Technical education champion and longtime Gateway Technical College Board of Trustees member R. Scott Pierce passed away Thursday night.
Pierce served as a trustee for 16 years, many of those as board chairperson. Most recently, he was serving on the board and as an Ad Hoc Committee member charged with helping to find Gateway’s next president.
“It’s with a heavy heart that we learned today of the passing of Dr. Scott Pierce,” said Gateway Technical College Interim President and CEO Morgan Phillips. “In my time working alongside him, he showed passion for his work and desire for Gateway to be as successful as it possibly could.
“He put his energy into making Gateway a great place to learn and work. He will be missed.”
During his tenure on the board, his clear vision of the transformative impact technical education can have on students and communities helped guide his strong advocacy for Gateway and the innovative education it provides. His years on the board were marked by Gateway becoming a national model for technical education.
Pierce’s impact on students and the college will be felt for many years to come.
“I am saddened by Scott’s passing and will miss him. I have known him since I first became a superintendent and always thought of him as a mentor,” said Gateway Technical College Board of Trustees Chairperson Jason Tadlock. “I looked to him for ideas and always appreciated the perspective he would bring, whether it was as a superintendent or as a Gateway Board of Trustees member.
“He had a tremendous impact on Gateway, and his leadership and unwavering belief in the life-changing impact of technical education will be missed by many.”
Pierce, 78, dedicated his life to education, on the K-12 level as well as post-secondary education. He served as district administrator for Westosha Central High School District from 2008-2018 and was the superintendent of schools for the School District of Jefferson 1997-2003.
After his retirement in 2018, Pierce continued to follow his passion for music, singing with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, among other activities.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in music education at Carthage College in 1971, his master’s degree with an emphasis on educational administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1989 and his doctorate in education from Carthage College in 2001.