Reflecting on Neupauer’s planned retirement
In Wednesday’s Butler Eagle, staff writer Irina Bucur told us about the impending retirement of Nick Neupauer, the longtime president of Butler Community College.
The print edition’s headline read “BC3’s Neupauer to retire at year’s end.” The more evocative headline, though, was on the website’s version of the story.
“Leaders reflect on BC3 president’s plans for retirement.”
Neupauer has not released his retirement plans. He just said he’s going to retire.
But it raises a lot of questions: At the ripe old age of 56, has he booked a nursing home in Boca? Is there a timeshare in Santa Fe awaiting his arrival? Has he booked a world cruise? Will some retirement community benefit the way BC3 has? So many opportunities await!
Over 17 years, BC3 has grown by leaps and bounds, much to the credit of Neupauer. And community and campus leaders are happy to share stories.
In 2022, Neupauer was the first recipient of the Stan Kosciuszko Leadership Excellence Award.
Reflecting on Neupauer’s accomplishments as BC3 president, Kosciuszko noted his innovative leadership style. The construction of the school’s nursing and allied health building was just one of the examples of that innovation, he said.
“(Neupauer) imparted his personality and his beliefs onto the culture at BC3,” Kosciuszko said.
“He put students first,” said Ruth Purcell, former executive director of BC3’s Education Foundation. “Everything we did, our question was, ‘How is this going to benefit students?’”
We imagine the homeowners association at some retirement village is going to say something similar about retirees.
Whatever his plans are, we certainly hope they involve us.
The county, that is. We hope his retirement plans involve the county.
That sounds selfish, too.
In the meantime, we still have 11 months to squeeze his brilliant brain.
Tune in in December for another installment.
— RJ
