Vol State’s Upper Cumberland Director Lori Richards retiring from her position Monday.
Richards said the timing is right to retire because she hit her twenty-year benchmark with the state last December. Richards said she was unsure about the plan at first but things have fallen into place in such a way that she is confident this is the right decision.
“When you got looking at retiring, you wonder am I going to have enough money, am I going to be able to do this?” Richards said. “All kinds of thoughts go through your head and I realized that yes, this is doable and I’ve really just gotten excited over the last few weeks as its gotten closer.”
Richards said Vol State Livingston Campus and Upper Cumberland Senior Director Michael Powell will take over the Cookeville campus. Richards said Powell will split his time evenly between the two locations for the foreseeable future.
“When you’ve been in the same position for over ten years, there’s lots of things that you just don’t really think about that you do,” Richards said. “So starting to jot those things down and making sure that I had those bases covered and making sure that I had those bases covered, able to pass along those pieces of information
Richards said she has been working with Powell for the last month to prepare for the transition. Richards said she is confident the campus will continue to grow and improve even after she leaves.
“We have the new president for Vol State at the helm and she is so full of energy and looking to the future,” Richards said. “She has a student services background and really I think things are going to really be making some changes for the good.”
Richards said one of the things she is most looking forward to in retirement is the new place she and her husband were able to get in Florida so they can snowbird each year.
