Dr. Jacqueline Vietti has worked in public higher education for over 40 years, including serving twice as interim president after she retired as president of Butler Community College eight years ago. Throughout her career, she has provided direction and leadership for community colleges and higher education systems in Kansas and Missouri and the 19-state region of the Higher Learning Commission. During her tenure at Butler, she was recognized by the American Community College Trustee Association as CEO of the Year for its Western Region.

For over 17 years, she served as the first female president of Butler Community College, the second-largest public community college in the state, retiring in 2012. During her tenure, enrollment grew by 21%, and she led a number of capital projects to improve learning and student engagement on Butler’s campuses and within the Southcentral Kansas region.  Additionally, the college, El Dorado Public Schools and City of El Dorado partnered to build a $12 million sports complex that functions not only as a state-of-the-art athletic facility but also as a highly valued community gathering space.

Since her retirement, Dr. Vietti has continued to work on behalf of education and communities across Kansas and beyond, serving as a guest lecturer at Iowa State University, an evaluator for the Higher Learning Commission, and chair of the National Teachers Hall of Fame. She also has been involved in a number of community-based initiatives to serve the common good.

In 2015, she served as interim president of Emporia State University. From 2017-18, she was acting president of Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Once Dr. Vietti was “fully retired,” she coordinated the Kansas Community College Leadership Institute, a nine-month leadership program sponsored by the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees that now is in its fifth year with over 100 alumni.

Born in Eureka, Kansas, Dr. Vietti is a graduate of Kansas State University, where she earned a bachelor of science in biological science (1970); Emporia State University, where she earned her secondary teaching certificate (1971); and Pittsburg State University, where she earned a master of science in community college teaching (1982). In 1991, she received her doctorate of philosophy in adult and occupational education, also from Kansas State University.