News

Loftin Announces Retirement

Goodland, KS. (04/30/2019)  – After 36 years of service at Northwest Kansas Technical College, Robert Loftin has recently announced he will be retiring.

The Goodland community has landed a class member in the upcoming Leadership Kansas 2019 program. Goodland native Jason Showalter has been selected amidst a wide field of candidates to join this year’s class, which begins in April.

Leadership Kansas has a long history in Kansas and is among the oldest and most prestigious statewide leadership programs in the country. The purpose of the program is to serve as a catalyst for creating awareness of relevant statewide issues facing Kansas. The selection process aims to identify individuals who are already serving in leadership capacities around the state and inspire them to stay involved in civic engagement. Earning a seat in the program is competitive with hundreds of nominations received each year, with only 40 individuals ultimately selected.

Class members will have the opportunity to travel to communities across all corners of the state over the 6-month long program. Upon graduating the program, class members will join the alumni network of over 1,300 distinguished Kansans including the likes of Bill Graves, Jerry Moran, David Dillon, and many others.

After spending several years as a law enforcement officer, Showalter joined the faculty ranks at Northwest Tech in the Crime Scene Investigation program. During his tenure as an instructor in the program, it was one of the fastest growing majors at the college. He currently serves as the Dean of Student Advancement at Northwest Tech, where he is responsible for leading student life initiatives, student discipline, and enhancing student engagement. “I am blessed to have been accepted into such a prestigious leadership organization and have been inundated with calls, letters, and emails from business and civic leaders from across Kansas congratulating me,” said Showalter. “It is evidence of how strong the connections within Leadership Kansas are, and I cannot wait to meet my classmates and program alumni.”

Showalter will join the ranks of several Goodland community members who have been in the program in the past; Joe Bain, Ben Brandvik, Brad Cowan, Marcia Golden, Brian Linin, Ed Mills, Jenifer Sanderson, Kevin Sanderson, Ben Schears, Jeanie Schields and Alan Townsend.

Northwest Tech recently received a grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation for $25,000 to help fund an emergency generator system for the college’s Memorial Union. The college applied for the grant after recognizing the need for backup electrical service on campus in case of an emergency.

High school juniors and seniors in the greater Goodland area will now have the opportunity to complete a technical certificate or associates degree at the same time they earn their high school diploma.  Starting in August 2019, high school students will be able to enroll in the half-day Engineering and Drafting Technology program on the Goodland campus.

Starting in August 2019, Northwest Tech will open a new branch location in Quinter, Kansas where high school juniors and seniors from around the area will have the opportunity to earn a technical certificate or degree in Welding Technology.