Ivy Tech celebrates new chancellor
Nov. 30—Members of the Ivy Tech Logansport community gathered together Tuesday evening to welcome Ethan Heicher as the new chancellor of Ivy Tech's Kokomo Service Area.
Heicher had been serving as interim chancellor for the past 10 months after former chancellor Dean McCurdy became the Ivy Tech Community College provost.
Heicher said the appointment felt natural, and it was a relief to be able to commit to planning for the future.
One such plan Heicher will be focused on is early childhood education.
"It's a very specific need to the Logansport community," he said. "I know a lot of our working adults must choose between daycare, daycare costs, daycare options and working full time. We are going to do a lot of planning, a lot of talking and assessment of the things that are going right in the community around early childhood education because there are a lot of good things happening. That will be a focus for the campus and I hope for community partners."
He also expressed concern about the ageing workforce and preparing students to take over vacated jobs as employees retire.
"We have to turn toward our young people and making sure their tract to a career is easier and quicker," he said.
During the event, held inside the Ivy Tech Logansport community room, Heicher spoke of his own journey through education.
He grew up in a small rural community not much different from those found in Cass County, but he described his home as disappearing over the years.
"It's so good to see people coming into (the Logansport) community and enriching it with their perspectives, their entrepreneurial spirit, a desire to contribute to the growth of the community and to be a point other people see that 'it's working for them, it can work for me, too,'" he said.
Heicher recalled not being very interested in high school, but when a scholarship to his local community college was offered to him after another student turned it down, he realized he was fortunate and dedicated himself to his studies going forward.
Annette Russell, president and CEO of Security Federal Savings Bank and the Ivy Tech Kokomo Service Area board chair, was on hand to congratulate Heicher on being selected chancellor.
Heicher previously served as vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. He joined Ivy Tech in 2009 as an English professor and was later chair of the Humanities program.
Heicher said he was excited about working alongside the Logansport community.
"Nothing works without great partners, and we will have to work to continue to develop those relationships and continue to be a good partner for the Logansport community," he said. "We will see good things happen."
The Ivy Tech Kokomo Service Area includes Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Pulaski and Tipton counties.
Ivy Tech Logansport is located at 1 Ivy Tech Dr.
