Jefferson College President Raymond Cummiskey, who is set to retire on June 30, said weathering the COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most trying periods the school has faced during his 11 years at the post.
Cummiskey, 62, of Imperial credits the faculty, administrators and support staff for rising to the occasion and adapting to meet the students’ needs after the college’s buildings were closed in the middle of the semester to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
“Basically, getting everyone to move everything online, which was amazing,” Cummiskey said. “Everybody really focused on serving our students. It was really something to see. Students who have needs, people went out of their way to serve them.”
Dena McCaffrey will take over as Jefferson College president on July 1.
Cummiskey’s annual salary as the president is $225,000, and McCaffrey will make $170,000 annual salary next school year. She currently is paid $145,000 a year as president elect.
McCaffrey said she has appreciated learning the job under Cummiskey.
“I’m excited for Ray,” she said. “He has many accomplishments. I’ve worked with him throughout his time at Jefferson College. He is dedicated to the college and Jefferson County. I have learned a lot from Ray and appreciate the guidance he has provided me. He will be missed, but I’m sure he will enjoy retirement.”
Cummiskey said negotiating through the pandemic has not been the only hurdle the college has had to overcome during his tenure.
“We always have financial challenges,” he said. “I would say the biggest challenge has been ongoing state funding. We have to pay the bills and stay competitive with our faculty and staff salaries. We’re probably not going to be funded as we should be and that makes for some tough decision making.”
Some challenges have ended on a positive note, Cummiskey said, like “when there were the layoffs at Chrysler and we had many coming back to college and worked with them.”
Cummiskey said technology has had the largest effect on teaching during his 38-year career in education.
“Online access is really changing the landscape of higher education,” he said. “In addition to taking online courses, your access to information is now seconds away. With this also comes a challenge of deciding what is valid information and what is not.
“There is very little you can’t do online with college.”
Cummiskey said the completion of the $5 million Hillsboro campus library renovation was one of the college’s biggest achievements while he has been president.
“The library is certainly one of the major accomplishments because it impacts everything we’re doing here,” he said.
The fundraising campaign to pay for the library renovation project continues, college officials say.
Cummiskey said the library fundraising campaign has proved how important the college is to the community.
“It’s been overwhelming to hear, over and over, what Jefferson College means to them,” he said.
Cummiskey said he is proud of several other accomplishments during his tenure.
“Our reaccreditation with the Higher Learning Commission is one,” he said.
Cummiskey said another highlight was bringing back Manufacturing Day, “which is where we bring in manufacturers from the county to see high school and college students and have a mini job fair. They get to hear panel discussions from industry leaders. The students get to go on a tour of one or two businesses.”
He said the college has also expanded offerings while he’s been at the helm.
“We’ve started new programs in health care, such as radiologic technology, occupational therapy and a program called HIT – health information technology. These programs are a great complement to our nursing program, but, more importantly, they boost health care in our county,” Cummiskey said.
He said the college also established its own police force during his time as president.
“We started our own full-fledged police department on campus,” Cummiskey said. “That was really important with all that’s gone on in the world. It’s made a difference on campus. They can address any need quickly.”
Cummiskey said he also is proud that the college received national recognition as a healthy campus.
“In 2016, we were recognized as one of the healthiest colleges in America,” he said. “Part of that initiative included opening a Mercy Health Clinic (on campus) for students, faculty and staff.”
Cummiskey became the seventh president in Jefferson College history in 2009. Before that, he was at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, Ill., where he had served as president since 2004. He also worked at Jefferson Community College in Steubenville, Ohio, Neosho County Community College in Ottawa, Kan., and Park University in Kansas City.
Steve Meinberg, president of the Jefferson College Board of Trustees, noted that when Cummiskey retires, he will have been president of Jefferson College longer than all but one of his predecessors – B. Ray Henry, who was the Jefferson College president from 1970-1989.
“He’s the second-longest sitting president in the history of Jefferson College and there’s a reason for that,” Meinberg said. “Dr. Cummiskey is extremely knowledgeable in the operations of college administration and is very well respected among his peers statewide. His management of the college is going to be sorely missed, but fortunately he has mentored a good replacement in Dena McCaffrey.”
Cummiskey said he and his wife, Vicki, live in Imperial, but they also have a home at the Lake of the Ozarks and plan to move there. They also plan to travel during their retirement. Vicki, who owns and operates a communications consulting firm, also is retiring.
“I hope to reach out and visit our children who are spread around the country,” Ray Cummiskey said. “I always say I have three kids on three coasts. My oldest son, Bryan, lives in Portland, Ore. He and his wife, Britany, this year gave us our first grandchild, a little boy named Parker. My second son, Logan, lives in Pensacola, Fla. My daughter, Carly Heern, and her husband, Jared, live in Washington, D.C.”
Cummiskey said he is happy to have been a part of Jefferson College.
“I can honestly say I’ve truly enjoyed it,” he said. “It’s not only been professionally gratifying work, but it’s given me some opportunities not everyone has. For example, I got to give my son, Logan, his diploma when he graduated from Jefferson College. That’s a nice treat for any parent.
"It’s really been an honor to serve both the college and the community.”
Cummiskey has a bachelor’s degree in communication arts and English from Park College, as well as a master’s degree in communication studies, an educational specialist degree in administrative education and a doctorate in education administration, all from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
While at Jefferson College, Cummiskey has taken leadership roles in numerous local and regional civic and professional organizations, including the St. Louis Regional Chamber Board of Directors (formerly Regional Chamber and Growth Association), Jefferson County Growth Association, Economic Development Corporation of Jefferson County, Jefferson County Family YMCA Board, Highway 21 Task Force, The Safety First Coalition of Jefferson County, Hillsboro Rotary Club, Missouri Community College Association, American Association of Community Colleges, and American Association of Community College Trustees.
He also has been a member of all the local cambers of commerce – Arnold, De Soto, Hillsboro, Northwest and Twin Cities. He has hosted numerous legislative and workforce development events, and participated in the development of JCGA’s “One Plan, One Voice” initiative. He is past president of the Twin City Area Chamber of Commerce and was River Trails District chairman of the St. Louis Area Council Boy Scouts of America.
Cummiskey served on the Missouri Department of Higher Education's Commissioner's Advisory Board from 2017-2018, and he previously served as president of the Missouri Community College Association Presidents and Chancellors Council. He has won awards for his service in several community and professional groups.