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Pasco-Hernando State College

PHSC president Katherine Johnson to retire next year

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After a decade of growth and success which included changing the school’s name, Pasco-Hernando State College president Katherine M. Johnson will retire from her post on June 30, 2015.

Katherine M. Johnson
Katherine M. Johnson

Johnson made the announcement in a letter to the school’s board of trustees Tuesday night, telling them that the decision was “bittersweet.” However, she said by then, she will have completed more than 10 years of service, fulfilling a promise she made to the board in 2004.

“It is my hope the timing of this announcement will allow the board ample opportunity to complete the search for and selection of a new president, ensuring a smooth transition in leadership by July 1, 2015,” Johnson wrote.

Len Johnson, the board’s chair, said Johnson’s “leadership is inspiring, and she will be greatly missed.”

During Johnson’s time, she oversaw the opening of the Spring Hill Campus in 2010, and the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch last January. The school also changed its name from Pasco-Hernando Community College to Pasco-Hernando State college after it began to offer baccalaureate degrees. The school is now accepting applications for two new bachelor’s degrees, beginning this August.

Johnson told the board she is looking forward to spending more time with her husband, retired PGA golf professional Chuck Johnson.

“My other commitment was to my husband, promising Chuck that I would join him in retirement at the end of a decade of service, to enjoy time with him, our extended family and friends,” Johnson said.

PHSC will begin its search for a new president as early as its upcoming July reorganizational meeting.

PHSC finishes fourth in first-ever World Series trip

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The Pasco-Hernando State College baseball team didn’t have a great start to the 2014 season.

It was a slow beginning in February by going 1-6. By the middle of March, the Conquistadors sat at 8-11 with no momentum and the season slipping away.

Sophomore Brennan Allen was one of the athletes whose play helped the Pasco-Hernando State College Conquistadors reach the World Series for the first time in school history. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
Sophomore Brennan Allen was one of the athletes whose play helped the Pasco-Hernando State College Conquistadors reach the World Series for the first time in school history.
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

So when longtime head coach Steve Winterling made vacation plans for the end of May, he assumed there would be nothing on his schedule.

“I didn’t have the World Series marked on my calendar book. I haven’t been there in 23 years, so why would I have it on there,” he said.

Big mistake, coach.

The team went on a 10-game winning streak and eventually qualified for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II district tournament. The Conquistadors qualify for the tournament on a regular basis, but this time they did something they had never done before: They were the last team standing and qualified for the first World Series berth in school history.

Winterling was happy to cancel his vacation plans and lead his team to Enid, Oklahoma for the Division II World Series last month. PHSC came to play in that tournament as well, winning a couple of games before being eliminated by regular World Series participant Madison College. The Conquistadors finished their run in fourth place and with a feeling that their success was a total team effort.

“We just had some clutch players. Like I told the guys afterward, as hard as it was losing, everybody at one point in the season did something to help us win,” Winterling said. “We had some guys who would get that key hit. We didn’t have one guy that really carried us.”

Sophomore Brennan Allen is one of the players who earned a key hit when the team needed it. In the district tournament, Allen hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to erase a 4-2 deficit and tie the game against Wake Technical Community College. PHSC would go on to win. But after that play, they never doubted the outcome.

“At that point, everyone thought this was our game no matter what,” Allen said. “We had all the momentum.”

Allen batted .311 during the season (.378 with men in scoring position) and said the team always had talent, but needed to get past early-season struggles and play up to their potential. As he considers options for playing baseball farther into his college career, having a World Series appearance on his resume should help attract attention from potential schools, he said.

The trip to Oklahoma should help PHSC as well. Winterling said athletes who want to be part of the program already are contacting him, making his recruiting job a lot easier.

“People want to come to a program that’s been to the World Series or won a regional tournament because that’s what everybody plays for,” he said. “E-mail and phone calls have been pretty heavy.”

The tournament run concludes a year of firsts for the baseball program and the school. In addition to their first World Series berth, the team registered their first no-hitter when Danny Rodriguez, a Steinbrenner High School graduate, threw one back in March.

