This York County college president announced his plans to retire this summer
The man who has led York Technical College for nearly 14 years is stepping down.
Greg Rutherford, York Tech’s president since 2007 and someone who’s spent over three decades working in higher education, announced his retirement from the Rock Hill-based institution on Wednesday via news release. His retirement is effective July 31, the release said.
“There is no perfect time to announce your retirement,” Rutherford said in a statement. “While both the College and I are healthy, I feel this is a great time to make the transition. We have accomplished so much over the past 14 years, and I am confident these successes will positively impact an untold number of students to come.”
York Tech achieved a lot under Rutherford’s watch: The two-year institution with over 5,890 students enrolled, per its website, saw its highest number of graduates, including a 94% placement rate among graduates, the release said. It had its largest fundraising effort in the history of the college in 2016 (over $6.5 million). And it also eliminated the College’s debt and opened the Chester Center campus, a state-of-the-art education center meant to bring “quality higher education a few miles closer to residents of Chester County.”
Rutherford, a native of Asheville, N.C., earned his associate’s degree at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College before getting his bachelor’s at UNC Asheville. After that, he wore many hats in the higher education space, including serving as the Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development at Haywood Community College.
“Students and their educational success have and always will be the No. 1 priority for York Technical College,” Rutherford said in a statement. “It is imperative to me that students are provided access to education that is affordable, attainable and centered in learning excellence.”
The York Technical College Area Commission will announce next steps for the presidential search in the coming weeks, the release said.
“We are also truly grateful that Dr. Rutherford has offered to assist with a smooth transition,” Geri H. Rucker, chair for the York Tech Area Commision said in a statement.
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