 In her second day as president of Hazard Community and Technical College, Dr. Jennifer Linden already feels at home in her new office. That's because she has lived in Perry County most of her life. I am a native of Hazard, Kentucky. Raised here, lived in Hazard, Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky all of my life. Very connected to the mountains. Dr. Linden attended Hazard Community and Technical College before moving on to Moore Head State University. After graduation, she returned to Hazard and began her career at the school. So the long history with the college started adjunct. Moved into a workforce liaison type position working with business and industry to develop customized training. Then moved into a community and economic development type dean. And the last four years I've been the Chief Campus Administrator and the Dean for Occupational Technologies over on Air Hazard Technical Campus. And living in Eastern Kentucky, Dr. Linden has seen how the recent decline in the coal industry has forced thousands of out of work coal miners back into the classroom. And she realizes the role Hazard Community and Technical College is playing in their retraining. The last four years it has really broken my heart really because you see so many people who are unemployed, who are dislocated workers coming from jobs where they had such security and thought that they would be there all their lives. And now they're coming back, they don't know what to do. And I do think it's the college's responsibility to make sure that we get back on our feet. Of course working in partnership and collaboration with economic development agencies and local government. But I do think we have that responsibility to bring hope back to the people of the mountains. Tomorrow we'll hear from Dr. Linden about how she envisions the future of Hazard Community and Technical College. Reporting in Hazard for EKB News, I'm Shannon Deskins.