[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 103 (Thursday, June 25, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E977]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF DR. DUANE M. FORD

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. RON KIND

                              of wisconsin

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 25, 2015

  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of the career of Dr. 
Duane M. Ford, President of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. He 
served as the fifth president of the College for the past four years.
   Dr. Ford grew up on a family farm outside of Tonica, Illinois. He 
spent much of his childhood doing chores and helping out with the farm 
work. He eventually went on to University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy with 
Highest and University Honors in 1977. After farming with his father 
and brother for two years, he studied at Iowa State University, where 
he received an M.S. and a Ph.D. He then served as a Post-Doctorate 
Fellow in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of 
Illinois at Chicago.
   In 1986, he began his career in teaching and academic leadership at 
Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, where he first 
discovered his passion for teaching. While at Truman State, he served 
as Convener of the Agricultural Science Discipline, as Associate 
Division Head for the Division of Science, received a fellowship in the 
W.K. Kellogg National Leadership Program (1991-1994), and studied for a 
sabbatical year at the Center for Biotechnology Policy and Ethics at 
Texas A&M University (1993-1994). In 1996, Dr. Ford became the 
Chairperson of the Department of Agriculture at Southeast Missouri 
State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. From 1999-2011 he was 
Dean of the College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture 
at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where he also served as 
Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor before becoming President of 
Southwest Tech in 2011.
   Under President Ford's leadership, Southwest Tech has become a 
premiere place for high-quality, affordable education and training. Dr. 
Ford has a strong relationship with businesses in the area, and he has 
adapted the curriculum to reflect the needs of the nearly 12,000 
students per year attending Southwest Tech. Throughout his career, he 
has stayed true to his Midwest roots. He was a creative thinker and 
tireless advocate for education. I personally have enjoyed working with 
Duane, first at UW-Platteville, then as President of Southwest Tech, 
where his pursuit of quality educational opportunities for his students 
was inspirational. He will be missed.
   Duane and his wife Sheri currently live in Platteville, Wisconsin. 
They have two adult children, Hollie and Simon, a grandson, Matt, and a 
cat named Dusty. In his retirement, Duane looks forward to pursuing his 
hobbies of running, bicycling, baking and disc golf. Dr. Ford will 
continue to serve on the Board of Directors for Southwest Health 
Center.

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