News / Press Releases

Otter Changes Role at Northwest Tech Goodland, KS. (01/05/23) - Frank Otter has been a part of the Northwest Tech board since the days of high school kids tight rolling their jeans and Boys II Men producing Billboard Top hits. For the past three decades, Otter has made the monthly trip from his home in Clayton, KS, to participate in the Northwest Tech board meetings in Goodland. He recently stepped down from the college board and is now welcomed as the newest member of the Endowment Association Board of Directors.

Northwest Tech President, Ben Schears, is excited to see Mr. Otter's service to the college continue through the new endowment role. "Frank is an incredible guy and has given decades of service to the college in several different ways," said Schears. "We miss him on the college board, but excited that he was willing to stay on and help the college through the Endowment Association."

Even before his service on the board, Otter had ties to the college dating back to 1979 when he graduated from the Electronics program.

His father, Marion Otter, served on the Area Board of Control during Frank's time as a student at the college. Years later, he would follow in his father's footsteps when he returned to Northwest Tech and began his time on the Area Board of Control in 1992. During his tenure on the board, his son Josh graduated from the Electronics program in 2004. Frank began working his way up, contributing to meetings as the secretary, before becoming board president from 2010-2017.

Throughout his time on the board, Otter was a part of the reconstruction of the Communications Technology program as technology advanced and the program needed to be updated. He also positively promoted the addition of athletics to the campus of Northwest Tech in 2010. This led to the successful diversification of the campus, inviting students from all over the country and world to pursue higher education at Northwest Tech. A few years later, he was chairman of the board when the Apple Ipad initiative was launched, which enabled access to a wide range of educational resources and tools anytime, anywhere.

"I would tell people if they want to be involved with anything going on in the world right now, they need to step up and get involved in your community." said Otter, "It is very well worth your time. You will learn a lot about yourself and the organization."

Otter served at his last Area Board of Control meeting in the fall of 2022. His new role with the Endowment Association board began in January of 2023. Moving forward, Otter remains committed to Northwest Tech through his service on the Welding Advisory committee and Endowment board.

Goodland, KS. (02/10/2023)  – Northwest Kansas Technical College has announced the names of full-time students who earned spots on the President’s and Dean’s honor lists for the 2022 Fall semester.

Students on the President’s Honor List earned a perfect 4.0 grade point average, while students on the Dean’s Honor List earned a GPA between 3.5 and 3.99.

President’s Honor List

Dean’s Honor List

The students listed above have demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and strive to put forth their best effort with every assignment, test, and exam. These students exemplify the qualities of a true Maverick. Be smart, work hard, and do the right thing!

Goodland, Kan – A formal affiliation between Fort Hays State University (FHSU), North Central Kansas Technical College (NCK Tech), and Northwest Kansas Technical College (Northwest Tech) was unanimously approved at yesterday’s Kansas Board of Regents meeting. 

Rural higher education institutions have long been beacons of opportunity and drivers of economic prosperity in Kansas. However, today and in the coming years, our communities in rural Kansas face significant demographic and economic challenges, including...

HAYS, Kan – Today, Fort Hays State University (FHSU), North Central Kansas Technical College (NCK Tech), and Northwest Kansas Technical College (Northwest Tech) announced a new affiliation initiative to address demographic and economic challenges in rural Kansas....

Goodland, KS. (10/05/2022)  – As October starts, the Northwest Tech Engineering Students once again prepare for the annual haunted house.  The students plan, build props, and set up a haunted house for the Goodland community to enjoy. This event is also a fundraiser for Genesis of Sherman County. 

“Each year this event allows for students to work together in teams to plan, design, and implement a large project.  Not only are students learning skills of project management, communication, and designing, but students are also being involved in a community based event that helps local families in need.” said Engineering Instructor, Mike Zimmerman.

Everyone is invited to come out and experience the haunted house. It will be hosted in the animal barn at the Sherman County Fairgrounds on October 28^th, and 29^th from 6pm-9pm each night. There will also be an opportunity to go through the haunted house with the lights on and no jump-scares both nights from 5:30-6:00pm. Admission is $3 per person or 3 cans of food per person. All canned food and money collected will be donated to benefit Genesis of Sherman County.

“Our students are very excited to work on this project this year,” Zimmerman said. “We hope to see everyone there and having a fun time.”