Weekly Review
News and Events from the campuses of Blinn College
October 26, 2009
Blinn hosts reception for retiring chancellor
At his retirement reception on the Bryan campus today, Blinn College Chancellor Dr. Donald Voelter received a surprise from Sen. Steve Ogden. Ogden presented Dr. Voelter with a Texas flag that flew over the state capitol last week. Along with the flag came a certificate stating it “is a small token of appreciation from the people of Texas for your service.” Voelter will retire in December after 38 years at Blinn. He started in 1971 as a business instructor. Before becoming president in 1994, he also served as Director of the Occupational Education (now called technical education), Business Manager, and Executive Vice President of Fiscal Affairs. He stepped into the chancellor position in June 2008.
“Although I was not the only one responsible for this campus in Bryan, it did occur during my tenure as president. It’s a feather in our cap and, I think, it’s a feather in the cap of the people of Bryan/College Station. Hand-in-hand with that is our relationship with Texas A&M,” Voelter said.
Highlights of his time as the head of Blinn College include substantial enrollment growth from 9,017 students in 1994 to the current enrollment of 17,245. He oversaw the building of Blinn’s new Bryan campus in 1997, and the establishment of the Schulenburg campus in 1996 and the Sealy campus in 2005. Construction projects included the W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center and student apartments on the Brenham campus, six buildings and the purchase of the Schulman Theater and strip center on the Bryan campus, and a new classroom building in Schulenburg. Also during his time as president, Blinn added the alternative teacher certification program and three technical education programs: emergency medical technician (1995), dental hygiene (1997), and physical therapy assistant (1998). Blinn also added two new women’s sports, volleyball and softball, both in 1995.
A native of Marlin, Voelter received a bachelor’s in business administration in 1967 and a master’s in business administration in 1971 from Sam Houston State University. He completed his doctorate in education administration and management at Texas A&M University in 1985.
The Blinn College Board of Trustees also will host a retirement reception on the Brenham campus on Nov. 1, 3-5 p.m., in the Student Center.