| John Penn Ridgeway of Paris is the next president of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll. The announcement was made after unanimous vote by the Tennessee Board of Regents.
He has been mayor of Henry County since 2020, and previously served as vice president of TCAT McKenzie from 2012 to 2020 and was a staff member there since 2007. He earned a Master of Arts in Education from Bethel University and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Tennessee at Martin. As reported earlier this week, Ridgeway announced his pending job change at the Henry County Commission meeting Monday night. He said his resignation will be effective June 30, 2024, so that he can help facilitate the choice of the next County Mayor in the upcoming election August 1. |
Ridgeway will transition to the TCAT Henry/Carroll presidency, returning to the college he helped lead before his election as Henry County mayor. (TCAT McKenzie, which he joined in 2007, merged with the former TCAT Paris last year to form TCAT Henry/Carroll. The two colleges have shared the same presidency for several years.) He will succeed President Willie Huffman, who is retiring after three years as the president and 36 years of service to the college.
“I am extremely grateful and humbled to serve the people of Northwest Tennessee. I consider it a privilege to lead a dedicated faculty and staff with the tremendous reputation for turning out a talented workforce,” Ridgeway said. “There is no doubt this describes TCAT Henry/Carroll and what the Board of Regents represents. What an honor it is to say I am coming home!”