Sara Sutton appointed as Vice President of Career and Technical Education and Workforce Development
Sara Sutton, who earned an Associate of Science degree from Fort Scott Community College (FSCC), a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Kansas State University, a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Pittsburg State University, has been appointed as the Vice President of Career and Technical Education and Workforce Development. Sara will begin her official duties in the role on July 1, 2024.
Sutton’s career with FSCC began in 2002 when she arrived on campus as part of the College Rodeo Team under the direction of current coach, Chad Cross. She credits the experiences, opportunities and the “family feel” she received during her time as a student as the driving force for her to return to the college in some capacity.
In 2018, Sutton made good on her intentions to return to FSCC. She came back to teach in the Agriculture Department and coach the Meat Judging Team, which diversified an already expansive background. Previously, Sutton had taught in both Crawford and Bourbon Counties at the high school level teaching numerous classes in Biology and Agriculture. She first gained experience in Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways at the K-12 level as well as college instruction while teaching concurrent General Biology classes for FSCC during this time.
“When I began my tenure at FSCC, it became quite apparent that Sara has immense respect amongst her peers and displays a strong understanding of the educational system, specifically in the area of Career and Technical Education. Not only does she have a great reputation in the classroom, but she has served as the FSCC Agriculture Department Chair for the past 5 years, running one of the institution’s larger CTE programs. On top of this, Sara serves on numerous boards including the Kansas State University Agriculture Education Board, The Intercollegiate Meat Coaches Association and the Fort Scott and Uniontown High School Agricultural Advisory Boards. Sara has proven herself to be progressive minded and creative. I believe those attributes, combined with her strong background in education makes her a perfect fit for this position. I truly believe that she will be instrumental in FSCC’s mission to provide quality programs that will not only benefit local citizens, but also attract students to our college and community”, says Dr. Jason Kegler, President of FSCC.
Sara has developed and implemented programs and course offerings which enhance the college’s career and technical education programs, collaborated with various campus departments and organizations within the community and region, and has served as a mentor to new faculty.
“It was a great honor to come back to my alma mater to teach and coach in 2018. It has been a gratifying experience to pass down the legacy that the employees of Fort Scott Community College provide for students. Although I will greatly miss teaching and coaching, with this new role, I will be able to impact a wider variety of students. I am excited to look into the possibility of new career and technical education programs as well as trade programs that I hope will help propel FSCC into a prosperous future.” stated Sutton.
Among her priorities, Sara will work closely with Vice President of Academic Affairs, Sonia Gugnani, to begin a review of programs and determine where the college can increase course offerings and community partnerships.
Sara and her husband Scott, Uniontown High School Agriculture Instructor and FFA Advisor, reside outside of Uniontown and have three children. In her free time, Sara enjoys spending time with her family, riding horses and traveling.