Dr. Steve Flouhouse named Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs at ACTC

Published on Aug 27, 2026

After 35 years of teaching, leading, and serving at Ashland Community and Technical College (ACTC), Dr. Steve Flouhouse is stepping into a new role as the college’s vice-chancellor of academic affairs.

Flouhouse’s appointment marks the latest chapter in a career that began in 1991 as an accounting instructor and has since taken him through faculty leadership, institutional effectiveness, accreditation, grants and executive administration.

Throughout his journey, one purpose has remained at the center of his work: helping students and the community move forward.

“To me, ACTC is about helping people create better lives,” said Flouhouse. “It’s about supporting their goals and giving them the opportunity to grow into whatever they want to become.”

His approach closely reflects ACTC’s mission to educate with excellence, serve with purpose, and succeed for life; a mission Flouhouse has spent his career putting into practice.

“Dr. Flouhouse has been an integral part of the ACTC family for over three decades, and his dedication to this college and our students has been evident throughout his many years of service in a variety of roles," said Dr. Larry Ferguson, ACTC chancellor. "He is a strong, effective leader who understands our institution, our faculty, and more importantly, our commitment to academic excellence. Dr. Flouhouse has already demonstrated that leadership while serving in both interim and acting capacities in this role for more than two years, collectively." 

He added, "His appointment as Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs is a well-deserved recognition of the leadership he has provided and the confidence we have in his ability to keep moving our academic programs forward. I know he will continue to lead our faculty with the same dedication, integrity, and commitment to excellence he has demonstrated throughout his career at ACTC.”

Flouhouse joined ACTC shortly after earning his master’s degree in accounting from Marshall University in 1991. He began as an accounting instructor and progressed through the faculty ranks, earning the rank of professor in 2004.

At the time, he had no plans to pursue anything other than teaching.

“I never thought about anything other than just teaching class,” he said. “It’s a great place to work, and I enjoyed teaching and never really thought about anything else when I first started.”

Over time, his role expanded beyond the classroom. In 1998, he became a division chair while continuing to serve as faculty. In 2001, he began leading institutional effectiveness and accreditation efforts, eventually serving as coordinator, director, and dean of institutional effectiveness and grants.

For more than two decades, Flouhouse has helped ACTC evaluate its academic programs, strengthen institutional processes and use data to guide decision making.

He has also served as the college’s accreditation liaison to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges since 2001, helping lead the college through multiple reaffirmations of accreditation.

Those experiences, he said, have prepared him to lead ACTC’s academic mission from a broader perspective.

“The years of experience and the different types of positions I’ve had, being a division chair, doing institutional effectiveness work and being a faculty member, have all combined to help prepare me for this role,” Flouhouse said.

His service has also extended beyond academics. Flouhouse has led major grant initiatives, including two U.S. Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Program grants totaling more than $4 million, and has coordinated ACTC’s Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Grant since 2019.

Through that work, he has helped direct resources toward student success, faculty development, technology, equipment and instructional materials to ensure that ACTC has the tools and resources needed to serve its students well.

“I have been fortunate to work with Dr. Flouhouse in various capacities throughout the past 22 years,” said Dr. Sara Brown, associate vice-chancellor of health sciences education and online learning. “Each experience has reinforced my respect for his knowledge, leadership, and unwavering commitment to higher education.”

Brown said she had the opportunity to work closely with Flouhouse during the college’s Title III grant from 2016 through 2021.

“He challenged me to think strategically, lead with purpose, and always focus on how our work supports faculty development, student success, and institutional excellence,” she said. “It has been both a privilege and a pleasure to learn from Dr. Flouhouse over the years, and I am honored to have the opportunity to work alongside him again in his role as vice-chancellor of academic affairs. I can think of no one better equipped to guide the institution forward while continuing to uphold the high standards and values that have long defined his leadership.”

As vice-chancellor, he said one of his primary responsibilities will be ensuring ACTC’s academic offerings continue to serve the needs of the region.

 “One priority is to look at what we’re offering and always make sure that it aligns with what our community needs,” he said. “If there are new things we need to do, new programs or courses, or new skills that we need to offer to meet our community’s needs, my priority is to make sure we’re doing that.”

That work requires both innovation and discernment, Flouhouse said.

“We have a lot of different ideas, but it’s about finding the right fit,” he said. “Sometimes you have to say no to a good idea because it may not be the right time for that idea.”

For Flouhouse, purposeful leadership also begins with listening, and it’s a lesson that he has carried with him throughout his career.

“It’s important that faculty and staff know that you listen and you hear what they need,” he said.

Flouhouse says the greatest measure of his work is seeing students succeed.

“I think what’s most exciting is, in the end, seeing our students be successful,” he said. “Seeing them graduate, when we can learn about their successes after they leave here, that’s why we’re here.”

That focus will continue to guide Flouhouse in his new role.

During his first year as vice-chancellor, he plans to support ACTC’s upcoming reaffirmation of accreditation, strengthen implementation of the Kentucky Graduate Profile’s 10 Essential Skills, and continue evaluating how the college can improve student learning, retention, and graduation.
“We just keep trying to improve their learning and experience here and give them the best possible learning experience that we can,” he said.

This year, Flouhouse also earned a Doctor of Education in Adult and Higher Education with an emphasis in community colleges from Morehead State University, complementing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Marshall University.

For Flouhouse, this accomplishment represents both a professional milestone and the culmination of decades spent growing alongside ACTC.

“There is a sense of pride and accomplishment that I’ve reached this point,” he said.

Flouhouse now begins a new chapter—one that will allow him to draw on his experience as he helps shape the future of the college he has long called home.