At TSUS Polk County Center
The Polk County Higher Education & Technology Foundation is pleased to announce that Kristin Walker is the new executive director of Texas State University System (TSUS) Polk County Center.
Walker brings a wealth of experience to the Polk County Center, having previously held leadership positions with Lamar State College Orange, Trinity Valley Community College and Navarro College.
“On behalf of the Polk County Higher Education & Technology Foundation, we would like to welcome Kristin to our community. Kristin’s background and prior leadership experience is impressive. We are very excited about the plans the TSUS System has for our campus and the educational opportunities that will be provided to our local students,” Andy Evans, president of the Polk County Higher Education & Technology Foundation, said.
Lamar State College Orange President Thomas Johnson agreed.
“Executive Director Walker is a celebrated champion for higher education in Texas. Her focus on making college accessible to students in rural areas has transformed lives for more than 20 years. Since joining LSCO four years ago, she has implemented more than 15 programs concentrating on skills, trades and crafts. Simply put, Kristin Walker is committed to training East Texans for a career of their choosing,” Johnson said.
“I am passionate about the mission of two-year colleges and training the future workforce,” Walker said.
When asked about her vision for the Polk County Center, both short-term and long-term, Walker said, “A leader always has both. Short-term – all things work force. Preparing individuals to get to work, continuing education – both general education and technical,” she said.
As for long-term, Walker said she hopes that in the future there will be partnerships with universities and companies.
She said she looks forward to reaching out to the community to determine what it needs and wants – be it general education, business education, criminal justice or teaching court reporting.
In the next few months there will be a ribbon cutting, an open house and a meet and greet at the TSUS Polk County Center.
Founded in 1911, TSUS is the first higher education system established in Texas. Created to consolidate the support and management of state teacher colleges, the system has evolved into a network of higher education institutions stretching from the Texas-Louisiana border to the Big Bend region of west Texas.
Today, seven member institutions offer a broad range of academic and career opportunities and faculty and staff are preparing students to work in and contribute to a global society. Those member institutions include Lamar State College Orange, Lamar State College Port Arthur, Lamar Institute of Technology, Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Texas State University and Sul Ross State University.
Walker comes to Polk County from Lamar State College Orange where she served as Dean of Health, Workforce and Technical Programs. Prior to her time at Lamar, Walker served as Associate Vice President of Workforce Education for Trinity Valley Community College in Athens providing leadership to the Adult and Continuing Education program and the TVCC Small Business Development Center ensuring workforce education courses were provided throughout the district. She also worked with the Director of Dual Credit and the Vice President of Instruction to ensure all the local independent school districts’ needs were met through dual credit.
Prior to being at TVCC, Walker served at Navarro College in Corsicana for 16 years in various roles including Director of Continuing Education and Protective Services, Dean of Business and Technical Education at the Waxahachie campus, and Dean of Student Services for the Ellis County campuses.
She received a Bachelor of Science in Counseling and Guidance from East Texas State University, a Master of Education in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education at Texas A&M University and a Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Texas A&M University.
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