Meet Kia Keyton (PLSP-ECMC Foundation fellow)

Meet Kia Keyton, director of the African American Male Scholars Initiative at Greenville Technical College. Keyton’s interview appears as part of a spotlight series on 2020–21 fellows in the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation.

What leadership skills do you hope to develop as part of the Postsecond­ary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation?

I am so excited to be a part of the Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation. The leadership development will allow me to reach higher heights at my institution. Though one size of leadership does not fit all, some common character traits seem to work for all good leaders. I would like to strengthen my awareness, enthusiasm, empathy, focus, courage, transparency, communication skills, persistence, professionalism and global mindset. I am ready to flex the muscles that I will develop to make hard decisions, yet as a servant-leader. I want to invest time and energy in others.

How do you anticipate your participation in the program will better equip you to support career and technical edu­cation (CTE) students, particularly underserved groups, toward career success?

I am a student services professional, and I have consistently worked with special populations of CTE students. Now that I will work with African American males, I recognize they are still an underserved group. I look forward to developing strategies to focus on and close the achievement gap. I hope that being in this program will give me new and useful resources to support all of our students but especially those who belong to underserved groups.

In your opinion, what are the most important elements of professional development for postsecondary leaders?

I have served individuals with socioeconomic disadvantages, students with disabilities, single parents and other special populations for several years. The challenge in access and equity for these underserved populations is an important element that should be addressed as professional development for CTE postsecondary leaders.

Postsecondary leaders need to understand strategies for building an inclusive culture, for using data to support informed decision-making, and for developing partnerships and effective teams. In addition to these skills, we need to learn how to collaborate effectively with others.

Learn more about the PLSP–ECMC Foundation.

The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE – Sponsored by ECMC Foundation presents a yearlong professional development experience. The program is intended to develop the organizational leadership and management skills of postsecondary CTE professionals, with an emphasis on addressing the needs of underserved populations. Applications for the third cohort accepted Oct. 1–Dec. 15.