‘A lifelong dream.’ Ryan Quarles discusses his priorities as new KCTCS president

Ryan Quarles has worn many hats in Kentucky: a farmer, a state Representative, agriculture commissioner and a Republican candidate for governor.

Starting on Jan. 1, Quarles will take on a new role as president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.

“I would hate to be defined by a single genre,” Quarles said. “Throughout my life, I’ve farmed, I’ve practiced law, I’ve taught in the classroom, I’ve been a legislator and policymaker, and Commissioner of Agriculture. I’m thrilled to continue my passion for public service towards the Commonwealth in a new role.”

Quarles has two degrees in higher education: a doctorate in higher education administration from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree in higher education from Harvard University. (He has seven college degrees in total, five from the University of Kentucky, including a juris doctor.)

Quarles was named one of three finalists for the position in September, and was eventually selected as the president. He ran as a Republican candidate for governor in 2023 and finished second in the primary behind Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

A native of Georgetown, Quarles grew up on his family’s farm. He has served two terms as the state’s agriculture commissioner, and was a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2011 to 2016. While in college at UK, he was a student representative on the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, which he said was “foundational” for his career in higher education.

His mother was a professor at Kentucky State University and got a PhD as an adult. Quarles said she inspired him to “never stop learning” and emphasized the importance of education.

“When I applied for the KCTCS presidency, this was an extension of a lifelong dream of mine to help better Kentucky with better educational outcomes,” he said.

Quarles will complete his term as agriculture commissioner, with the candidate elected in November taking over on Jan. 1 as he moves into the KCTCS presidency.

The president leads KCTCS, overseeing Kentucky’s 16 community and technical colleges. Paul Czarapata left the position in February. Larry Ferguson, president of Ashland Community and Technical College, has been serving as acting president.

“Dr. Quarles’ proven statewide leadership, his relationships across Kentucky and in Washington, D.C., as well as his outstanding educational background in higher education administration, make him the clear choice to move our system forward,” said KCTCS Board of Regents Chair Barry Martin.

Long-term, Quarles said he hopes to focus on workforce development and making KCTCS accessible to Kentuckians.

But in the first weeks as president, Quarles said he will be preparing for the 2024 legislative session, which convenes on Jan. 2, and begin looking for opportunities to work with businesses across the state, “learning about what employers need and are looking for.”

“I believe KCTCS is the most influential asset Kentucky has for solving our workforce needs across the Commonwealth,” Quarles said.

More than 100,000 students were enrolled at KCTCS colleges last year, with the largest schools in Louisville and Lexington, according to the system’s data. The type of students at KCTCS can vary widely, from high school students taking dual enrollment courses, to adult learners studying for their second career, to technical training.

Quarles, who himself was considered an adult learner while getting his degree from Vanderbilt, said he views the number of different learning opportunities as a strength of the system. But it’s also an opportunity to make education more accessible, he said.

“Our community and technical college system should be a school for anybody and everybody that wants to improve themselves, whether they’re in high school or an adult learner, or somebody that just always wanted to complete a degree, even in their retirement,” Quarles said.

Though some may have questions about how his previous roles relate to higher education, Quarles said he hopes people will consider how his time as a legislator and working in state government could be an advantage for KCTCS.

“For those who are just getting to know me, my background as a legislator and a statewide office holder should be looked at not as a defining attribute, but as an asset that I can use to help navigate and better KCTCS,” Quarles said. “I shouldn’t be typecast into the positions I’ve held previously because at the end of the day, I’m just a farm kid that worked hard on a tobacco farm.”