Under Texas law, a public institution must name a sole finalist and observe a 21-day waiting period before final action may be taken to appoint the next president. Martin has accepted the position, and the board is expected to take action to formally appoint her as the college’s 10^th president at its next regular meeting on May 11.

Martin has served as KC’s interim president since Nov. 1.

“I am deeply honored by the board’s confidence and grateful for the opportunity to continue serving Kilgore College in this role,” Martin said. “KC has a strong tradition of student success and community impact, and I look forward to working alongside our faculty, staff and community partners to build on that momentum and lead the college into its next chapter.”

The selection follows a comprehensive national search process that included a broad-based committee, which reviewed approximately 80 applications and narrowed the pool to four finalists. The KC Board of Trustees later reduced the field to two finalists.

The process also included four public finalist forums and input from faculty, staff and community members who participated in person and via Zoom. The board retained final authority in the selection of the president.

Martin has served KC since 2001 in a variety of leadership roles, including vice president of student life and college affairs, vice president of student services, vice president of institutional planning, registrar and director of admissions. She has been a member of the college’s executive leadership team for more than a decade.

She holds a Doctor of Education in higher education from Texas Tech University, where her research focused on dual credit in Texas community colleges. She also earned a Master of Science in interdisciplinary studies from Texas A&M University-Texarkana and a Bachelor of Science in interdisciplinary studies from Texas A&M University-College Station.

During her tenure at KC, Martin has led multiple campuswide initiatives focused on student success, institutional effectiveness and innovation. She has served as the college’s liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and has represented KC at state and national conferences.

Before joining KC, Martin worked at Texas State Technical College–Marshall in student recruiting and marketing and began her career as a public school math teacher in East Texas.

Martin has been recognized multiple times as KC’s Outstanding Employee and was named an honorary life member of Rangerettes Forever. She has also received statewide recognition from the Texas Association for Institutional Research for excellence in professional practice.

She is a graduate of the KC President’s Leadership Academy and the Chancellor’s Leadership Academy sponsored by Ozarks Technical Community College in Missouri.