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Knoettgen has returned to her rural roots as CCCC president

Amber Knoettgen is a study in contrasts. The president of Cloud County Community College (CCCC) is a bundle of energy: always on the go, prioritizing and dealing with the unending issues that come with running a college and raising a family. Yet when you sit down and visit with her she is quietly thoughtful, introspective. Her beliefs are genuine and her passion for the work authentic. As her mind whirs, she will calmly and effortlessly articulate a problem and its solution in a way that lets you know she already examined the issue from all sides.
Knoettgen has come a long way from her upbringing in Texas. There were uncertainties early in her career, but her journey through life now seems destined. She has returned to the rural Kansas roots from which she was born, and which she has always loved.
"I was born in Belleville, and my parents were from the Haddam and Morrowville area in Washington County," Knoettgen said. "When I was five my dad took a job with an oil company and we moved to Odessa, Texas."
Odessa, population about 120,000, was a seismic change for a young girl. "In a town like Concordia, you're going to school with kids you've known your whole life. Kids you grew up with. In Odessa, my high school graduating class was almost 1,000 students. I didn't even know most of them."
Though she grew up in Odessa, Knoettgen knew that someday she wanted to return to the rural life. "We would always come back to visit my relatives who were in the north central Kansas area, and I loved it. I love small towns."
Knoettgen received a scholarship to play basketball at Cloud County Community College (CCCC). "Brett (Erkenbrack) was my coach. I think it was Matt's (Bechard) second or third year as the AD (Athletic Director)."
During her two years as a student-athlete at CCCC, Knoettgen was still unsure where her path in life would take her. "At Cloud, I didn't know what I wanted to do. And I think a lot of kids who come to a community college are like that. They're not sure what they want to do; where they fit in. Community colleges provide an opportunity to learn different things, try different things, and build confidence in themselves."
After she graduated from CCCC, Knoettgen wanted to continue playing basketball, and landed at Baker University in Baldwin City, about 12 miles south of Lawrence. "Baker was a great fit for me. I loved the small campus. It was a great institution."
Knoettgen got her bachelor of science degree from Baker, and started looking for a job. "I was applying for jobs, and applied for the position of a marketing coordinator. It was through an employment agency, so I didn't know the job was at Baker until I got the call for the interview."
Knoettgen went to work at Baker University as their Marketing Coordinator. Over the years, she was promoted to the positions of Student Advisor Specialist, Topeka Campus Director, and Enrollment Specialist. She also earned a master's degree in business administration.
"I wasn't planning on working for a school, but once I was there I just loved being a part of it, of doing something that would leave a positive impact on the lives of others."
Knoettgen had found her path in life, and immersed herself in the work. But her heart and mind felt the rural life tugging at her. "I still had a lot of family in north central Kansas. I visited all the time. And then, at my father's 50th birthday party, I met Grant."
Grant Knoettgen was from Clifton. "He came to the party with a friend, and we just hit it off. We had the same values; the same desire for a small town life."
They were married on October 20, 2007, exactly one year to the day that they met.
The Knoettgens are now the proud parents of four children: one girl, age 12, and three boys, ages 11, 10, and eight.
With her husband being from Clifton, and her own longing to return home, Knoettgen kept an eye out for job openings in the area.
In July 2016, Knoettgen accepted a position as the Director of Advisement and Retention at CCCC. In November 2017, she was named the Vice President for Administrative Services. Her duties included managing the college’s budget, the Business Office, Auxiliary Services, Information Technology, Facilities, the Children’s Center, Athletics, Human Resources, and Community Relations.
In May 2020, the CCCC board of trustees voted not to renew the contract of the college's president, Dr. Adrian Douglas. Knoettgen was named interim president until the board selected a replacement. This time, instead of hiring from outside the institution, the trustees looked in-house.
On November 17, 2020, the CCCC board voted to hire Knoettgen as the ninth president of the college.
She is the fourth president in the last four years.
Knoettgen intends to be a stabilizing presence upon which the college can build a solid foundation for the future. “I want the college to heal. I'm not here to erase anything or make a judgement on things. I'm here to help the college move forward. Cloud has so many great people here. We need to build on that. People are our biggest asset."
Knoettgen knows her challenges are many, and no task will be easy. "No two days are the same. And with this pandemic, there's been no normalcy. But I am inspired by the Cloud team and their resiliency. I look forward to working with faculty, staff and students to continue moving Cloud in a positive direction.”
Amber Knoettgen had finally come home. For years, she wasn't sure where her path in life would lead, or what her purpose in life should be. But she now knows she is exactly where she is supposed to be. "I love coming to work everyday. I come to work because I want people to know that they matter. Our faculty, staff, and students matter. I don't want to just be good at what I do; I want to be the best. I don't want Cloud to just be a good college; I want it to be the best. I have a deep responsibility to this school, and I will not falter."
The job of college president is not easy. Knoettgen works 60-hour weeks. "I sleep with something to write on next to my bed. My mind is always thinking."
She does all this while also raising four kids. "I couldn't have this career without Grant and our parents. My kids are a great distraction from the stress of the job. Being their mom is my most important role. They don't care that I'm the president of a college."
She's only been on the job for a few months, but Knoettgen already knows that her primary goal is to provide stability to the college. "There's been so much turnover here in the past few years. I want the staff and the students to know that I support them. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. And I want to build a team that will be here with me. We first need a solid foundation in order to build and grow, so that is a primary focus here now. Concordia is blessed to have such great community leaders, and I value being able to partner with them to help build a strong community as a whole."

 

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