TTC Welcomes Dr. Vicky Wood
Monday, July 1, was a typical hot and humid Lowcountry morning when Dr. Vicky Wood arrived at Thornley Campus, travel mug in hand and eager to start her new position as the college’s sixth president.
Having just moved from Marietta, Ohio, Wood knew that the humidity would be something she would have to get used to. But the slow-moving traffic on Interstate 526 took her by surprise.
“I may have been a little late on my first day,” she laughs.
Trident Technical College’s governing board, the TTC Area Commission, chose Wood after receiving more than 70 applications and eventually narrowing down the search to four candidates. The final candidates visited the college to tour the campus, meet with members of the TTC community and answer questions in a public forum.
Attendees at the forums were impressed by Wood’s clear passion for education, her impressive accomplishments and the way she introduced herself to attendees on their way out.
“She stood out from the others,” said one TTC employee. “Not only because she was the only woman, but because she made that extra effort.”
Wood came to TTC from Washington State College of Ohio where she served as president for seven years. She transformed WSCO by enhancing community partnerships, strengthening academic programs and student support services, increasing the WSCO Foundation and the college’s financial position, and investing in personnel and facilities to advance student success.
As the first person in her family to graduate from college, her story resonates with many of TTC’s students and employees. She remembers visiting Marion Technical College during her senior year in high school. An admissions counselor helped her map out a way to start at Marion Tech and then continue to earn a bachelor’s degree. He also helped her identify ways to pay for college.
“He told me to get a job at the college,” she said. “That way I could take advantage of the tuition assistance program for employees.”
She followed his advice and became a student worker, earned her associate degree and started working as a support staff member. She continued her education, eventually earning a doctorate in higher education leadership and working her way up to chief academic officer and provost.
She and her husband, Rodney, who is also a first-generation student, created scholarships for first-gen students at Wood’s alma mater, Marion Technical College, as well as at WSCO.
“My community college experience fostered my passion for helping others change their lives through higher education, which has been my lifelong career,” said Wood.
Although the first few weeks of her presidency have been a whirlwind of tours and meetings, Wood has already implemented what she calls her “walkabouts,” during which she escapes from her office and visits colleagues.
“I started doing this at WSCO,” she said. “Inevitably, someone brings something to me that I may not have heard otherwise. It’s about building relationships and building positive outcomes for students.”
She knows that positive outcomes for students means positive outcomes for the entire community, which is one of the reasons she chose Trident Tech.
“This is an “opportunity institution” that supports student success while recognizing the challenges many of our students face. I know firsthand that each life we change expands opportunities for the economic growth of families and the prosperity of our entire community.”