Orinthia Montague Death – The Volunteer State Community College community in Gallatin, Tennessee is mourning the death of their fourth president who passed away unexpectedly. Dr. Orinthia Montague who was the president of the famous Vol State College for three years died suddenly. “With tremendous sadness, we announce the untimely passing of Dr. Orinthia T. Montague, President of Volunteer State Community College. Dr. Montague began her tenure at Vol State two years ago.”
Affectionately referred to as “Dr. O,” she founded and guided the organization through a metamorphosis to enhance the educational experience of its members. She devoted herself wholly to the people we teach and the neighborhoods we work in. “Dr. Montague was a true leader in every sense of the word,” Dr. Emily Short, vice president of student services at Vol State, said. At every level of our company, she was the embodiment of hard work, intelligence, and compassion. We will all miss Dr. Montague very much. In her honor, we will carry on her initiatives and transform all of our campuses into the prototype she envisioned they could be.
The Tennessee Board of Regents System and the world of higher education have lost an invaluable asset with Dr. Montague’s demise. TBR Chancellor Flora W. Tydings praised her as a strong leader who genuinely cared about her students’ well-being. Her husband, their children, and all of campus are in our prayers.
Volunteer State’s new fourth president is Dr. Montague, and his term will begin on September 1, 2021. Last month, she greeted her third group of pupils at Vol State. Dr. Montague has administrative experience at Tompkins Cortland Community College, a SUNY institution having main campuses in Dryden and Cortland and extension centers in Ithaca.
She attended University of Missouri–St. Louis for graduate work in higher education administration, Lindenwood University for her MA in counseling, and Truman State University for her BA in interpersonal communication. Dr. Montague’s academic career was highly successful. Before moving to the Big Apple, she worked as the dean of students and vice president of student affairs at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota. She has held positions such as assistant vice provost and dean of students at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.
