Photography courtesy of the Alabama Community College System and its colleges
Printed in Canada
Living the Mission
60 Years of a Better Alabama Through the Alabama Community College System
The Alabama Community College System and its colleges celebrated the 60th anniversary of its establishment as a system with Diamond Jubilee activities. A kickoff event was hosted at the state Capitol with multiple speakers and other celebratory events across the state included a golf scramble, campus showcases, scholarship drives, and a gala.
Living the Mission Chancellor’s Message
Landmark legislation signed into law on May 3, 1963, laid the groundwork for what would become the Alabama Community College System (ACCS). Legislators wanted a unified system of institutions to focus on accessible training in “arts and sciences and in useful skills and trades” for current and future labor needs. Sixty years have passed, but that important cause remains the singular purpose of the 24 community and technical colleges that make up the ACCS. This book reflects on how we started, takes a look at where we are, and inspires Alabama for where we are going as we pursue excellence.
Every day, the Alabama Community College System is investing in our workforce of tomorrow. Alabama is our priority, and every investment in ACCS is a long-term investment in our state. More than 96% of the students who attend our colleges live in Alabama and more than 71% who graduate remain in Alabama to work and raise their families. Their lasting contributions to our state are immeasurable.
Every resident in Alabama can benefit in some way from their local community or technical college – whether through academic and skills training or through community projects and events. With more than 130 locations among our campuses, adult education providers and instructional sites, we are uniquely positioned to offer accessible, affordable and flexible educational opportunities anywhere in Alabama.
Alabama’s community and technical colleges add more than $6.6 billion to our economy annually and support one of every 27 jobs in Alabama. We have strengthened our partnerships with Alabama’s businesses and industries to make sure our training programs align with their needs for skilled workers. We are advancing new and transformational programs for rapid training, apprenticeships, student services, and many others that will positively impact our state’s labor force for decades to come.
Our success is our students’ success. More than 170,000 residents receive training through a local community college for industry-backed credentials and certifications and two-year, associate degrees. For students who look toward completing a bachelor’s, we have a structure in place that helps them seamlessly transfer from a community college to four-year public and private universities in the state.
Students as young as high school age can gain college experience through their local community college with dual enrollment, saving them time and money. Adult Learners interested in GED and workforce credentials, degrees and transfer opportunities have many programs and options to choose from at their local community colleges. Sustainable success for Alabama’s workforce requires a deliberate investment in that workforce -- our neighbors, colleagues, and children. Nothing that Alabama’s community colleges do is meant for short-term impact; the long-term benefit is always the focus.
There is always more to the story, and more work to do. I believe there can be a day where every resident is clear on the excellent opportunities that await them at a community college in their region of the state.
We extend our deepest gratitude to legislators, businesses and communities for the unwavering support and dedication that propel our institutions forward, far beyond the initial perceptions of a mere two-year, junior college system.
We invite all of Alabama to dream, to know that any opportunity taken with the community college system is one that can help residents achieve their best success.
Jimmy H. Baker Chancellor Alabama Community College System
Throughout its history, the Alabama Community College System has adapted and evolved to meet the needs of its respective communities, successfully serving students for 60+ years. Stretching from Calhoun Community College in Huntsville and Decatur to Bishop State Community College in Mobile and from Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa to Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, and everywhere in between, Alabama’s community colleges impact the entire state.
Central Alabama Community College
Drake State Community & Technical College
Marion Military Institute
Northwest Shoals Community College
The History of the Alabama Community College System
As the needs of the state of Alabama have evolved, so too, have the initiatives of the two-year college system. The system’s 24 community and technical colleges make academic education and workforce training accessible, affordable and responsive to the unique and cultural needs within each of Alabama’s communities. Twelve Chancellors have led the entity since its formal creation, and more than 200 individuals have served as presidents of the state’s community and technical colleges.
• The Alabama School of Trades opened in Gadsden on September 14, 1925. Thirty-five students enrolled in four courses: printing, electricity, brick-laying and cabinetmaking. 1925
1947
• On October 9, 1947, the Alabama Legislature passed the Regional Vocational and Trade Shop Act No. 673, which approved the creation of five regional trade schools in the following cities: Birmingham, Decatur, Dothan, Mobile and Tuscaloosa.
1958
• The Committee on Higher Education of the Alabama Education Commission recommended a system of junior colleges in Alabama.
1960
• Additional technical colleges were established in Gadsden, Mobile, Montgomery and Ozark as more areas responded to increased demands for skills training.
1960
1963
1969
• The Division of Research and Higher Education, which includes the twoyear system, appoints State Department of Education administrator Rudolph Davidson as the inaugural leader.
• Davidson resigns in the same year, and Frank Speed is selected as the new director. Speed’s appointment becomes permanent in 1970.
1976
• Speed is succeeded by Dr. T.L. Faulkner
• Alabama’s state superintendent appoints Dr. Joe Miller to lead the new Division of Post Secondary Education.
• Dr. William Osborn serves as director of the Division of Postsecondary Education.
• Later in the year, the two-year colleges, which also included Athens State and the Alabama Industrial Development Training Institute, are guided by Assistant State Superintendent for Postsecondary Services Erskine Miller and later under Dr. George Layton.
