Charles "Bill" Kenny

When it comes to understanding distance education Bill Kenny knows the subject well — from both sides.|

A Thomas Edison State College mentor for four years, Kenny earned his degree as a nontraditional student and wanted to share his experience with other adult learners.

“I especially like what Thomas Edison State College has to offer because, as a retired career Air Force officer, I can relate to what the distance learning students are facing, especially those in the armed forces,” he said. “I have been there!”

Kenny has taught in higher education for more than 25 years. He started teaching as a full-time instructor in the U.S. Air Force Professional Military Education program in 1979 and as adjunct instructor in traditional course work in 1980. His current job as an international business consultant takes him all over the world, so he needed to find a way to keep teaching while traveling.

“It’s not unusual for me to be signing on from the Czech Republic or South Korea,” said Kenny. “I also split my time between homes in Florida and Maine so online mentoring fits my life-style perfectly.”

In addition to his work at Thomas Edison State College, Kenny teaches online courses to military students who are enrolled through the eArmyU and Navy College programs. He also teaches online courses in business and technology, and critical thinking for DeVry University, Southern New Hampshire University and at its Brunswick Maine Center as a professor of leadership studies in its graduate program.

Kenny tells students considering taking an online class to think about which type of learning may be better for them.

“Online learning is not easier than traditional, face-to-face classes, but it is more convenient,” he said. “I find that you have much more diversity represented in online classes, especially in my classes in international economics and business ethics.

Kenny earned his AAS in personnel from the Community College of the Air Force; his baccalaureate degree in management from Western New England College in Springfield, Mass., and a Master’s of Public Administration in urban management from University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla.  He lives in Freeport, Me., and Ocala, Fla., with his wife of nearly 40 years, Kathy. They have one adult son, Tim.