And when the school raises a banner for the team’s achievements, it will be the first at the school to read “Pasco-Hernando State College.” The school changed its name from Pasco-Hernando Community College in January.

Winterling, who was also named the school’s athletic director last year, isn’t the type of coach to take much credit for himself or dwell on previous successes. He’s proud of his players and what they accomplished, but he’s already back to work, with a showcase coming up and some players to sign.

For his part, Allen said he recognizes the district title and World Series run as something he and the other players won’t soon forget.

“Going from such a small school, not being known by many people and now putting them on the map, and finishing fourth in the nation, is going to a pretty awesome thing to look back on for the rest of our lives, really,” he said. “It was a great experience. It was a lot of fun, and I wouldn’t change anything.”

Published June 11, 2014

Summer Haul Pass makes it cheap for teens to take the bus

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Pasco County Public Transportation is offering students in the county a chance to ride the bus all summer for $20 in a special rate through Aug. 31.

“Students who have summer jobs can use the bus and save a lot of money this summer,” said Mike Carroll, PCPT’s transportation manager, in a release. “It sure beats spending their hard-earned money on gas, and if they can’t afford a vehicle. The student fare is a great choice to meet their transportation needs.”

Passes are sold at all county libraries as well as the Pasco-Hernando State College bookstore.

Fixed-route transit buses operate throughout east and west Pasco, and along State Road 54. PCPT also operates the county’s para-transit service for those unable to ride the bus because of a verifiable disability, environmental barrier or distance from a route.

For more information on the Summer Haul Pass, call (813) 235-6073.

Local projects spared from Scott’s veto pen

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Gov. Rick Scott left nearly $69 million of this year’s state budget on the cutting room floor, but various projects throughout Pasco and Hillsborough counties were given a reprieve.

In signing the budget Monday, Scott and the state Legislature has earmarked a little more than $234 million for local projects, primarily road construction projects that affect the Veterans Expressway, State Road 54 and Interstate 75. However, it also puts in place $37.8 million for Pasco-Hernando State College, including $10 million needed for a performing arts center.

“This budget includes historic funding levels for K-12, state colleges and universities in Florida,” Scott said in a letter to Secretary of State Ken Detzner. ” We have remained focused on equipping Florida’s education system with the resources necessary to provide every student a world-class education.”

The biggest allocation to this region is $60.9 million planned for the widening of Veterans Expressway between Sugarwood Mainline Plaza to Van Dyke Road. It’s part of an overall widening and reconstruction project of the Veterans, which includes eliminating cash tolls along the route that connects the Tampa Bay region with counties to the north like Pasco, Hernando and Citrus.

The area’s other sizable road project is State Road 54 from Curley to Morris Bridge roads, which will cost just under $27 million. That joins a separate State Road 54 project from east of the Suncoast Parkway to Land O’ Lakes Boulevard that will come in just shy of $18 million.

Pasco County administrator Michele Baker said the 2014 Legislative session was a good one for the county.

“Pasco County sis a growing county, and we will continue to have additional needs as we grow and provide valuable services to our residents in the coming years,” she said, in a release. “We still have needs for additional roads and improvements to existing roads, and cultural needs so our citizens can enhance the quality of life as more people are expected to move here in the coming years.”

Local projects earning funding in this year’s budget include:

• Veterans Expressway widening project between Sugarwood Mainline Plaza to Van Dyke Road — $60.9 million
• Workforce Development — $30.5 million
• Pasco-Hernando State College — $27.8 million
• State Road 54 construction project from Curley Road to Morris Bridge Road — $26.8 million
• State Road 54 construction project from east of Suncoast Parkway to west of U.S. 41 — $17.9 million
• U.S. 301 construction project from State Road 39 to south of County Road 54 — $16.6 million
• Pasco-Hernando State College performing arts education center — $10 million
• Interstate 75 construction project north of State Road 54 to north of State Road 52 — $8 million
• State Road 56 resurfacing project west of Interstate 75 to Bruce B. Downs Boulevard — $5.6 million
• Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Surface Transportation Program — $5 million
• Bruce B. Downs Boulevard construction project from Pebble Creek Drive to County Line Road — $4.6 million
• Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Public Transit Block Grant Program — $4.3 million
• U.S. 301 resurfacing project from north of Geiger Road to north of Kossik Road — $3.1 million
• State Road 52 construction project from Bellamy Brothers Boulevard to East of Old Pasco Road — $2.7 million
• Water projects — $2.7 million
• State Road 52 resurfacing project east of Smith Road to west of Center Avenue — $2.4 million
• State Road 54 resurfacing project east of Lake Crystal Boulevard to West of Flint Street — $2.1 million
• State Road 52 resurfacing project from east of U.S. 41 to west of Bellamy Brothers Boulevard — $1.2 million
• County Road 54 construction project from U.S. 301 to Wire Road — $1 million
• Metropolitan Ministries Pasco Housing Initiative — $1 million

