Nikole Babb
nbabb@cherryroad.com
Newly appointed BCC President prioritizes community engagement, longevity and long-term student support
Butler Community College is entering a new era as they welcome their six President, Dr. Tamara Daniel, who says she’s focused on offering strong community engagement, fostering a positive campus culture and using data to drive longevity and sustainability for the local college.
After Dr. Kimberly Krull announced her retirement from Butler Community College, (BCC), in February 2024, the Board of Trustees opened the job search nationally. After much thought and intentional searching, the Board landed on Dr. Daniel, who enters her role at BCC with over 25 years of leadership experience in the community college industry.
A Florida native, Dr. Daniel is proud to be a first-generation college graduate of her family. She graduated from the University of Mississippi with her Doctorate and Masters of Science in Mathematics and a Bachelors in Psychology.
Her most recent work in the community college sector includes serving as Vice President for Dyersburg State Community College in Dyersburg, Tennessee, and Associate Dean of Academics and Mathematics Department Chair at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis, TN before moving onto an institution in Arkansas.
In Arkansas Dr. Daniel served as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Arkansas State University-Mountain Home, a two-year institution with an enrollment of 1,500 students located in Mountain Home which led her next chapter to BCC.
She says the mix of a rural location and larger community college made BCC the perfect fit for her.
“So, it was really cool because for me, marrying the rural with a little bit bigger institution, which is what most of my career was in, it was a good fit,” said Dr. Daniel. “And also, because I really needed something that was a personal fit and a professional fit. And personally, it was a good fit because we love Kansas. We’ve been coming back and forth – I have a daughter that lives here in Lindsberg. And we’re big Kansas City Chief fans, so it was kind of a win-win.”
In addition to location and size, BCC also blends workforce certificates and education with fine arts and university transfer students.
“I like both arms – it’s really vital to the economy for your community college to be putting out students that can go to work for your local industry,” said Dr. Daniel.
As Dr. Tamara Daniel enters her third month at Butler Community College, she has a clear vision for extending the BCC core values while keeping longevity in mind. She told the Times-Gazette that her immediate priorities are with the people, students, culture of the college and utilizing data.
“I truly feel like our people are our greatest resource,” said Dr. Daniel. “And when I say people, of course, I’m talking about our students and our employees, but I’m also talking about our community stakeholders. I really have a strong desire to build more community college relationships.”
She envisions strengthening the ties and relationships with local stakeholders and the community by offering on-campus activities and classes such as paint nights or community educational classes.
Being a first-generation college graduate, she experienced first-hand the difficulties in navigating college alone. To respond to that common piece, she shares with the community, she wants to create a pathway to stay connected with first-year students as they navigate the pitfalls of higher education.
“I feel like when I went off to Ole Miss, I didn’t understand or know anything,” said Dr. Daniel. “I didn’t know what a credit was because I was first generation.”
To ensure the longevity of sustainability of BCC, Dr. Daniel prefers to lean on data-driven information to make pivotal decisions that will guide the institution through continued success.
Outside of daily college operations, Dr. Daniel serves on the El Dorado Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas Board of Directors, Wichita Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and is a member of the El Dorado Rotary Club. In her spare time, she enjoys being outdoors, creating wooden crafts, watching sports with her husband Steve and teaching yoga.
With the 100-year celebration in the near future of BCC, Dr. Daniel is ready to build upon and champion higher education in Butler County. Her inauguration will take place in October of this year on the El Dorado campus. The Times-Gazette would like to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Daniel and her husband as they settle into the community and their new home in El Dorado.
