Beaufort County Community College President Dr. Barbara Tansey will be saying goodbye next year.

Tansey announced her retirement on Wednesday, and according to a press release, it will be effective as of May 31, 2017. Tansey took her position as president in 2012.

“It was a very tough decision to make,” she said. “I’ve always enjoyed making a difference, and I will miss that.”

Tansey said she made the decision due to her husband’s dementia, as his caregiving needs can often conflict with her work schedule.

“Dr. Tansey has embraced change and brought innovation to the college,” Dr. Laura Staton, BCCC Board of Trustees chair, stated in a press release. “We have been lucky to have her as a leader and an advocate. It will be hard for us to find someone as dedicated and forward-thinking.”

Tansey said the search for a new president is wide open right now, and the college will be looking at candidates internally and externally. The Board of Trustees has a screening committee to review the applicants.

During the past four years, Tansey has been involved with plans for BCCC’s new Public Safety Complex, opening a Washington County campus and opening the Learning Enhancement Center for students, as well as leading the college in creating its agribusiness program, the release stated.

According to the release, Tansey is the fifth president of BCCC and the first woman to hold the position.

Despite her impending retirement, Tansey said she has no plans to slow down during the next year. She wants to continue leading the college in a positive direction.

Some of her upcoming projects include: introducing Self Service, where students can now register online; starting work on next year’s budget in the coming months; continuing to put together strategic goals at BCCC; outreach to the Spanish community and residents of other counties; launching the culinary program and revamping mechatronics; and continuing campus upgrades.

“I have a whole marker board full,” she said of her plans. “I don’t think I’ll start any new projects. It’s just trying to get closure.”

Tansey said she hopes to see the college continue to meet the needs of the community in years to come, and she hopes to leave the new president a clean slate to comfortably transition into the role.

She said she is in no hurry to leave the Washington area, but may move back to Missouri in the future to be closer to family.

No matter what, BCCC and education in general will remain close to Tansey’s heart.

“I’ve worked with students for 38 years,” she said. “I will definitely miss students and faculty and staff. That kind of keeps you going every day.”