HCTC's Vickie Combs is retiring, reflects on human resources leadership

Published on Jun 23, 2025

Chief Human Resources Officer Vickie Combs is retiring from Hazard Community & Technical College (HCTC) after more than four decades of dedicated service to the institution.

 "It's hard to put into words what this college has meant to me," Combs said. "What started as a short-term job turned into a lifelong calling. HCTC has been the constant through every season of my life, and I've been proud to grow alongside it."

Combs joined the college in 1983 as a faculty typist for the nursing department.   

“I was promoted within a couple of months and became the president's administrative assistant. At that time, I was responsible for the hiring process, handling payroll and managing employee benefits. I did it all by hand and by myself," she said. "Back then, we had 60 total employees, including adjunct faculty and student workers. We currently employ around 300 employees.  I’ve watched this place change completely, and yet, our commitment to people has stayed the same."

Her career has spanned six HCTC presidents and major transformations in Kentucky's community college space, including the merger with Lees Junior College in 1996 and integration with the former vocational school system in the early 2000s.

"I remember standing in a windowless room in Jackson Hall when we welcomed the Lees Junior College team. We were all a little nervous. But we got through it by treating people with dignity and respect," she said. "That’s always been my approach. No matter what someone’s going through, I want them to know they matter."

Her people-first approach guided her through some of the institution's challenges, including the rapid shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the devastating, region-wide floods in 2022.

"With COVID, we thought we were going home for two weeks. It turned into 18 months," she said. "We had employees without internet, maintenance staff who couldn’t work from home, and everyone worrying about their health and safety. But we made it work. We built new policies from the ground up, created engagement activities to keep people connected, and checked in on folks to make sure they were adjusting to our new work world."

When the flood devastated the region, Combs personally reached out to every employee, adjunct, and student employee of the college.

"If I didn't hear from them, I called. If I couldn’t reach them, I called their emergency contact," she said. "We had people who lost everything. So, we did whatever we could, from calling in resources, finding time off and pulling together support. It was important to make sure our people were as ok as they could be."

Combs credited her growth to those she worked with and the leaders who believed in her. She worked under every president in the college's history, from founding president Dr. J. Marvin Jolly to current president Dr. Jennifer Lindon.

"Each of them brought something unique, something the college needed in that moment," she said. "Dr. Hughes was the one who saw something in me before I saw it in myself. He used to say, 'You know what you’re doing and I believe in you.' He encouraged me to speak up, lead teams and trust my instincts."

Dr. Lindon praised Combs' legacy of consistency and compassion through some of the college’s most turbulent seasons.

"Vickie has helped build the heart of this institution across many phases of its growth. Throughout the years, she has consistently supported our employees, regardless of the challenges they faced. We are thankful for her service," said Dr. Lindon. "She has smiled with people through transitions, cried with them through tragedies and celebrated with them through triumphs. Her steadiness has kept us moving forward, always with care and integrity. Vickie has remained committed to her values. I will forever be grateful for her leadership and her friendship."

Combs' institutional memory includes serving through the adoption of digital systems like PeopleSoft and OnBase, managing expansions into Knott, Leslie and Wolfe counties, and helping onboard generations of faculty and staff.

"We've grown a lot, but I always tell new hires that this isn't a place where you're just a number. Here, we care about you as a person and want to make you the best employee possible.  We walk with you through the good times and the bad times: when you're hired, when you get married, have a baby, lose a loved one," she said. "We support each other because that's the HCTC Family way."

Combs holds a bachelor's degree from Eastern Kentucky University and a master's degree from Morehead State University, both in business administration. Although she did not earn a degree from HCTC, Combs is a lifelong learner who deeply believes in the power of education.

"Education is something no one can take from you," she said. "I've watched 18-year-olds to 80-year-olds walk through our doors. I believe you’re never too old to learn. I've learned every step of the way, and I’m still learning."

For the next generation of professionals, Combs offered encouragement.

"If you want a job that challenges you, fulfills you and surrounds you with good people, this is the place," she said. "Every employee we've ever had started green in some way.  They grow into their jobs, and it's a joy to be part of their journey."

Though she is retiring, she said she will not be far away.

"I've given a large part of my life to HCTC, but it's given me back more than I could ever count," she said. "I have been blessed to work at a great institution with such great people, and I will continue to support HCTC in any way that I can."

HCTC's Mindy Fugate, who has served as human resources coordinator under Combs since December 2005, will begin her tenure as the college's second-ever director of human resources on July 1.