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Former
Edison State President Dr. Kenneth A. Yowell and
current Edison State President Dr. Doreen
Larson stand in front of the
commemorative wall display.
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Former Edison
State President Honored
Edison State Community College honored Dr. Kenneth A. Yowell with a
naming ceremony for his many years of dedication to the College on
Friday, September 9 at the Piqua campus.
Throughout the event, college and community leaders echoed words of
gratitude toward Yowell’s ongoing commitment to helping build a solid
foundation and lead the college to its sustained successful state.
A commemorative wall display including an etched glass portrait of Dr.
Yowell was unveiled following words from current Edison State
President, Dr. Doreen Larson; Edison State Board of Trustees Chairman,
Darryl Mehaffie, Vice Chairman, Tom Milligan; the Edison Foundation
Chairman, Stan Evans; former Board of Trustees member and Edison
Foundation Board emeritus member, Ann Baird; and State Representative
Richard Adams.
“I am grateful and honored to receive this recognition,” said Yowell.
“If the home is where the heart is, then a good part of my heart is
here at Edison. I spent more than one-third of my life as Edison’s
President.”
“From my first day here, I was driven by the belief that Edison must be
an inviting and welcoming place for students and community members
alike. Many physical changes required many enormous efforts by many
people. The real value was the enhanced learning opportunities for
thousands of our students. The bottom line for me was and always was
successful learning and service to the community.”
“I am proud of this campus that we built. I am proud of the evolution
of the Darke County campus. I am proud of the many community
partnerships that have developed. I am, however, most proud of the
efforts focused on fundamental reason of the college’s existence, and
that is learning.”
The new official name of the atrium, which is situated between the
Robinson Theater and gymnasium, is the Dr. Kenneth A. Yowell Atrium.
“The atrium is a special place to me, and anyone who has been here
before knows that this is the crossroads of the college,” said Yowell.
“Anything important that happens, begins here, whether it’s Holiday
Evening, whether it’s an event in the Robinson Theater, an athletic
event, or commencement, it all begins here.”
Dr. Yowell began his tenure in 1988, retiring after 23 years of serving
as the president of Edison State. As the College’s third president,
Yowell established the Business and Industry Center, the Edison
Foundation, and opened a second campus in Darke County.
He was instrumental in dedicating the North Hall, Robinson Theater,
Emerson Center, and the Thomas Edison Gallery. Under his leadership,
the college joined AQIP, became members of the Continuous Quality
Improvement Network, and expanded the nursing program.
The Edison State Community College Board of Trustees, the Edison
Foundation Board, and Edison State President, Dr. Doreen Larson, made
the naming ceremony possible.
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