MSU-B taps Bruce Whittenberg to lead the newly created Outreach and Community Relations Center of Excellence at College of Technology

Bruce Whittenberg, former publisher of The Billings Gazette and the Helena Independent Record, has joined the Montana State University-Billings College of Technology.

Gazette Staff

Whittenberg will be team leader for the newly created Outreach and Community Relations Center of Excellence, said college Dean John Cech.

Whittenberg will serve in a half-time capacity to help the college develop relationships with and create training opportunities for local businesses. He also will be part of Cech’s leadership team.

Whittenberg said that, because he’s been associated with the university in a number of ways over the years, he appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the College of Technology during a time of change and innovation.

He already has been working with the college on a statewide training contract with a major organization.

Whittenberg will be the primary liaison between MSU-Billings’ College of Technology and the College of Professional Studies and Lifelong Learning to forge new relationships with area business and industry.

"Outreach to the community is an significant part of what a community college does, and Bruce’s involvement as the head of the college’s outreach Center of Excellence will propel the college a long ways toward this goal," Cech said.

The College of Technology is evolving to a comprehensive community college model, he said.

Whittenberg was publisher of The Gazette from January 1998 through October 2000 and led a change in the culture of the organization and a repositioning and redesign of the daily newspaper and Web site, http://www.billingsgazette.com.

Whittenberg was adjunct professor and executive-in-residence during spring semester 2001 at the College of Business at MSU-B.

During that semester, he was named Friend of the College and was an honorary inductee into Sigma Beta Delta, International Honor Society in Business, Management and Administration.

Whittenberg also works with the Big Sky Economic Development Corp. and with a variety of clients through his organization, The Whittenberg Group. He can be reached through the College of Technology at 656-4445.

Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2003/07/31/build/local/52-post.inc