Galen DeHay, Ph.D.

President

Dr. Galen DeHay is president of Tri-County Technical College, a leading public, two-year community and technical college serving Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties in South Carolina. He is the fourth president to lead the College, which boasts the highest student success, graduation and transfer rates among two-year colleges in the state and ranks in the top 1% nationally for successful student transfers to four-year colleges and universities. Tri-County was recently named one of 10 community college finalists for the 2027 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.   

Dr. DeHay’s journey at Tri-County began in 1999 as a biology instructor and head of the science department. Over the years, he has held several key leadership roles, including director of planning and institutional effectiveness, assistant vice president for instruction and institutional effectiveness, and senior vice president. In these roles, he led strategic initiatives across academic affairs, student support, enrollment, workforce development, marketing, and institutional research.

Throughout his 27-year tenure, Dr. DeHay has championed award-winning programs such as I-BEST and the Michelin Manufacturing Scholars, both of which have become models within the South Carolina Technical College System.

A recognized leader in higher education, Dr. DeHay was selected for the prestigious Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence (2019-2020), a national program that prepares leaders to drive equitable student outcomes. He is also a graduate of the Riley Institute’s Diversity Leaders Initiative at Furman University.

Dr. DeHay’s leadership has earned him numerous accolades, including the Duke Energy Citizenship and Service Award from the Anderson Chamber of Commerce, CEO of the Year by the South Carolina Association of Technical College Commissioners, the Executive Excellence Award from the South Carolina Public Relations Society of America, the Governor’s Professor of the Year award for two-year institutions, and Tri-County’s Presidential Medallion for Instructional Excellence and Administrator of the Year. 

He previously chaired the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education’s Council of Presidents and the Community Colleges of Appalachia Board of Directors. He serves on the boards of the American Association of Community Colleges, AnMed, Foothills CAN, Ten at the Top, and WorkLink Workforce Development. He also is a member of the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Workforce Development and the BASF Seneca Community Advisory Panel.

A frequent speaker at national and regional conferences, Dr. DeHay shares insights on leadership, workforce development, and student success with audiences from the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association of Community College Trustees, and other professional organizations.

A proud South Carolina native and first-generation college graduate, Dr. DeHay holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, a master’s in zoology, and a doctorate in educational leadership—all from Clemson University.