PHILLIP NEAL BGTC provost pick

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It’s not easy being green.

But the newly appointed provost at Bowling Green Technical College has had much success with his involvement in building a green campus at the Laramie County Community College in Wyoming.

Phillip Neal recently joined the administration in Bowling Green as the school’s first provost after being selected from a group of nearly 30 candidates and moving from Austin, Texas, where he completed his doctorate.

Sherri Forester, human resources director, said Neal will be second-in-command to President Nathan Hodges and will oversee student and academic affairs.

Neal said he likes the idea of working with both areas in a unified way because “what happens in student affairs, effects those in instruction” as well.

“How you approach student success in a college includes people from all areas of a college coming together to improve student success,” he said.

The Chesapeake, Va., native said he enjoys looking for innovative ideas - such as the green campus completed in 2006 that produced its own energy with wind turbines and solar cells while minimizing its carbon footprint - and he said he looks forward to bringing ideas to this area as well.

“I want to work with local college leaders and see what is needed in this area,” he said. “Some innovative ideas may not fit everywhere in the U.S.”

And Neal would know.

Working with a team of colleagues, the University of Wyoming graduate recently co-authored the book “The Creative Community College: Leading Change Through Innovation,” which looks at leaders in education around the country who have been able to transform their institutions despite demographic and economic challenges.

“One thing I really like to do is take people from local colleges and travel to others, perhaps in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and look at ideas,” Neal said. “I like to get people out of their comfort zone and see what’s possible.”

Neal said while he doesn’t come to Bowling Green claiming to have all the answers for issues in the region or state, he looks forward to collaborating with local leaders on building solutions.

“My role is to put people in the right situations where they can do that and provide encouragement and motivation to do that - to look outside the box,” he said.

Iris Dotson, chief academic officer at the school, said she was on the selection committee that chose Neal because of his “natural leadership abilities.”

“He projects self-confidence, authority and enthusiasm,” Dotson said. “One of the most important things is that he had a thorough understanding of the mission at Bowling Green Technical College. He showed very dynamic leadership qualities and a strong knowledge of the responsibilities required to be successful in this position.”

Neal boasts nearly two decades of higher education experience, most recently serving as the corporate and nonprofit partnership coordinator for the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development in Texas.

While in Wyoming, Neal served as the community college student affairs leader, university counselor and taught psychology classes. The new provost also is a mental health therapist and has spent time working with children, adults and families in Wyoming.

Neal said he became interested in coming to Kentucky several years ago after meeting Michael McCall, president of KCTCS, at a conference. McCall explained the transformation history of the state’s post-secondary education system being taken to the next level, and Neal said he saw “exciting things happening here.”

“I saw ... the visionary and leadership and wanted to be a part of it if possible,” he said.

Neal said his goal is to contribute to the expansion of the college and help impact Kentucky’s workforce and economy.

“One of my passions is growing leaders, I want to grow as a leader myself, but with the support ... from within the system, the college will grow and meet the needs of southcentral Kentucky,” he said.