Dr. Koffi Akakpo was driving home to Ohio after his second day of interviewing for the presidency of Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

He spent the day touring all seven BCTC campuses and was in the middle of a four hour drive home when his phone died.

Akakpo said he stopped as a gas station near Cincinnati to see if he could charge his phone for a couple minutes because he had a nagging feeling someone was trying to call him. It was KCTCS President Jay Box offering him the job, he said.

“(Applying) was the second-best professional decision I’ve made,” he said Tuesday while visiting the Winchester campus. “The first was deciding to stay in the field.”

Akakpo officially began as president Friday and has been touring the campuses Monday and Tuesday.

Most recently, Akakpo was the vice president for business, administrative and student services at North Central State College in Ohio.

His background includes stints working as an analyst for Speedway SuperAmerica, as director for academic financial planning  and management at Central State University and as a former deputy director/secretary for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Akakpo said leaving state government offered other opportunities within education at NCSC, which is a community college.

“I’m glad I did,” he said. “I fell in love with it.”

After earning his doctorate, Akakpo said he began looking for openings and was impressed with BCTC’s mission and its goals.

“One of the best assets we have is the passionate leadership,” he said. “BCTC is unique. I’m glad I’m part of the family.”

He spoke of one class at another BCTC campus where the teachers let the students practice on them.

“That’s the kind of passion we have,” he said. My hope is we continue to build on the momentum we have. My goal is to work (campus leaders) closely and make a bigger impact.

“They make it the college of the community. We are here to serve.”