RECEPTION HELD IN HONOR OF OUTGOING WCJC PRESIDENT BETTY MCCROHAN

Wharton County Junior College President Betty McCrohan will retire on Aug. 31 after 24 years of leading the college. A reception will be held in her honor next month at the Wharton campus.

WHARTON, TEXAS – Wharton County Junior College will host a special reception next month to honor outgoing President Betty McCrohan, who will retire this summer after 24 years of leading the college.

The reception is planned for 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, at the Hutchins Memorial Conference Room 100-B prior to the regularly scheduled WCJC Board of Trustees meeting. Refreshments will be served and the public is invited.

McCrohan retires on Aug. 31 after more than 40 years of working in higher education. Prior to joining WCJC, she held several positions at Houston Community College, including Chief Financial Officer. She joined WCJC in 1989 as Executive Vice President of Administrative Services. She was named WCJC’s president in June 2001.

“I have had a good tenure and it was a good time to retire,” McCrohan said. “I have put Wharton County Junior College before everything else and it’s time to do something for my family and myself. We have excellent staff here so the college is in good hands.”

During her time at the college, McCrohan provided thousands of students with the opportunity to access affordable, higher education closer to home. During her tenure, McCrohan achieved the following:

• Expanded WCJC into Fort Bend County, providing higher education programming and career training opportunities for area residents;
• Expanded nuclear technology and process technology programming to WCJC’s Bay City Campus to support area industries;
• Developed a partnership with the University of Houston, creating a shared campus of the two institutions at the University of Houston Sugar Land location;
• Collaborated with the Johnson Foundation to provide a significant number of scholarships for students enrolled in health care programs;
• Expanded the Johnson Health Occupations Center on the Wharton campus, adding additional square feet for classrooms, clinics, and training areas for students pursuing careers in the health care industry;
• Requested and received funding from the 88th Texas Legislature for the creation of a Construction Trades training facility at the Bay City campus;
• Created a baseball park on the Wharton campus funded through a philanthropic donation;
• Increased student enrollment to an all-time high.

McCrohan holds a Masters of Education degree with a major in Higher Education Administration from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Education from Angelo State University. She lives in Glen Flora with her husband, Dale.

As for McCrohan’s replacement, the WCJC Board of Trustees is expected to make an official appointment at their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, June 17. 

###