Our Leadership

Dr. W. Bruce Ayers has served as President of Southeast Community & Technical College since February of 1987 and has been an employee of the college since 1969.  During his tenure, SKCTC has expanded from one to five campuses, and enrollment has grown from 1,100 students to more than 5,000.  He has positioned the College among the nation’s leaders in providing access to higher education and in working to promote economic diversity.

A strong proponent of partnerships and alliances, Dr. Ayers has forged ‘working relationships’ with other colleges and universities, public schools, and business, resulting in the initiation of several innovative programs:

• Several 2+2 on-campus  programs, leading to baccalaureate degrees, offered cooperatively with both in- and out-of-state institutions;
• EXPLORE College, an SKCTC – local high school initiative that has led to several thousand secondary students receiving college credit through a dual credit format;
• Southeast Scholars, a preparatory and mentoring program that reaches into elementary schools to target academically-superior students, guaranteeing them free tuition to Southeast if they graduate from high school;
• Pine Mountain Development Corporation, a multi-bank sponsored loan fund that provides start up and expansion capital for individuals throughout the region;

Also active on the national level, Ayers is the founding chair of the Rural Community College Alliance, a national organization made up of colleges that seek to promote economic vitality in rural America. He has adjunct membership on the graduate faculty of the Department of Instructional Systems, Leadership, and Workforce Development at Mississippi State University and serves as local advisor for students pursuing a PhD in Community College Leadership through MSU.