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Black History Month Feature

Willie Huffman

President of TCAT-Paris and TCAT-McKenzie

Posted

Willie Huffman was born the youngest of six children to Ruben and Lennie Huffman in Henry. His first year of education was in the all-black school of Central High School in Paris. In second grade, schools in the South had desegregated and he attended Henry School in downtown Henry and in 1977, graduated from Henry County High School in Paris, where he graduated in a class of over 300 students.
He then attended Bethel College in McKenzie, a school with an enrollment of about 500 students in the four-year school where he graduated in 1981. He advanced his education at Austin Peay State University, where he earned his master’s degree in 2012.
Huffman started his career as a student recruiter at Bethel and advanced to assistant director of admissions. He started at the State Area Vocational Technical School, where he worked as student counselor and in financial aid. He transferred to the sister school in Paris, where he advanced to vice-president of the school under the direction of Dr. Brad White.
In March of 2021, Huffman was appointed to be the president of Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Paris and McKenzie.

Huffman has been vice president of TCAT Paris since 2007 and a staff member at TCAT-Paris and its sister school, TCAT-McKenzie, since 1988. He succeeded Dr. Bradley White, who retired as president of the colleges March 31, 2021 after 44 years of service as an instructor, counselor and administrator. White had been president since 2006.Tennessee College of Applied Technology Paris.
Huffman was one of two finalists for the presidency selected by a search advisory committee. Both candidates participated in an online campus interview and public forum March 11. TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings recommended Huffman’s appointment to the board after reviewing input from the campus community and conducting final interviews. The board unanimously approved Huffman.
Huffman and wife, Gloria have two grown children, Bryan and Heather and two grandchildren.
Willie and Gloria are members of the Greater Enon Baptist Church, McKenzie. He has served in the McKenzie Lions Club, Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Henry County Chamber Board of Directors, is a graduate of Leadership Carroll County, and WestStar, and was elected to the McKenzie City Council, Carroll County Commission, and was appointed to the Carroll County 911 Board, McKenzie Housing Authority, and the McKenzie City Board of Zoning Appeals.