![]() “We try to be data driven,” he says, and the numbers show that students who take advantage of the free breakfast have higher grades and higher retention rates. Higdon says the school will find the $250,000 it will cost to continue the program when federal COVID-19 funds expire. It was the idea of Joan Barrett, vice chancellor for student affairs, and implemented in large part by Sarah Bargo, director of communications and marketing. The school started a free hot breakfast program for students on the Springfield campus in early 2021 and expanded it in the fall (cold breakfast only) to other college sites. If it’s possible for an institution to have a heart, OTC has gone about its business with not only commitment but compassion. Community colleges are the engine for workforce development.” We provide two solid years of general education and we do workforce development. ![]() “We have always tried as an institution to stay in our lane. Higdon and his predecessor as president, Norman Myers, have kept OTC focused on what it does well, Lawler says. Under Higdon’s leadership, the school has steadfastly kept its eye on the prize: it is a vital part of the Ozarks through job training, and it offers a clear and supportive path to a two-year associate degree. Higdon is the rare educator who understands business, says Larry Snyder, a longtime board member who was on the board when OTC hired Higdon. Hal Higdon, Chancellor of the Ozarks Technical Community College System. “We have had a vision and we have thrived and we have grown.” Dr. ![]() ![]() ![]() “Without a vision, we perish,” says Shirley Lawler, a former OTC provost who retired from the college in 2012. The Springfield Daily Citizen interviewed 10 sources, not including multiple interviews with Higdon. Those interviewed for this story - including sources never associated with OTC and those no longer associated with the college - consistently praise Higdon’s stable presence, transparency in decision-making, frugal management of college funds and visionary leadership. Today, his title is president of the main Springfield campus and chancellor of OTC’s multi-site system. ![]()
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