Other funding includes $50,000 for Lighthouse for the Blind, $250,000 for Memory Mobile, $874,500 for Nurse-Family Partnerships, $60 million for Florida NCI Cancer Centers, $2.8 million for community-based care, $5 million for Family Intensive Treatment teams, $300,000 for substance abuse, $150,000 for veterans crisis intervention, and $250,000 for Ready4Work Reentry Program.

The performing arts center at PHSC was one of nearly $120 million in budget “turkeys” recently identified by Florida TaxWatch. It was the only Pasco County project to make the list.

-Updated 6/3/14 to include statement from Pasco County administrator Michele Baker.

PHSC project one of Florida TaxWatch’s ‘turkeys’

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Will Pasco-Hernando State College get that performing arts center it has been hoping for? Not if the governor is paying attention to political activist group Florida TaxWatch.

The $10 million project is one of more than $120 million in taxpayer “turkeys” TaxWatch says is in this year’s state budget. A turkey, according to the group, does not mean that the project isn’t worthy of funding. Instead, the list is designed to “promote transparency in public budgeting and encourage meaningful legislative review of all appropriations.”

Even with the Legislature looking to provide tax cuts to some payers, Florida TaxWatch warns that not every project has been properly scrutinized.

“It is understandable that lawmakers would like to share this year’s budget surplus with their local constituents through member projects,” said Kurt Wenner, the group’s tax research vice president, in a release “However, in order to ensure transparency during appropriations and that proper accountability standards are in place for these projects, the Legislature should establish a competitive selection process for them to receive funding.”

The PHSC project, according to the report, was not part of the college system’s three-year Public Education Capital Outlay program, and thus was not fully reviewed, TaxWatch said. It was the only Pasco County project to get noted in the report. Hillsborough County, on the other hand, had turkeys worth $33.2 million including $2.5 million for the Museum of Science & Industry.

The turkeys themselves make up a tiny fraction of the state’s total $77.1 billion budget, which Gov. Rick Scott will have to finalize before June 4. Florida TaxWatch has offered suggestions on other ways the $120 million can be spent, including ideas to slightly increase student funding, reducing the Agency for Persons With Disabilities’ wait list by more than 4,000 individuals, and increasing state employee salaries by more than $1,000.

To read Florida TaxWatch’s full report on this year’s budget turkeys, click here.

Finally! PHSC gets first no-hitter after 23 years

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Steve Winterling has been coaching at Pasco-Hernando State College since the school began its baseball program back in 1992.

Freshman Danny Rodriguez, a Steinbrenner High School graduate, threw Pasco-Hernando State College’s first no-hitter in the 23-year history of the baseball program. (Courtesy of Steve Winterling)
Freshman Danny Rodriguez, a Steinbrenner High School graduate, threw Pasco-Hernando State College’s first no-hitter in the 23-year history of the baseball program.
(Courtesy of Steve Winterling)

He’s seen a lot of things on the field during that time, but on March 26 he saw something he had never seen before: One of his pitchers throw a no-hitter.

Freshman Danny Rodriguez struck out nine batters in seven innings of work in the Conquistadors’ 13-0 victory against Morton College. The game was seven innings long because it was part of a double-header, which is common at the collegiate level.

His efforts however earned Rodriguez National Junior College Athletic Association Pitcher of the Week for Division II baseball.

“It’s always exciting when you get those,” Winterling said. “We’ve had several one-hitters over the years. They (no-hitters) just don’t happen a whole lot.”

