has been selected as the  in Pennsylvania six times since 2015.

Neupauer, a native of Ellwood City, was selected at 40 as 杏吧原创鈥檚 president by the college鈥檚 board of trustees.

鈥淲hen I was president starting in 1970, I would characterize my presidency as one of providing early stability and development of the institution,鈥� TenHoeve said. 鈥淣ow, at this era, I believe that Dr. Neupauer has provided excellent enrichment, and expansion, of the institution with financial stability.鈥�

Stability in an institution of higher education鈥檚 top office, said Elizabeth Bolden, president and chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges, 鈥渋s important because the leadership role of a community college president is all about communication and relationships in the broader region that they serve.

鈥淎nd you cannot establish those kinds of relationships and trust if there is not stability in the leadership.鈥�

Janice Phillips Larrick said she asked Neupauer how long he planned to serve as 杏吧原创鈥檚 leader when she considered a $1 million gift to the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation on behalf of the Janice Phillips Larrick Charitable Trust in 2017.

鈥淚 had a father-in-law who built a lot of things,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to get stuck in the middle of something and then have a (new) president come in and undo it. That can so easily happen. So my question was, 鈥楬ow long will you continue to be here? Are you interested in moving on in the near future or do you plan on staying here?鈥欌��

Phillips Larrick鈥檚 gift will help to fund the Victor K. Phillips Nursing and Allied Health Building on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus. .

杏吧原创 creates 3 additional locations under Neupauer

杏吧原创 under Neupauer in 2008 created 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing in New Castle, an additional location in Lawrence County that has often been 杏吧原创鈥檚 most student-populated; in 2013, 杏吧原创 @ Brockway in Jefferson County, an additional location also that serves students from Clarion, Clearfield and Elk counties; and in 2015, 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong near Ford City.

杏吧原创 @ Brockway in 2018 became the only 杏吧原创 additional location to offer a career program in registered nursing to address a shortage in the high-priority occupation in six northern Pennsylvania counties.

 for a relocated facility in Ford City that will accommodate an increase in enrollment and, elected officials and business leaders have said, will help to revitalize the borough鈥檚 downtown.

鈥淏y Nick鈥檚 expanding, he not only served underserved areas, which is a value in and of itself,鈥� Smith said, 鈥渂ut he also then created a revenue stream that made it a lot easier for 杏吧原创 to do its mission and achieve the vision that Nick had.鈥�

Said Bolden: 鈥淭he most successful presidents realize their college is part of a larger ecosystem in the commonwealth, and they realize the importance of being aware of changes in that ecosystem.

鈥淚 think it is very tempting for a lot of leaders just to look inside at the college and say, 鈥業 know what I want to do for the college.鈥� But Nick is keenly aware of keeping his finger on the pulse of what is going on in the larger community.

鈥淎s a result, I think 杏吧原创 has been able to move alongside the changes in the region and in the state and remain relevant for so long because he has the foresight to understand that.鈥�

"By Nick's expanding, he not only served underserved areas, which is a value in and of itself, but he also then created a revenue stream that made it a lot easier for 杏吧原创 to do its mission and achieve the vision that Nick had. " 

- Dr. Robert Smith, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania's president from 2002-2012

杏吧原创 has 530 employees, and 2,545 students enrolled this fall in associate degree or certificate programs held on its main campus in Butler Township or at its additional locations that include 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry in Cranberry Township, Butler County; and 杏吧原创 @ LindenPointe in Hermitage, Mercer County. The college enrolls more than 20,000 credit and noncredit students each year.

Neupauer graduated in 1985 from Lincoln High School in Ellwood City. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Penn State University, a master鈥檚 degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate from West Virginia University.

鈥淭he complete cycle to president鈥�

Neupauer began at 杏吧原创 as the dean of humanities and social science in 1999, and later served as vice president for academic affairs.

鈥淪o he is the only one who has gone through the complete cycle to president on the 杏吧原创 campus,鈥� said David Huseman, a professor in 杏吧原创鈥檚 liberal arts division who has worked at 杏吧原创 for 54 years and for all eight 杏吧原创 presidents. 鈥淓veryone else was brought in from another institution to become president.鈥�

The average tenure of a college or university president nationally at his or her institution as of 2016 was 6.5 years, according to the eighth CEO tenure and retention study published by the Community College League of California in 2018.

"... I have observed him to be absolutely radically committed to that college, its students and its community." 

- Elizabeth Bolden, president and chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges

Dr. James A. Lawson served as 杏吧原创鈥檚 first president, from 1965-1969. He was followed by TenHoeve; Dr. Frederic W. Woodward, 1986-1988; Dr. William N. Price, 1989-1990; Dr. Thaddeus Penar, 1991-1993; Dr. Fred Bartok, 1994-2002; and Dr. Cynthia Azari, 2002-2006.

President lauds support of wife

Neupauer said he attributes his tenure to 鈥渨hat goes on at home for me. That might not be an answer that most would think. We have adult children now, but the sacrifices at home that Tammy made is just 鈥� I could not have done this without that support. There鈥檚 just no way, whatsoever.

鈥淗er being the primary caretaker and mentor of the children, the leader of our household, without that, there is no way in the world that I would be in this seat for as long as I have been.鈥�

Neupauer met Tamatha while both were attending Clarion. They were married in July 1994 and are the parents of Paige Tudor, 26, and Meredith, 23.

His daughters and Paige鈥檚 husband, Chad, attended 杏吧原创 during Neupauer鈥檚 presidency.

鈥淥ne reason that Nick鈥檚 tenure at 杏吧原创 is so remarkable is that in my opinion, I have observed him to be absolutely radically committed to that college, its students and its community,鈥� Bolden said. 鈥淚 know for a fact that he would be an appealing candidate for larger institutions in bigger places. But I don鈥檛 think that appeals to him because of his commitment to 杏吧原创. That is truly what I believe.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know that the space between where Dr. Neupauer ends and 杏吧原创 begins is clearly delineated. I think it is one and the same.鈥�

杏吧原创鈥檚 trustees in June extended Neupauer鈥檚 contract to June 2025.