A Lifetime of Positive Impact

IntelliTec is Proud to Honor the Storied Career of Dr. David Scott

For close to 15 years, Dr. David Scott has been a vital member of the IntelliTec College community. From his initial role as a night class instructor through to Dean of Faculty and eventually Campus Director at multiple locations, Dr. Scott’s tireless efforts have helped to better the lives of students, graduates, their families, fellow staff, and more.

As Dr. Scott prepares to retire at the end of this month, we want to take this opportunity to gratefully honor his incredible contributions.

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A Life of Service

Prior to joining IntelliTec College, Dr. Scott served 25 years in the United States Army. Initially a Combat Medic, Dr. Scott soon became a Licensed Practical Nurse before ultimately retiring as a First Sergeant. It was in the Army where Dr. Scott first discovered his love of teaching, reportedly much to his surprise. As he tells it:

After just 3 years, Dr. Scott was promoted from Instructor to Team Leader and then Company Leader, running the program. On overcoming the initial fear he experienced when faced with his new role as an instructor, Dr. Scott shared this wisdom:

“You've gotta get outta your comfort zone or you'll never know what's waiting for you out there. I guess you gotta find something you really enjoy to get over that kind of stuff.”

While in the service, Dr. Scott began to work on his education. He first earned an Associate Degree, followed by a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Studies, all while he worked as a leader in the Combat Medic program. From there, Dr. Scott went on to complete a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction and shortly after that earned his doctorate in education. Dr. Scott likes to jokingly warn students that, like him, once they start their education, they might not be able to stop.

Tireless Dedication (& Endless Ties!)

After his time in the Army, Dr. Scott continued to work for the military in a civilian role, where he taught lifesaving and emergency medical technician skills to soldiers. It’s at this time that Dr. Scott first joined IntelliTec College as a night instructor. After nine hours of teaching soldiers at Fort Carson, Dr. Scott would come over to IntelliTec to teach for another five. His obvious talent and dedication immediately distinguished Dr. Scott as an incredible asset to the college, and within the year, he was hired as the Dean of Faculty at the Colorado Springs campus.

To this day, Dr. Scott maintains the same type of above-and-beyond commitment he did almost a decade and a half ago. He commonly works 11 plus hours per day, though he’s quick to point out, “I don’t have to. No one forces me to do that.” That’s just the type of dedication he has to students and to the whole IntelliTec community.

Vice President of Operations, Wayne Zellner, had this to share about his longtime colleague:

“What I will always remember about working with Dr. Scott was his dependability, consistency, and reliability. Dr. Scott always arrived at the campus before anyone else, was always awake and making sure the roads were drivable during inclement weather for his students and staff, and always made sure that both myself and his campus knew well in advance if he was going to miss time from work, which was very rare. Just as memorable was his ability to maintain a calm and professional demeanor no matter what was happening around him. I was always impressed with how he was able to do this while dealing with what could only be described as difficult, if not downright hostile, students and situations. Finally, on a personal level, I appreciated his love of horror movies and hard rock music, and his amazing annual haunted house. Last but certainly not least, I will always remember and appreciate his vast collection of ties, which made it seem as if he had a different tie for every day of the year. His love of and dedication to IntelliTec College will truly be missed.”

Undeniable Impact

One of the countless concrete ways Dr. Scott has positively impacted our students’ lives is through the six-week “College & Career Readiness” program, which he led for the final time last term. In this program, Dr. Scott helped students to learn goal setting and motivation and how to pursue their goals in a Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (S.M.A.R.T.) way.

Dr. Scott has helped thousands of students in his time with IntelliTec College, and we know the positive impacts ripple out from there into families, workplaces, and beyond. On what he’s most proud of, Dr. Scott shared:

Leading with Kindness

Patience and empathy are traits that come up with colleagues when asked about their experience working with Dr. Scott. It’s clear that his quiet way of making those around him feel supported will be a lasting legacy.

Longtime co-worker, Katie Hager, Director of Compliance for IntelliTec, had this to share:

“I’ve had the privilege of working with Dr. Scott for the past 13 years, and it’s hard to put into words just how much of an impact he’s made—not only on multiple campuses, but on everyone who’s had the good fortune to work alongside him.

We first met when he was a dedicated instructor, and I was an administrative assistant. Even back then, it was clear that he brought something special to the table: a love for education and a calm, thoughtful presence. As Campus Director, he led with a blend of professionalism, kindness, and integrity.

His retirement is well-earned, but he will be missed. I’m grateful for the years we’ve worked together!

Wishing him all the best in this next chapter—he has more than earned it.”

What’s Next for Dr. Scott?

While he has certainly earned some rest and relaxation after so many years of unwavering dedication to the support of others, that’s reportedly not quite Dr. Scott’s speed. He says what he looks forward to most in retirement is time to work on things like home improvement projects, landscaping, and outdoor adventuring. An avid hiker, Dr. Scott has climbed to the top of 37 of the Fourteeners (a mountain peak with a summit elevation of at least 14,000 feet) in Colorado and many other challenging ascents. Asked for thoughts on his time with IntelliTec, Dr. Scott had this to share:

“I would like to say thank you to IntelliTec. They took a chance on me. I had no experience other than my military experience when I started teaching at night for them. I like to think that it wasn't a mistake, as shown by my progression over time. I appreciate that they did that.

I have worked with a lot of great people while I've been here. That's probably the biggest thing that I'll miss. There's people like Katie Hager; I knew Katie right from the start. She was the night front desk clerk here at IntelliTec when I started. I'd bring coffee for both of us on my way over from my day job, and now she is our compliance director at corporate. Wayne Zellner. I knew him right from the start too, and I appreciate everything that Wayne has done for me as my primary boss within IntelliTec. There's other people too. I mean, the list goes on and on of great people that I've worked with and have allowed me to do what I've done, and I appreciate them taking the chance on me.”

 

From the entire team at IntelliTec College, we want to express our incredible gratitude to Dr. Scott for sharing his knowledge, patience, and kindness with us over the years, and we wish him all the best, including many successful climbs, in his next chapter.