Galen DeHay, Ph.D.

President

Dr. Galen DeHay is president of Tri-County Technical College. 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.  

In his more than 20 years at the college, Dr. DeHay has served in a number of roles, including senior vice president, assistant vice president for instruction and institutional effectiveness, director of planning and institutional effectiveness, head of the science department, and biology instructor. He also has spearheaded a number of programs that have won regional and state awards and that serve as model programs within the S.C. Technical College System, including the I-BEST and Michelin Manufacturing Scholars programs.

Dr. DeHay was among 40 leaders nationwide selected to participate in the Aspen Institute’s 2019-2020 Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence program. This highly selective leadership program is aimed at preparing the next generation of community college presidents to transform institutions to achieve higher and more equitable levels of student success both in college and in the labor market. In addition, he was named Chief Executive Officer of the Year by the South Carolina Association of Technical College Commissioners in 2020.

Dr. DeHay currently serves on the boards of Anderson County Economic Development Collaborative, Ten at the Top, WorkLink Workforce Development, Foothills CAN, and Community Colleges of Appalachia. In addition, he serves on the Aspen Institute’s Rural Colleges Advisory Board, the South Carolina EMS Advisory Council, and the BASF Seneca Community Advisory Panel. He is a member of the American College Personnel Association and the Society for College and University Planning.

Dr. DeHay is a native of South Carolina and a first-generation college student. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences, a Master of Science degree in zoology, and he holds a doctorate in educational leadership, all from Clemson University.