Larry Keen, president of Fayetteville Technical Community College, to retire
Larry Keen, who has been president of Fayetteville Technical Community College for more than 14 years, will retire on the first day of next year.
Keen made the announcement Tuesday at the monthly meeting of the school’s board of trustees, according to a statement released by the college.
Keen thanked the board in a letter for being about to serve as fourth president of FTCC, which is the third largest of North Carolina’s 58 community colleges. He said the school is financially secure, academically strong and dedicated to continuous improvement, according to the statement.
“To say this is bittersweet would be an understatement,” he said.
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Keen said he plans to work hard until he retires.
“If anyone expects me to be a lame duck, they're expecting the wrong thing,” he said.
David Williford, chairman of FTCC’s board of trustees, said Keen will be missed.
“It is with great sadness that we hear this news,” Williford said. “We appreciate your knowledge and your leadership.”
Keen started his tenure as FTCC’s president on Aug. 1, 2007, according to the statement. He previously served for five years as vice president of economic and workforce development for the North Carolina Community College System. He retired from the Army Reserve after 21 years as an officer.
The college statement highlighted several of FTCC’s achievements under Keen’s leadership.
The college focused on serving members of the military, veterans and their families. It created a process to grant college credit for formal training that troops receive and opened the All American Veterans Center on its Fayetteville campus.
More: FTCC plans indoor swift water rescue training facility in Cumberland County
The school is developing a state-of-the-art Fire and Rescue Training Center that will include an indoor Swiftwater Rescue Training facility.
FTCC formed a partnership with seven other community colleges and three four-year institutions to create the Carolina Cyber Network, which will try to fill a growing and critical need for cybersecurity personnel.
The college committed to provide online education online, which enabled it to move swiftly to deliver online teaching when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The school has formed a strong relationship with elected and civic leaders at the local, regional, state and national levels.
Local news editor Steve DeVane can be reached at sdevane@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3572.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville Technical Community College President Larry Keen retiring
