Vol 19/Issue 10
greater owensboro chamber of commerce
CHAMBER MATTERS 2021 OCT.
Rooster Booster to be held on Kentucky Legend Pier
The Chamber will host its Rooster Booster breakfast in-person this Thursday, October 14 at 7:30 a.m. on the Kentucky Legend Pier behind the Owensboro Convention Center (501 West Second Street). The program is sponsored by Owensboro Community & Technical College and will feature Dr. Aaron Thompson, President of the Council on Postsecondary Education, Author and Inductee to the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Reserve your spot now at www.chamber.owensboro.
com or by calling the Chamber office at (270) 926-1860. COST IN ADVANCE: $12 for Chamber Members and $20 for non-members. COST AT THE DOOR: $15 for Chamber Members and $20 for non-members. Following Rooster Booster, the Chamber will host its sixth drive-thru COVID-19 vaccine clinic with the Green River District Health Department and Owensboro Community & Technical College at First Christian Church (700 J R Miller Blvd) from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Dr. Thompson to speak at October Rooster Booster Dr. Aaron Thompson is a passionate advocate for higher education. As a first-generation college student from r ural Clay County, Kentucky, he experienced first-hand the transformative power of a college credential. As President of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondar y Education, he works to ensure all Kentuckians have an equal oppor tunity to impr ove their lives through postsecondar y education. Befor e taking the helm of CPE, Thompson ser ved as interim president of Kentucky State University; CPE executive vice president and provost; and faculty member and administrator at Eastern Kentucky University. He has extensive leadership experience within the private and non-profit sectors and is a highly sought-after national speaker. Dr. Thompson has authored or co-authored numerous books and peer-reviewed publications on diversity, cultural competence, first-year experience programs, retention, and student success, among other topics. In 2019, he was inducted into the Kentucky Civil Rights Hall of Fame. Thompson r eceived his doctoral
Dr. Aaron Thompson
degree in sociology from the University of Kentucky, with an emphasis on organizational leadership. He earned a master’s degree in industrial sociology from the University of Kentucky, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Eastern Kentucky University.
Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC) is a public, two-year, open admissions college, one of the sixteen colleges of the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, OCTC is a comprehensive community and technical college that values innovation, is focused on student learning, and is responsive to economic trends. OCTC serves 4,000 students annually from Daviess, Ohio, Hancock, and McLean Counties and the surrounding region. For immediate employment after graduation, students are attracted to industry-relevant technical programs and innovative “work and learn” model programs such as GO FAME, GO Careers, and GO Females. Additional programs tailored to the adult learner include TechX, FastTrack programs in Plumbing and Construction, and the new CDL Academy. Students transferring after attending OCTC earn higher GPAs than the native university students. OCTC’s Workforce Solutions works with business and industry partners on training, testing, and developing customized programs to meet industry-specific needs. In addition, Workforce Solutions’ SkillTrain department offers GED prep, English language, and citizenship classes. OCTC’s Discover College includes dual credit options taught on-campus, online, and at the partnering high schools. Students in the Early College program attend classes on campus at OCTC full-time during their junior and senior years of high school, allowing them to graduate simultaneously with a high school diploma and an associate degree. In 2021, OCTC was nationally recognized as a “Great Colleges to Work For” for supervisor effectiveness, confidence in senior leadership, employee well-being, and a focus on diversity and inclusion.