Wayne College bids fond farewell to Jack Kristofco

The evening of July 14 was full of reflection and well-wishes at Wayne College as political leaders, community members and colleagues honored the contributions of the college’s retiring dean, Jack Kristofco. During the evening retirement reception, Kristofco was presented with awards from Rep. Ron Amstutz and The University of Akron Provost Mike Sherman, who announced that Kristofco had been granted the titles of both Dean Emeritus and Professor Emeritus by the university. According to Kristofco’s colleague Gordon Holly, “Summarizing the impact that Jack has had on Wayne College is next to impossible. Jack has the rare ability to lead with vision and purpose, while still maintaining a sense of humor and genuine concern for people. Jack may not be here every day in the coming years but his legacy will continue.”A slide show was played during the reception, which included pictures of college events that Kristofco established and oversaw through the years, including the annual Shakespeare festival and Writers Workshop. There were also pictures of Kristofco pursuing his varied interests, such as baseball, guitar, and teaching.During his comments, Kristofco thanked the students, faculty, staff, friends and community members who had made his years at the college both dynamic and enjoyable. He added he was fortunate to have worked in an environment such as Wayne College, saying, “In the classrooms, offices, and hallways—in what we say we believe and how we act on those beliefs—Wayne College is a place where values and students matter.” Stan Silverman, dean of University of Akron Summit College, credited Kristofco’s passion for his job as to why he had been so successful in the position since 1997. In the 14 years Kristofco has led the college it has experienced significant growth in physical facilities, student enrollment, academic programs and scholarship resources for students. New facilities that have been added under Kristofco include the Smucker Learning Center, The Holmes County Higher Education Center in Millersburg and the 36,000-square-foot Student Life Building which opened in 2009. The college’s Barnet-Hoover farmhouse, built in 1818, underwent an adaptive re-use renovation in 2005, and planning for the new campus road on which construction is about to begin was initiated two years back. Kristofco was instrumental in bringing the bachelor’s degree in organizational supervision to the Wayne campus as well as the Saturday MBA program. He also launched partnerships with Stark State College, Walsh University and area career centers. Conversation about other partnerships are currently under way. Kristofco expects that these programs and cooperative ventures will push enrollment at Wayne College beyond 2,500 for the fall of 2011.Over the past 14 years, scholarship resources for students at Wayne have increased tenfold.Asked what he plans to do in his retirement, Kristofco answered that his primary job description will be “spoiling the grandkids.” He will also spend much more time on writing projects, especially poetry and short stories. Kristofco intends to teach two classes each semester beginning in spring 2012. Spring classes will include Introduction to Poetry Writing and Fiction Appreciation, and future classes will include Introduction to Fiction Writing and Advanced Poetry Writing. The Writers Workshop and Writing Awards will also continue to be coordinated by Kristofco.Active in the community, Kristofco was recognized in 2009 by the Orrville Area United Way with the Eugene Workman Lifetime Achievement award. He has also served on the Heartland Education Steering Committee, the Wayne-Holmes Goodwill Industries Board and the Orrville Area United Way Board. In honor of Kristofco’s leadership and accomplishments, Wayne College has established the John P. Kristofco Scholarship Fund. Information regarding donations to the fund can be found on the Wayne College website at http://www.wayne.uakron.edu.