KENOSHA — Newly appointed Gateway Technical College President and CEO Dr. Veronique Tran told attendees at her inauguration ceremony that her leadership focus will center on opening doors for students and community members who are too often “overlooked or left at the margins,” while building on the college’s role in meeting regional workforce and community needs.
Tran spoke during an inauguration ceremony held in HARIBO Hall at the Madrigrano Conference Center on Gateway’s Kenosha Campus.
“Each of us may draw our hope and sense of purpose from different places. We may have different whys,” Tran told the audience. “This is my ‘why.’”
Tran also shared her family’s journey from Vietnam to the United States during the Fall of Saigon in 1975 and connected that experience to the importance of education access and opportunity.
“Never in my wildest dreams, as that little girl who arrived in America as a refugee, could I have imagined that one day I would stand before you as president of a college,” Tran said. Tran said the moment raised questions about students currently in Gateway classrooms and what futures they may not yet be able to imagine.
Tran is Gateway’s 11th leader since 1971, and officials said the event marked the first time the college has held an inauguration ceremony for an incoming president.
Layla Merrifield, president of the Wisconsin Technical College System, said in remarks that Tran brings a passion for higher education and a commitment to building relationships.
“I was immediately struck by Dr. Tran’s passion for higher education, her curiosity about the communities she serves and her commitment to building relationships,” Merrifield said. Merrifield said Tran is positioned to honor Gateway’s foundation while pushing the college to “think boldly about the future.”
Zaida Lange-Irrison, chairperson of Gateway’s Board of Trustees, said the board has confidence in Tran’s ability to lead and stressed the broader scope of the college’s mission.
“While today we inaugurate one president, the work ahead is about thousands of people — the students, employees, employers and communities you now have the opportunity to lead and serve,” Lange-Irrison said.
Tran referenced Gateway’s history as the first publicly funded technical college in the U.S. and said she intends to build on that legacy. She described feeling a sense of familiarity while touring the college’s programs and pathways, pointing to areas such as advanced manufacturing, information technology, construction sciences and transportation technology.
Tran also emphasized Gateway’s position as a connector in southeastern Wisconsin, linking students and families, K-12 schools and universities, employers, workforce partners and the broader community.
“Gateway has a unique role to play because we sit at important intersections,” Tran said.
A recording of the full inauguration and photos from the event are available through Gateway at gtc.edu/inauguration and an online photo gallery link provided by the college.
