| Welcome to Owensboro and Community and
Technical College
On April 24, 2007 OCTC welcomed a new president, Dr. Paula M.
Gastenveld. She had been the Provost of Valencia Community
College West Campus since 2003. Dr. Gastenveld came to Valencia from
the Massachusetts where she was special assistant to the chancellor
for the Board of Higher Education, and the chief academic officer at
Greenfield and MassBay Community Colleges. From 1993-1998 she led
the division of Health Careers and Sciences at Cuyahoga Community
College in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dr. Gastenveld has extensive experience in managing continuing
education programs at a medical college in Ohio and Paducah Community
College in Kentucky. She also has teaching experience at Paducah
Community College and Murray State University in Kentucky.
Dr. Gastenveld has a doctorate in higher education administration from
Vanderbilt University, a master’s in occupational safety and health from
Murray State University and a bachelor’s in dental hygiene from the
University of Kentucky. Dr. Gastenveld completed the Harvard Institute
for Executive Management in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2000.
A graduate of three community leadership programs, Dr. Gastenveld is
presently on the board of Leadership Orlando. She has extensive
experience partnering with chambers of commerce, community service
organizations, universities, and business and industry.
At Valencia, Dr. Gastenveld is providing leadership to build a joint use
facility with the University of Central Florida, a new science building,
and a conference center. Her academic leadership at Valencia includes
expanding the nursing program to admitting 370 new students each year,
developing new programs, and creating student spaces on campus that are
conducive to learning. She partnered with leaders of the Florida Blood
Centers to build the first permanent blood collection site on a
community college campus.
Dr. Gastenveld grew up in Henderson, Kentucky and attended Henderson
Community College where she served in student government and was a
member of Phi Theta Kappa. Her commitment to community college education
began in Henderson. “Without a community college in my hometown, I would
not have been able to attend college. My success as a student, a
teacher, and an administrator can be attributed to the educational
opportunity that the Kentucky Community College System gave me.”
President's Office Contact Information:
270-686-4500
paula.gastenveld@kctcs.edu |
