Dr. Brenda Kays has invested almost a decade leading Kilgore College, a quarter of her 40-year career in community college education. Last week, the ninth president of the East Texas institution announced her transition plans to retire from KC at the end of February 2026 and launch the next phase of her career to focus on broader aspects of the field.
Taking the reins at KC in January 2016, “Together, we have achieved so much: innovative programs, new facilities, new partnerships, and new opportunities for the communities we serve,” Kays wrote in an email to colleagues and friends Sept. 10. “But what I will cherish most are the moments that revealed who we are as a college. When students discovered their potential, when teams collaborated across departments to create something better, and when our community looked to us as a trusted partner, that sense of shared purpose is what makes this college so exceptional, and I believe it will continue to flourish long after I step away.”
The college shared Kays’ email with Kilgore Current Sept. 15.
“As I share my plans to transition into the next phase of my career and retire from the presidency of Kilgore College, I find myself reflecting on what has truly been the privilege of a lifetime — serving as your president,” she wrote. “For more than forty years, I have dedicated my life and career to community college students, and that will continue well into the future. However, these last years here with you have been among the most rewarding and meaningful.”
After 23 years at Texas Vernon College from 1985 to 2008, Kays spent ’08-11 as vice president of student learning and success at Guilford Technical Community College in North Carolina, the third-largest community college in the state. In 2011, she began five years as president of Stanly Community College in North Carolina before, in November 2015, she was tapped by the Kilgore College Board of Trustees for the presidency here.
“From my very first day on campus, I knew this college was something special. What makes it extraordinary is not the buildings, projects, or even the record enrollments; though those are impressive accomplishments we can all be proud of. What truly matters are the people: the students who arrive on our campus full of hope and determination, the faculty who dedicate themselves to inspiring curiosity and developing skills, the staff who support every detail that makes our mission possible, and the colleagues who motivate each other with their ideas, energy, and unwavering commitment to student success.”
Kays guided the college through the crunch of the COVID years then last year celebrated recording-breaking enrollment just shy of 7,300 students. The footprint and face of the college changed significantly during the past decade between demolition, construction, revitalization, renovations and the addition of new programs and outreaches.
“As I look forward to this next chapter in my life and the opportunities it will bring to engage in broader post-secondary areas like policy, student success, and workforce development, I carry countless memories with me,” Kays wrote, “commencement days where we watched dreams come true, meetings when creative ideas led to groundbreaking programs, and quiet moments when I saw individual lives change forever because of the work we do. These moments remind me that this has never been just a career; it has always been my calling.”
According to Kays, she’ll continue to serve with “energy and passion” during the five months ahead to help ensure a smooth transition in leadership at KC.
“After that, I will cheer you on from a new vantage point, confident in the knowledge that Kilgore College is strong, vibrant, and ready for even greater things ahead!” Kays concluded. “Thank you. Thank you for your trust, your collaboration, your friendship, and most of all, for your devotion to our students. I am proud to have been a part of this chapter in the college’s story, and I will always carry a piece of KC in my heart.”
