Vice President of Facilities and Executive Initiatives
Scott Kramer ’87, VP of facilities and executive initiatives, says KWC students are the reason he is here and that he has always sought to make a positive difference in their lives. “I treat our students the way I want my own kids to be treated, and I know that as an administrator, I help set the tone on campus.”
He arrived at KWC as a freshman in 1983 and is grateful to Tom Major ’79, now a trustee, for encouraging him to enroll. He describes Tom as “a great ambassador for the College. I first experienced the Wesleyan emphasis on personal relationships from him. We attended church together in Henderson.”
The recipient of a Presidential Scholarship, he played baseball under Coach Denny Potts all four years. He remembers Coach Potts as fair and straightforward with a great sense of humor. “As a young athlete, he set a good example, as did Registrar and Director of Financial Aid Gus Paris. Gus always saw the big picture. Family was everything to him, and he, too, had a marvelous sense of humor.” Scott also fondly remembers Professor Hugo Zimmerman, who taught interactive management courses. “He was my advisor, and a very good one, and he was ahead of his time in the classroom.”
After his 1987 graduation from KWC, Scott briefly worked for a finance company and quickly returned to his alma mater as an admissions counselor and assistant baseball coach on Sept. 11 of that year. He later became assistant director of admissions, associate director of admissions and then registrar upon Gus Paris’s retirement. After serving in that capacity for eight years, he was dean of students for 17 years and then vice president of retention and executive initiatives, which included responsibility for facilities. In the fall of 2021, he became vice president of facilities and executive initiatives.
Under Scott’s leadership, grounds work is now contracted to a local company, facilities employees are KWC employees (rather than working for a contractor) and the Jack T. Wells ’77 Activity Center has undergone extensive renovations and modifications.
Scott describes KWC as a family affair which includes wife Penny (Mills) ’86, son Joey ’13, daughter Paige (Kramer) Crisp ’15, daughter-in-law Brianna (Outland) Kramer ’15 in his immediate family and six other relatives.
Scott says the components of The Wesleyan Way are a way of life that focuses on the value of relationships. “It changed my life, both as a student and as a staff member, and I hope I have helped change the lives of our students.”
Julie (Johnson) Wilbur ’95 treasures her KWC relationships and says Scott went the extra mile last summer when her daughter, Laney, attended the Scholars’ Academy. A long-distance runner, Laney, could not find Gatorade on campus. “I remembered Scott and reached out to him to ask where she could find Gatorade. I didn’t ask him to, but he bought Gatorade for Laney and delivered it to her door. He didn’t have to do that, but it was a great example of the KWC personal touch, which makes all the difference.”
For almost 40 years, from the moment Tom Major introduced Scott to the Wesleyan experience, KWC has impacted and shaped his life as a student-athlete, staff member and cabinet officer. Denny Potts, Gus Paris and Hugo Zimmerman influenced and encouraged him, and Scott pays it forward through supporting and mentoring members of the campus community today.
Memories of Dean Kramer shared by Sarah Beth (Roach) Greathouse ’02
“In 1998, I thought I had the world at my fingertips and could easily slide into college with no challenges, but Wesleyan challenged me. I cowardly tried to take the easy way out and drop out of college. I headed to the registrar’s office and began the withdrawal process. Luckily, Registrar Scott Kramer was in the next room and overheard my conversation with the lady at the front desk. Opening the door to his office, he asked me to step inside. That was the first example of Dean Kramer opening doors for me. Not only did he convince me to stay in school, he convinced me I just hadn’t found my niche-that I needed to take time to explore my options. I heeded his advice and pursued my studies.
“My next feat was paying my tuition; I alone was responsible for my finances. I had two jobs on campus, but it wasn’t enough. Dean Kramer opened his door to me again and helped me get a job off campus. For four years, he was my “campus dad.” I could go to him for anything, and I knew he would be there for me. I have stayed in contact with him since I graduated in 2002, and he has been a reference for me on several job applications in the field of education. This summer, he began opening doors for my daughter, Anna, who will attend Wesleyan this fall. On her first college visit, I ensured Dean Kramer would meet Anna. She immediately felt comfortable with him, and she now refers to him as her ‘campus granddad.’
“Dean Kramer absolutely helped me get to where I am today by instilling a ‘never give up’ mantra. I am so thankful he opened those doors for me. Not only did I earn my bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan; I went on to receive two master’s degrees and my Rank I in administration.”
Sarah Beth (Roach) Greathouse ’02
Resource Teacher, Fifth Grade
North Hancock Elementary
Lewisport, Ky.