Southeast Kentucky CTC Hosts Spring 2026 Commencement & Presidential Investiture

HARLAN, Ky. – Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College (SKCTC) will celebrate student achievement and institutional leadership during its Spring 2026 Commencement and Presidential Investiture on Thursday, May 7, at 6 p.m. at Harlan County High School.

Dr. Ryan Quarles, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), will deliver the commencement address and preside over the presidential investiture of Dr. A. Lee Harrison, who became SKCTC’s 11th president on July 1, 2025. The Investiture Ceremony is a symbolic tradition that affirms the authority and leadership of the college president.

The Spring 2026 Commencement and Presidential Investiture will honor all spring candidates while also marking this significant leadership milestone in the college’s history.

Quarles leads Kentucky’s system of 16 individually accredited community colleges serving students across 70 campuses statewide. He previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives and completed two terms as Kentucky’s Commissioner of Agriculture. His professional background also includes service as associate general counsel at Georgetown College and work in private law practice. He holds degrees from Vanderbilt University, Harvard University, and the University of Kentucky College of Law, and is a ninth‑generation Kentucky farmer at Quarles Farms in Scott County.

The Spring 2026 Commencement and Presidential Investiture is expected to recognize approximately 1,077 graduates receiving 1,543 academic credentials.

President Harrison brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education to Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College. Her career includes executive leadership and academic roles at Milligan University in Tennessee, as well as service as Vice President for Partner Services at Clark Higher Ed. Prior to her appointment as president, she joined SKCTC in 2024 as Chief Advancement Officer and Executive Director of the Southeast Education Foundation.

Harrison holds degrees from Regent University and Milligan University and has completed additional executive education programs at Vanderbilt University, Bryn Mawr College, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She and her family reside in Cumberland, Ky.