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The Torchbearers: Bettsey Barhorst and Frances Huntley-Cooper Bettsey Barhorst and Frances Huntley- Cooper seem like polar opposites. The affable Barhorst oozes excitement, while Huntley-Cooper exudes a quiet calm. To- gether they make a well-balanced team at Madison Area Technical College, where Barhorst has guided the school as presi- dent since 2004 and Huntley-Cooper, a four-year member on the school's board of directors, has taken over as the first Afri- can American board chair. In a city often painted Badger red, they are proudly carrying the Madison College torch, pushing the educational institution into its 100th year right when its services might be needed the most. While the makeup of the Madison Col- lege student body hasn't changed much over the years—students remain older, more diverse and more often part-time when compared to the state university system—one thing certainly has: "The dif- ference because of the economy is that we have more of them," Barhorst says, point- ing to a 22 percent increase in enrollment through the recession. It's good news, in a sense, for Barhorst and Huntley-Cooper, who pride them- selves on reaching student's educational needs at any stage of life. But when grap- pling with budget cuts handed down by the state, the challenge is to do more with less. "There's no reason to have a great college like Madison College if we're not produc- ing employees who can contribute back to the workforce," Huntley-Cooper says. They've set the bar high. Currently 87 percent of graduates find employment within six months and 81 percent of grads remain within the district's borders—a boon for students and the local economy, as well. To keep the momentum, Barhorst and Huntley-Cooper are focused on re- sponding to the community. "Wherever the need is, that's where we'll be," Barhorst says. In that vein, the College's Center for Adult Learning opened last year to serve dislocated, unemployed and underem- ployed area residents through free basic classes, workshops, advising and more. They're also in the midst of laying the groundwork (literally) to expand training in some of the workforce's most in-de- mand sectors. Over a year after the state's largest educational referendum was backed by voters, construction has started on eight projects—including impressive new build- ings at the main Truax campus that will serve those pursuing a future in health- related fields, advanced manufacturing, law enforcement and more. It's all part of a master plan that addresses tomorrow's most pressing community needs today. In a city where the research-heavy University of Wisconsin casts a big shad- ow, Barhorst and Huntley-Cooper are finding impressive ways for Madison College to bloom. January 2012 bravamagazine.com 51