While he was excited for his player and team, Winterling isn’t obsessed with game statistics. He had to go back to his office and confirm that it was indeed the first no-hitter in school history.

The no-hitter itself also was special because it was executed so well, Winterling said. Morton College only had two men reach base all game, and both of those were due to PHSC errors. Rodriguez didn’t walk a single batter in the contest.

It also was an impressive accomplishment because the Conquistadors had a large lead, Winterling said, which sometimes allows pitchers to relax and lose focus since the game is likely in hand.

Because the school only gets its athletes for a couple of years, Winterling said he’s used to relying on freshmen for success on the field, and Rodriguez has the characteristics he likes in young players. Specifically, he prefers athletes who are able to keep cool under pressure and not let emotions dominate their play.

“He has a very good baseball mind. He’s got a good temperament,” Winterling said of Rodriguez. “He’s not an emotional kid, really. He’s in control of himself.”

Rodriguez hasn’t let his no-hitter affect that control or his focus on continuing his strong freshman campaign. He said it was a great moment, but he was just doing what he’s supposed to do.

“I wasn’t trying to (throw a no-hitter) at all. I was just trying to do my job and keep the ball down,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez showed prowess as a pitcher, but one interesting fact about his past on the baseball diamond is that he was a starter at Steinbrenner High School — at shortstop.

He didn’t see much time on the mound during his high school campaign. But with a 6-2 record in his freshman year for PHSC, and a no-hitter already under his belt, Rodriguez is feeling comfortable in that role.

However, he hasn’t abandoned his old position entirely.

“Now I think of myself more as a pitcher, but I still think of myself as a middle infielder, too,” he said. “I still practice with them.”

As rewarding as it was to record a no-hitter for the individual, the team and the school, both player and coach are on the same page regarding how long they allowed themselves to bask in the moment: Not long.

“I didn’t forget about it, but I know I have to work on my next start and keep focused on that, Rodriguez said. The no-hitter “was nice, but I have to stay focused.”

That focus paid off in his next start, a win April 4 against Clearwater Christian College.

After the no-hitter, Winterling didn’t spend much time celebrating, either, opting instead to focus on the team’s next game and their effort to reach the postseason. As the only NJCAA Division II school in the state, PHSC has to qualify for a regional tournament in North Carolina by playing at least .500 baseball during the season.

After starting the year 1-6, the Conquistadors found their footing and won 17 of their next 22 games. As a result, the team is on the cusp of the tournament despite a recent cold streak.

So while the accomplishment is one for the record books, both coach and player have moved on to the team’s goals.

“I let the kids enjoy it. That’s something for the kids to enjoy,” Winterling said. “I go back and do my work and get ready for the next game.”

Published April 16, 2014

PHSC celebrates opening of new Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch

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Pasco-Hernando State College celebrated the formal dedication of its fifth full-service satellite campus, Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, with a ceremony at the campus on April 2.

Members of the Porter family joined Pasco-Hernando State College president Katherine Johnson at the open house and dedication of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. Attending, from left, are J.D. Porter, Bill Porter, Johnson, Don Porter and Quinn Miller. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
Members of the Porter family joined Pasco-Hernando State College president Katherine Johnson at the open house and dedication of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. Attending, from left, are J.D. Porter, Bill Porter, Johnson, Don Porter and Quinn Miller.
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

About 400 to 450 guests mingled, toured the campus and enjoyed refreshments at the celebration. It honored the Porter family, who donated 60 acres of land for the campus, and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel for establishing an endowed scholarship.

“We certainly feel honored,” J.D. Porter said before the ceremony.

The family is especially gratified to play a role in promoting education, he added.

The opening of the campus signaled the first time in Wesley Chapel history that a student could attend preschool through college without leaving the Wesley Chapel community.

Porter said the new campus will play a significant role in the future of Wesley Chapel, as businesses will be able to take advantage of the college’s proximity to ensure that their workers keep current on new technologies. And students will benefit from the close relationship between the college and the business community.

He expects the college to continue to play an even larger role as time goes on.

The current buildings are on about six of the 60 acres the family donated, Porter noted.

