FSCC president reaching out to area employers

Alysia Johnston, Fort Scott Community College president, has not been sitting around eating bonbon's since her first day on the job June 1.

She and her administrative team have been meeting with local businesses to meet the needs of the Fort Scott workforce, she said during the FSCC Board of Trustees monthly meeting Monday night.

"We'll be meeting with Niece (of Kansas, Inc.) on Wednesday... and will offer a manufacturing certificate, adding one class of welding," Johnston said. "It will be at Niece, open to anybody offering MIG and TIG welding."

There has also been on-going discussions with other local businesses.

"We also talked to county (officials)," Johnston said. "They'd like us to offer Excel Word" to their employees.

"We've been working on a deal with First Source (Solutions U.S.A.) for pre-employment and post-employment training," Johnston said. "It will amount to about 10 credit hours."

She said there also have been talks with Kansas Crossing, the new casino in Crawford County, about teaching electronics.

"KPL-Westar, we've talked to them about production and distribution of electric technology," she said.

Conversation has started with Mid-Continental Restoration Company about masonry classes, she said.

"We are saying, 'Hey, what do you need from us?'" she said.

New trustees, new leadership

New trustees were sworn in and new leadership chosen at the meeting.

Bernita Hill and Dana McKinney were elected in April to serve as new board members and Robert Nelson was re-elected. After being sworn by Bourbon County Clerk Kendell Mason, the trio took their seats as part of a new board.

The board elected John Bartlesmeyer as chairman for the next school year and John Kerr as vice chairman.

Recognition was given to Mark McCoy an Jim Sather, who did not run for re-election in April. McCoy has served a four-year term on the trustees and was most recent chairman of the board. Sather has served 12 years on the board.

The current trustees gave plaques of appreciation to McCoy and Sather and took a short recess to have some cake in their honor.