Bowhay selected as next Highland Community College president

By NewsPress Now

Highland Community College has named its next leader.

Dr. Vincent Bowhay will be the 45th president of the school located in Highland, Kansas. More than 50 people applied for the job as part of a nationwide search that was narrowed to three finalists, and Bowhay was selected by a unanimous vote of the Highland Board of Trustees Monday evening.

Bowhay, who has been the president of Independence Community College since 2021, will begin his new role on July 1. He will succeed Deborah Fox, who is retiring on June 30 after serving as Highland’s president for five years.

“I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to serve as president of Highland Community College, an institution that provides lifelong learning opportunities to students and contributes to the economic vitality of northeast Kansas,” Bowhay said. “I am tremendously inspired by Highland’s student-centric, mission-driven approach to education, and I look forward to beginning my journey as a Scottie.”

Before leading Independence Community College, Bowhay served in student affairs roles at Missouri Western State University and Fort Hays State University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in English literature from Washburn University, a Master of Arts in student affairs administration in higher education from Ball State University and an Ed.D. in educational leadership from Baker University.