The Power of Connection: Lessons from Jack Annan, a Rural Community College Legend

Creating my online course for Rural Community College Leaders has made me reflect deeply on the people who profoundly impacted my development. These are the individuals who didn't just occupy a position but truly cultivated the community around them. Their influence is a vital lesson for anyone working to lead and connect in a rural setting.

Let me tell you about someone who, for me, epitomized the power of truly connecting with others: Jack Annan.

I had the privilege of knowing Jack when I worked at Northeastern Junior College (NJC) in Sterling, Colorado, back in the mid-2000s. Jack was semi-retired then, serving as the executive director of the NJC Alumni Association, but his roots at the college ran deep. He’d been there since the 1960s as a key professor, recruiter, and advisor.

The "Greeley Farm Show Rockstar"

Jack was famous for his incredible ability to connect with the agricultural community across Colorado. If you went to the Greeley Farm Show every year, you'd find him. He always had a crowd around him—people he knew, all wanting to spend time with him. He was truly the "Greeley Farm Show rockstar!"

It’s amazing to think that Jack was never a president or a vice president at NJC, yet he was so vital to the college that they actually put a statue of him on campus while he was still alive. He earned the title "Mr. NJC" for a powerful reason that had nothing to do with a title.

The Simple Secret to Profound Impact

I think the secret to Jack's immense success and lasting legacy was beautifully simple: when you spent just five minutes with him, he made you feel like you were the most important person in the world.

He had this wonderful twinkle in his eye, always asking questions, and he genuinely made me feel like my answers were the most important thing he’d ever heard. He extended this respect to everyone, whether you were the college president or a high school student considering attending NJC.

By putting the focus entirely on others, Jack made a huge, positive impact in the lives of thousands of students and staff members.

One of the jokes I heard while working at NJC was that Jack and the Pope were waving on a balcony at a large crowd and one person in the crowd asked his neighbor "Who is that up there?" The person responded, "I don't know about the guy in the tall white hat, but the other guy is Jack Annan."

We aren't all Jack Annan—we don't all have the same magnetic personality. But we can absolutely learn from how he made others feel. This lesson is incredibly important for how we hold ourselves and engage in every one of our individual meetings, whether it's a quick chat in the hallway or a formal one-on-one.

Focus on the person in front of you. That's the core of cultivating a vibrant, connected community, and it's a leadership lesson that holds true, especially in the close-knit world of rural community colleges.