WKCTC celebrates the retirement of Paul Aho, Paducah School of Art and Design director.

Paducah, KY (05/07/2024) — West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) congratulates Paul Aho, director of the college's Paducah School of Art and Design (PSAD), on his well-deserved retirement after years of dedicated service and commitment to fostering creativity and artistic expression.

During a recent awards ceremony at the college, Dean Britton Shurley commended Aho's exemplary contributions to the humanities, fine arts, business, and social sciences division. "Paul is retiring as an associate professor in art, and he has served most of his time at WKCTC, as both the coordinator of our AFA program and the director of our Paducah School of Art and Design campus," he said. "Under his leadership, we have seen that program undergo significant growth over the last several years and watched PSAD serve our region's creative and artistic needs in numerous ways."

Randy Simmons, PSAD drawing professor and Aho's colleague for more than a decade, said, "My favorite qualities are his patience, his always making time to listen, and his dedication to the Paducah School of Art and Design. Paul's presence will be missed as we move into a new phase for the art school at WKCTC, said Simmons. "I wish Paul the best for his retirement and look forward to seeing what comes out of his studio. Thank you, Paul, for your years of service and guidance for PSAD."

As WKCTC hosted a retirement party in its student center on Friday, April 26, 2024, colleagues, students, and the community came together to celebrate Aho's remarkable career and wish him well in his retirement.