Staff Profile

Seth Macon Carter serves as the sixth president of Colby Community College. He began his tenure at the College in 2015.

President Carter earned an Associate of Arts degree from Allen Community College, an Associate of Science degree from Colby Community College, a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Emporia State University, a master’s degree in Education from Pittsburg State University, and a Doctor of Education degree from Baker University. In addition, he has received four honorary degrees from Allen Community College.

During the past decade, every classroom and residence hall on the Colby Community College campus has been renovated. President Carter has helped lead the development of multiple new facilities, including the Steve Lampe Athletic Center, the Tennis Center, and the Lon R. Frahm Agricultural Center, as well as the renovation of the Stanley Carr Agricultural Center. In addition, the College partnered with the City of Colby by donating land for the development of the Colby Event Center, a $17.5 million facility.

Under President Carter’s leadership, Colby Community College has consistently achieved some of the highest student outcomes in Kansas and the nation. The College has recorded the highest graduation rate among Kansas community colleges in seven of the past 10 years and has achieved the highest full-time retention rate in the state five of the past six years.

President Carter has received numerous honors and awards, including the Rural Strategic Impact Award (2024), Ingram’s Magazine’s 50 Kansans You Should Know (2023), Kansas Future Fellow (2022–2023), Phi Theta Kappa Distinguished President Award for the Kansas/Nebraska Region (2019 and 2022), Phi Theta Kappa Shirley B. Gordon Award (2022), Allen Community College Distinguished Alumnus of the Year (2020–2021), Phi Theta Kappa Paragon President Award (2019), and Thomas County Business Person of the Year (2017). He has also served on numerous local and national boards.

President Carter is married to his high school sweetheart, Codi Carter, and together they have three children: Caysen, Colin, and Chloe. He considers himself blessed to have a loving and supportive family and to live in such an outstanding community. President Carter remains deeply grateful to the College, the community, and the Board of Trustees. His educational philosophy is rooted in the belief that the two-year college sector has a unique ability to transform lives, just as it transformed his own.