Lone Star College System recently held dedication ceremonies to honor the service of a former board chair and chancellor emeritus.

A crowd of nearly 200 local, state and national leaders including U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas State Sen. John Whitmire, Texas State Rep. Sylvester Turner and city of Houston Mayor Pro Tem Ed Gonzalez, as well as friends and family, attended a ceremony to congratulate and honor Wm. “Randy” Bates on the renaming of the main building at LSC-Victory Center.

During his 20-plus years as board member and chair, LSCS grew from less than 20,000 students and three colleges in 1991 to six colleges with 78,000 credit students and a total enrollment of 90,000.

At a separate ceremony, more than 100 dignitaries and guests including Harris County tax assessor-collector and Lone Star College-Kingwood graduate, Mike Sullivan,

gathered at LSC-Kingwood to honor former system Chancellor Dr. John E. Pickelman and celebrate the renaming of the John E. Pickelman Student Conference Center.

Under Dr. Pickelman’s direction from 1991 - 2007, enrollment at Lone Star College, then known as North Harris Montgomery Community College District, rose from 14,000 to 49,000 students. Not long after Dr. Pickelman’s retirement, the college became the Lone Star College System in 2008.

“The impact these leaders had on helping grow the educational opportunities for countless numbers of students cannot be overstated” said Dr. Richard Carpenter, LSCS chancellor. “They played such a major role in developing the Lone Star College System into what it is today.”

Lone Star College System has been opening doors to a better community for 40 years. Founded in 1973, LSCS remains steadfast in its commitment to student success and credential completion. Today, with 78,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 90,000, Lone Star College System is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and the fastest-growing community college system in the nation. Dr. Richard Carpenter is the chancellor of LSCS, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, five centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online.