Dr. Rob Edleston was born in Paris France to American missionaries in 1957. As a direct descendent of pilgrims John Alden and Priscilla Mullins of the Mayflower he developed a traveling spirit. After growing up in Mahopac New York he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1975 where he spent the next twenty years traveling the world, training, and working in various fields. Rob was stationed in Blytheville Arkansas, Portsmouth New Hampshire, Osan Korea (twice), Homestead Florida, Albuquerque New Mexico, and Little Rock Arkansas. Rob has been everything from a Military Policeman to a Mortician’s Apprentice and has mastered other jobs such as Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technician, Industrial Foreman, First-Line Supervisor and Manager, Training Director, Teacher, Counselor, Safety Officer, and Liquid Oxygen Production Foreman.
As a teacher, Rob instructed in a wide variety of areas to include Safety, Security, Hazardous Communications, Troubleshooting, Electrical, Refrigeration, Heating, and Supervisory skills. He has taught in the U.S. Air Force, for the State of New Hampshire, Pulaski Technical College, and Southeast Arkansas College. Rob was the Associate Vice President of Workforce Development, Technical Education, and Adult Education at Southeast Arkansas College prior to accepting the position of President and CEO of Manhattan Area Technical College in November 2004. He holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Air Conditioning and Heating, a Bachelor’s degree in Vocational Education, a Master’s degree in Counseling and, a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration.
Rob’s wife Brenda is a retired College Professor who is now the Campus Dean for Cloud County Community College’s Geary County campus in Junction City. Rob and Brenda have one son, Robert II of Manhattan and a daughter, Caitlan Scruggs of Junction City.