New CEOs
Olivier Charles will serve as president of Bishop State Community College in Alabama, effective August 1. He is currently vice chancellor for student success with the Alabama Community College System (ACCS), a position he has held since June 2021.
“Olivier is a leader who can be integral in building relationships and solidifying workforce training infrastructure. He has succeeded in that role at the Alabama Community College System, and will bring that success to Bishop State,” ACCS Chancellor Jimmy Baker said in a statement.
Charles has served in higher education leadership for more than a decade, including positions as director of admissions and enrollment management at the University of West Alabama (UWA) and director of admissions and recruitment at Auburn University at Montgomery. Prior to ACCS, where he also served as an associate vice chancellor for nearly two years, Charles was dean of students at Enterprise State Community College. He started his career in higher education as an admissions counselor at UWA in 2009.
Jimmy Hodges is now permanent president at Calhoun Community College in Alabama. He had served as interim CEO since June 2021. Hodges previously was a regional workforce director for the Alabama Community College System (ACCS), and prior to that he was dean of applied technologies at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville.
“Madison, Morgan and Limestone counties are exploding in economic development, which means the residents and businesses there need to know now more than ever that a dynamic leader like Jimmy is at Calhoun Community College to ensure accessible, affordable and flexible education is right there to meet the needs of the community,” ACCS Chancellor Jimmy Baker said in a release.
Hodges has 40 years of experience in higher education administration, manufacturing, and drafting and design technology. He began his career as a machinist and served in various manufacturing industry roles for about 20 years. In 2000, he became a drafting instructor at the Earnest Pruett Center of Technology before joining Wallace State as its drafting department chairman and instructor.
Appointments
Jo Alice Blondin, president of Clark State College (Ohio), will become chair of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) board of trustees, effective September 1. Her tenure runs through August 31, 2024. HLC accredits U.S. colleges and universities. Blondin has served HLC in various capacities since 2005, including peer reviewer, a contributor to the Assessment Academy Design Team, an Institutional Actions Council member, a board trustee, chair of the Committee on Trustees and most recently as vice chair of the HLC board.
Eric Bedingfield, governmental affairs director at Greenville Technical College, has been appointed by Gov. Henry McMaster as chair of the South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund Board, which is charged with disbursement decisions for South Carolina Opioid Settlement Funds. More than $360 million is coming to South Carolina over the next 18 years due to settlements with three of the nation’s top wholesale pharmaceutical drug distributors.
Ellen Flowers-Fields, associate vice president of continuing education and workforce development at the College of Southern Maryland, has been re-appointed by Gov. Larry Hogan to the state’s Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), which serves as Maryland’s economic engine for technology companies. Flowers-Field was first appointed to TEDCO in May 2021. Her reappointment is for a four-year term.
Anna Graham has joined the Pellissippi State Foundation (Tennessee) as director of annual giving and scholarships. She previously was a college and career counselor at a local high school.
Annemarie Hamlin is now vice president of academic affairs at Central Oregon Community College. Since joining the college in 2007, Hamlin has served as a faculty member for 18 years, department chair from 2015 to 2019, and most recently was its instructional dean.
Lori Hunt is the new provost at Community Colleges of Spokane in Washington. She has worked at the college for nearly a decade, most recently as dean of student success.
Michael Webster, associate vice chancellor of workforce instruction at Houston Community College, has been appointed to the state’s Industry-Based Certification Advisory Council by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. The council advises the Texas Workforce Commission regarding the alignment of public high school career and technology education programs with current and future workforce needs in communities, regions and the state.
Kudos
Kurt Ewen, vice chancellor of strategic planning and institutional effectiveness, and chief of staff at Houston Community College (HCC), will receive the prestigious Carl M. “Cheesie” Nelson Award from the Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC). The award honors the importance of administrative leadership at Texas community colleges by recognizing a vice president or dean who has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities. TACC noted that since Ewen joined HCC in 2017, he has worked to build out and implement a strategic vision for the college centered on community engagement and student success.