Obviously, that leaves plenty of room for expansion.

Published April 9, 2014

Zephyrhills women leaders host panel at PHSC Tuesday

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Pasco-Hernando State College will celebrate Women’s History Month with a panel of Zephyrhills women leaders on March 25 beginning at 12:30 p.m., at the school’s Dade City campus.

The panel includes Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation executive director Carolyn Sentelik, Main Street Zephyrhills executive director Gina Granger, Zephyrhills City Councilwoman Jodi Wilkeson, legislative aide Joy Hampton, and Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce executive director Vonnie Mikkelsen. Hampton works for state Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.

The panel will discuss topics from author Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead.” Lisa Richardson, associate dean of PHSC’s East Campus, will moderate.

It will take place in the East Campus’ Conference Center A-240, located at 36727 Blanton Road, in Dade City.The event is open to the public at no charge. However, RSVPs can be made by calling Jennifer Gardner-Snell at (352) 518-1314, or emailing her at .

Musunuru re-appointed to PHSC trustees board

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Dr. Rao Musunuru will continue his long service with Pasco-Hernando State College after Gov. Rick Scott announced he had appointed the cardiologist to another term on the school’s Board of Trustees.

Musunuru first joined the board in 1999, and has been its chair three times over the last 15 years. If confirmed by the state Senate, the doctor with Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point will serve through the end of May 2017.

Musunuru has worn many hats in both medicine and education over the years, including time as chief of medicine, chief of staff, and even chairing the board for Bayonet Point’s heart institute. He is a member of the Association of Community College Trustees, and was awarded a leadership award by the group last October for his work as a trustee for the school, formerly known as Pasco-Hernando Community College.

Musunuru has been an American Heart Association volunteer since 1979, and has a few places named in his honor including an art gallery at PHSC, a CARES senior citizen enrichment center in Hudson, and a conference center at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point.

As classes begin, PHCC becomes Pasco-Hernando State College

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Pasco-Hernando Community College has changed its named to Pasco-Hernando State College.

The new name reflects the college’s broader mission as it prepares to offer bachelor degree programs. The college’s board of trustees approved the name change at its Jan. 21 board meeting.

Students fill the walkways on the first day of classes at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus for Pasco-Hernando State College. (Photo courtesy of Stephen John Photography)
Students fill the walkways on the first day of classes at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus for Pasco-Hernando State College. (Photo courtesy of Stephen John Photography)

The vote follows the December approval by board of directors of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to authorize the bachelor degree programs.

“Our new name signifies enhanced opportunities for our current and future students,” John DiRienzo Jr., PHSC district board of trustees chair, said in a release. “This is a pivotal moment in our college’s 41-year history. The transition to a state college is reflective of the college’s enhanced mission to provide accessible, affordable, quality higher education that meets the needs of our local residents and employers.”

PHSC plans to begin offering a bachelor of applied science degree in supervision and management, and a bachelor of science in nursing, both in August.

“These two baccalaureate degrees are in high demand fields that will provide advanced career opportunities in fast-growing, stable industries,” PHSC president Katherine M. Johnson said, in a release. “While the word ‘community’ no longer appears in our new name, the college’s commitment to serve the higher education needs of residents from all of our communities has never been stronger.”

The nursing bachelor’s degree is designed to prepare graduates of associate’s degree nursing programs — who already have a registered nursing license — to obtain additional skills in management, leadership, theory and research to succeed and be promoted within the nursing profession.

Prerequisite courses for this program will be offered at any of the college’s campuses. The bachelor’s degree in nursing program will be offered only online.

Published Jan. 29, 2014

The bachelor’s degree in supervision and management is designed to meet the needs of students with business, technology and workforce-focused associate’s degrees. Several courses in this program will be available at every campus and online, with the full program initially offered at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

Besides getting a new name, the college boasted an opening day enrollment of 1,600 students at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, according to campus provost Stan Giannet.

While classes have begun, construction work continues at the campus, Giannet said, adding that the ongoing construction work will not disrupt campus operations.

To learn more about Pasco-Hernando State College degree and certificate programs, visit PHSC.edu, or call (855) 669-7472.

Published Jan. 29, 2014