BSCTC president delivers passionate message at Southeast Kentucky Chamber Awards Banquet

Dr. Devin Stephenson, president of Big Sandy Community and Technical College (BSCTC), delivered a passionate message to business leaders at the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet on Thursday, August 18 at the East Kentucky Expo Center.

Our success has come because of a strong commitment from both public and private partnerships, he said. We are nimble, adaptable and connected to our students. We are attempting to build leaders, innovators, change agents and opportunity seekers.

Big Sandy Community and Technical College, which was as the presenting sponsor of the awards banquet, serves more than 10,000 students annually. During the 2015-16 academic year, the college awarded 1,616 degrees and credentials. Since 2008, BSCTC has served more than 25,000 first-generation college students.

We must be more engaged, he told the crowd. We must move engagement from the perimeter to the core. High engagement means the difference in a company or a region that outperforms or one that fails. While it is a prerequisite to think and act regionally with much accountability, we must realize our best efforts occur when we focus on where change collides with collaboration.

Dr. Stephenson encouraged those in attendance to seize control of the regions future and destiny.

We must focus on the right stuff and that is transformation, change and collaboration with one goal in mind, he added. That goal is to make this region a powerhouse of thoughts and ideas that translate into something tangible and revolutionary.