HCC Names New Chief Academic Officer

HENDERSON, Ky. – Henderson Community College (HCC) recently announced the promotion of Mike Knecht to Chief Academic Officer effective Dec. 16, 2023. Knecht is a tenured professor who has worked at HCC for 29 years, most recently as HCC’s Interim Dean of Academic Affairs. 

During his tenure, Knecht has held several leadership positions including the Director of Library and Tutor Services, Off-Campus Coordinator, Chair of the Arts and Humanities Division, and Interim Dean of Business Affairs. He will continue to serve as Perkins Grant Coordinator and principal writer.

“Mike brings a wealth of experience with tutoring, student success initiatives, academic scheduling, and new program development,” said HCC President/CEO Jason Warren. “He led efforts to bring the AAS in Health Science Technology to campus in 2019, as well as the addition of numerous academic certificates since then. Most recently, he successfully guided the approval of HCC’s new Associate of AAS in General/Occupational Technical Studies (GOTS) which was approved by the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) in December 2023. We are very excited to add the GOTS degree to HCC’s academic offerings beginning this fall.”

He has also been instrumental in guiding HCC through multiple Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Decennial and Fifth-Year Review accreditation cycles, as well as numerous SACSCOC Substantive Change processes. 

Knecht holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Emporia State University, a Master’s degree in Library Science from Emporia State University, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Western Kentucky University. Additionally, he has completed coursework toward the Doctor of Education (EdD) degree from Morehead State University and will graduate in spring 2025.

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About Henderson Community College                                                                                    

Henderson Community College is one of 16 colleges in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS). The Kentucky Community & Technical College System is celebrating its 25th anniversary as the commonwealth’s largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. With an annual enrollment of 101,000 students, KCTCS is the state’s largest provider of workforce training, dual credit classes and online education, serving 44% of the state’s public higher education undergraduates. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. Our colleges are united in their commitment to making life better for our students, communities and the citizens of Kentucky, which has resulted in KCTCS earning the #1 spot in the nation in credentials awarded per capita by public, two-year institutions. To date, KCTCS has bettered the lives of 1.2 million Kentuckians.