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For release week of September 15, 2003

HCTC holds inauguration of Dr. Jay K. Box

Hazard Community and Technical College will officially inaugurate its third president on Friday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. at The Forum in the Hal Rogers Center in Hazard. The public is invited to this historical event where Dr. Jay K. Box has chosen the theme, “Honoring Our Past, Embracing Our Future.” Special presentations will be made, including a look at pictures from the past, including the early days of the different college locations.
Dr. Box is being honored for his chief leadership position over a multi-campus institution. Therefore, he will attend inauguration celebration events at each campus with students. On Tuesday, Sept. 23, he will be at the Leslie County Center at 9 a.m. and the Knott County Branch at 12:30 p.m.; on Wednesday, Sept. 24, Dr. Box will celebrate at the at the Technical Campus at 8:30 a.m. and the Lees College Campus at 12:30 p.m. On Thursday, he will meet with students at 8:30 a.m. at the Hazard Campus. Also, on Friday, Sept. 26, an inaugural gala will be held at the college’s First Federal Center with a 7:30 p.m. opening toast and then dancing with the Trendells. Tickets must be purchased in advance for the event at the First Federal Center.
Special guests include Dr. Michael B. McCall, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS).
Jay Box became the president and CEO of Hazard Community & Technical College on July 1, 2002. The college serves over 4,000 credit students each semester and 18,000 non-credit students annually through face-to-face instruction, instructional television, and Internet-based instruction.
Dr. Box came to Kentucky from Texas, where he most recently served in the role as Vice President of Instruction for McLennan Community College, providing leadership for all of the academic programs and student services and overseeing all of the college’s grant programs.
He earned his Ed. D., with an emphasis in Educational Administration, at Baylor University and received his M. Ed. from Texas Tech University. His bachelor’s degree in Education is from Southwest Texas State University and his associate’s degree is from Howard College.
Dr. Box has served as a tennis coach, history teacher, physical education instructor, department chair, community tennis center director, and director of Institutional Research & Effectiveness.
While an instructor at Odessa College, he was a recipient of the NISOD Teaching Excellence Award and was selected by the student body as a finalist for “teacher of the year”. In 1999, Dr. Box became the youngest individual ever to be inducted into the Texas Tennis Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame.
Dr. Box is active in numerous local, state, and national organizations having most recently served as president of the National Alliance for Community and Technical Colleges.
He and his wife Gayle, have a son, Jason - a sophomore in college.
Hazard Community and Technical College first opened its doors in 1968 and in that time, Dr. Box makes only the third president to be hired. The inauguration of a president is a major milestone in the history of the institution and the public is invited to be part of this very special event.