The Blinn College Board of Trustees will host retirement receptions for Chancellor Dr. Donald E. Voelter on Oct. 25 on the Bryan campus and Nov. 1 on the Brenham campus. Dr. Voelter began work at Blinn College 38 years ago.

1971-74 Business Instructor
1974-77 Director of the Occupational Education (now called technical education)
1977-83 Business Manager
1983-1994 Executive Vice President of Fiscal Affairs
1994-2008 President
2008-09 Chancellor

A native of Marlin, Voelter received a bachelor’s in business administration in 1967 and a master’s in business administration in 1971 from Sam Houston State University. He completed his doctorate in education administration and management at Texas A&M University in 1985.

Highlights of his time as the head of Blinn College include substantial enrollment growth from 9,017 students in 1994 to 15,607 students in 2008. He oversaw the building of Blinn’s new Bryan campus in 1997, and the establishment of the Schulenburg campus in 1996 and the Sealy campus in 2005. Construction projects included the W.W. O’Donnell Performing Arts Center and student apartments on the Brenham campus, six buildings and the purchase of the Schulman Theater and strip center on the Bryan campus, and a new classroom building in Schulenburg. Also during his time as president, Blinn added the alternative teacher certification program and three technical education programs: emergency medical technician (1995), dental hygiene (1997), and physical therapy assistant (1998). Blinn also added two new women’s sports, volleyball and softball, both in 1995.