Tri-County Tech’s Booth to retire

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Tri-County Technical College President Ronnie L. Booth will retire June 30, 2019. Booth was named the third president of the college in 2003.

“Deciding to retire was and is not an easy decision, but I strongly believe that the timing is right for me and for the college,” Booth said in a speech this week to faculty, staff and commissioners on the Pendleton campus, according to a news release. “As a team, we have accomplished much to date but there is much yet to do. Between now and when I retire, we will begin laying the groundwork for the college’s next 10-Year Vision and Strategic Plan. We will have a new president in time to finalize our path forward for 2020-2030.”

John Powell, chairman of the Tri-County Technical College Commission, which serves as the governing board of the college, said a search process will be organized immediately for Booth’s successor.

“As a commission, we are committed to working tirelessly to find the right person to lead this institution. The search process is getting underway immediately. We want to have the new president named before Dr. Booth retires in June,” Powell said, in the release.

During Booth’s tenure the college launched three community campuses, three Workforce Training Centers, an Economic Development Center and an industrial technology center.  In 2018, he, along with faculty, staff and community partners, dedicated a 75,000-square-foot Student Success Center on the Pendleton Campus and a new campus in Oconee County, the release said.

During the 2017-18 academic year, Tri-County Technical College earned the top ranking in student success, transfer, and graduation among the sixteen colleges in the S.C. Technical College System.  The College also ranks in the top 1% nationally for successful transfers to four-year colleges and universities, the release said.