Successful students, new programs, new initiatives, strong community partnerships and new ways to help fund Gateway Technical College.

These were the key topics covered by Gateway Technical College Interim President and CEO Morgan Phillips at the college’s 2026 state of the college address today.

“Last year was a great year to be a Red Hawk, and as we enter 2026, another strong year is on the horizon,” said Phillips. “Our graduate numbers remain steady, our surveys overwhelmingly show that graduates feel they’ve benefited from their Gateway education and we continue to offer innovative, effective and meaningful ways for students to gain the skills they need to succeed.”

Highly successful programs

Phillips pointed out that the college has had some highly successful programs recently. He defined “high performing” as those programs where a high percentage of students in them earn degrees and diplomas, enter their career and earn family-sustaining wages.

“This is the backbone of much of what we do, and it’s what our students seek when they enroll at Gateway,” said Phillips.

By those metrics, Phillips named EMT-Paramedic, Truck Driving and Building Trades-Carpentry as the top three programs at the college, some with annual incomes approaching $100,000. In addition, he said graduates of programs like Advanced Manufacturing, Nursing and Facilities Maintenance are reporting median salaries of $70,000 or more.

Phillips told the audience the median salary for degree and diploma graduates is $63,000.

He also pointed out that Gateway’s ability to create and offer new programs quickly resulted in two new ones being offered starting in Fall 2025: the Respiratory Therapy associate degree program and the IT-Microsoft Data Center certificate.

Partners lauded

Phillips also talked about the strong partnerships Gateway has with many of its community and industry partners, including Snap-on Incorporated, Microsoft and Golden Years, to name a few.

“We can’t thank our partners enough for their support of the college and our students,” said Phillips.

Funding changes

He said the technical college funding process has changed, and the college now needs to find new and innovative ways to find funding – which lies with the college’s Foundation and partnerships forged in the communities and industries it serves.

“We appreciate the support of our communities and partners,” said Phillips. “As the mechanics of technical college funding have shifted recently, and changing our ability to meet growing community needs, we are at a place where we need to find ways outside of our tax levy to support our programs and students. 

“New and bold funding opportunities are needed now and into our future.”

Future president

Phillips’ term as interim president and CEO is set to end June 30. Gateway Board of Trustees Chairman Jason Tadlock, who opened the event, noted that the process is underway to hire the next president.

“One of the most important things we’ve done over the past year – and look forward to doing again – is to hire a president for the college,” said Tadlock. “Last summer, we welcomed  Dr. Morgan  Phillips to be our interim president and CEO. He’s done an amazing job, and the college has benefited from his veteran leadership, insight and focus to help Gateway be the best it can be.

“But, Dr. Phillips was hired as an interim, and we will sadly bid him farewell this summer. The search for a new president is underway.”

View the complete live stream recording of the ceremony.
See all photos of the event.