NEWS RELEASE

After a 40-year career at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College, Chief Financial Officer Angela Serrenho Simpson has retired.

A Cumberland native and 1981 graduate of Southeast, Simpson earned an associate in business management and immediately went to work in a local bank. She worked there for two years although she had already set her sights on working at the college.

“When I was a student, everybody wanted to work at Southeast,” she said. “It was the place to be. I guess I just aggravated them to death until, finally, they hired me.”

Simpson first accepted a position as a cashier in the Southeast business office working with student accounts. From there, she moved into purchasing and equipment purchases — furnishing new buildings and landscaping projects — until eventually moving into budgets, grants and gifts.

“I’ve had my hands in just about everything,” she said.

In the early ’90s, Simpson became assistant dean, and in 2000, she was named dean of finance. In 2014, she was promoted to CFO, a position she has held until stepping down this month.

Not only did Simpson rise through the ranks at Southeast, but she also continued her education. After a decade of working at the college, she took a leave of absence and returned to the classroom. During that time, she worked as a licensed realtor and earned a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Lincoln Memorial University. Upon graduation, she returned full time to Southeast while teaching real estate licensure certification courses as an adjunct instructor.

“Angela has been an invaluable employee,” said Dr. Vic Adams, Southeast president. “Her leadership, experience and work ethic have made her an asset to my cabinet, and she will be greatly missed.”

As for her plans for retirement, Simpson said that she and Dave, her husband of 33 years, have adopted a miniature schnauzer that needs a lot of attention and training.

Simpson also has wanderlust. She has widely traveled the U.S. and recently visited Japan and Portugal. She predicts her next adventure will probably be a riverboat cruise or a cruise in the Caribbean.

Simpson also looks forward to spending more time with her family. Husband Dave is retired and spends his time working with antique electronics. Their daughter, Michaela, is in her second year of study in the Doctor of Occupational Therapy program at LMU. She will be doing her fieldwork and capstone project in summer 2024.

When asked what she has enjoyed most about her years at Southeast, Simpson was quick to praise her fellow coworkers.

“The people are the best part of Southeast,” she said. “I have loved working alongside them for a common goal— the good of the students.”