1970
• A record appropriation for education and a special tax providing for a network of technical schools were approved May 3, 1963 (Act Nos. 92, 93 and 94). Act No. 92 provided for a $15 million bond for construction, Act. No. 93 established the Alabama Trade School and Junior College Authority, and Act. No. 94 granted management of junior colleges and trade schools to the State Board of Education. On October 3, 1963, Northwest-Shoals was brought under the control of the State Board of Education, making it the first public state junior college in operation.
1982
1980
• The Alabama Legislature approves a bill creating the Department of Postsecondary Education as a separate agency of the State Board of Education, providing authority to appoint a chancellor.
• Dr. Howard Gundy is named the first two-year chancellor on July 2, 1982. He served until Oct. 20, 1983, resulting in the establishment of department operational procedures and relocation to the department’s first facility separate from the State Department of Education.
1983
• Vice Chancellor Lyle Darrow leads the charge for two months after Gundy’s retirement. Dr. Charles Payne is appointed chancellor on Dec. 1, 1983, organizing the department into functional divisions and establishing a department manual policy.
The History of the Alabama Community College System
1988
2006
• Dr. Fred Gainous is named chancellor on March 12, 1988. His 14-year tenure is still the longest-serving chancellor throughout the system’s history. Dr. Gainous is credited with reducing the number of lower division two-year colleges, addressing racial issues within the system, focusing on the delivery of quality educational services and for his continuing emphasis on access to postsecondary education. He also led the transition from “quarters” to “semesters.”
• Gadsden State President Dr. Renee Culverhouse is named acting chancellor in July, and Dr. Thomas Corts is named interim chancellor in August.
2002
• Dr. Gainous resigns to become president at Florida A&M University, and Dr. Roy Johnson is appointed chancellor on July 1, 2002.
2007
• A former member of the State Board of Education, Bradley Byrne, is appointed chancellor in May. Byrne’s brief tenure with the ACCS is marked with new, systemwide dedication to ethics, trans parency, accountability and a clear focus on the mission of providing academics, adult education and work force training to Alabamians.
2009
2015
• After Byrne’s resignation, Joan Davis, the Vice Chancellor and General Counsel, is named ACCS Interim Chancellor, voted on by the Alabama State Board of Education.
• Later in the year, Dr. Freida Hill is a unanimous selection by the State Board of Education to become the first female to serve as permanent chancellor of the ACCS.
• The Alabama Legislature approves a bill establishing an independent Board of Trustees to oversee the Alabama Community College System to “create a unified system of institutions and programs delivering excellence in academic education, adult education and workforce development.” The Board of Trustees is comprised of the state Governor, seven members appointed by the governor, one state-at-large member and one ex officio, nonvoting member appointed by the governor and serving on the State Board of Education.
2010
2012
• Dr. Hill resigns on March 7. Vice Chancellor of Instructional and Student Services, Susan Yvette Price, is named interim chancellor on the same day.
• Shelton State President Dr. Mark Heinrich is unanimously named the new ACCS Chancellor in September.
2017
• On March 15, upon Dr. Heinrich’s retirement, Jimmy H. Baker becomes the first ACCS Chancellor appointed by the newly established ACCS Board of Trustees after having served as Acting Chancellor since August 2016.
2023
• The Alabama Community College System and its colleges celebrated the 60th anniversary of its establishment as a system with Diamond Jubilee activities. A kickoff event was hosted at the state Capitol with multiple speakers and other celebratory events across the state included a golf scramble, campus showcases, scholarship drives, and a gala.
Systemwide Achievements in the Last Decade
Board of Trustees
While the history of Alabama’s two-year college system is rich and storied, no change has been more impactful and as far-reaching as the 2015 creation of the ACCS Board of Trustees. Act. No. 2015-125 established an independent Board of Trustees to oversee the Alabama Community College System to “create
OneACCS
In 2018, the ACCS Board of Trustees approved a five-year contract with Ellucian, a leading national higher education software and services provider, to implement a single enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution – Banner – across the entire community college system. This implementation, known as OneACCS, signified a systemic change within the ACCS to provide significant, strategic improvements
a unified system of institution and programs delivering excellence in academic education, adult education, and workforce development.” The Board of Trustees is comprised of the state Governor, seven members appointed by the governor, one state-at-large member and one ex officio, nonvoting member appointed
by the governor and serving on the State Board of Education. Each of the Trustees has experience across business and industry, evoking an era of productivity and efficiency in the Alabama Community College System like never before.
in the delivery and data collection of high quality, affordable, and local education and training to every Alabama resident.
OneACCS streamlines processes and information by integrating areas within each college and the entire community college system, including finance, human resources, purchasing, course directories, data collection, and other services.
In addition, all community college students now have unprecedented, mobile-friendly access to information, whether it is related to registration, financial aid, grades, or even progress towards degrees or certifications. OneACCS is an excellent foundation for student success.
Systemwide Achievements in the Last Decade
ACCS Innovation Center
The ACCS Innovation Center launched in 2022. In less than two years, more than 10,000 residents have registered to train for industryrecognized credentials through the ACCS Innovation Center’s no-cost Skills for Success program.
Dual Enrollment
Alabama families no longer need to worry about the expense of beginning college if their student begins that journey in high school through dual enrollment at one of Alabama’s community and technical colleges. Dual enrollment allows students to earn both high school and college credit at the same time. The number of students enrolled in dual enrollment increased 65% since legislative funding for dual
Residents who enroll take the theory portion of the classes online and then demonstrate their skills through a hands-on lab portion through a local community college. Current classes include training in construction, trucking, hospitality,
fiber optics, hotel operations, and healthcare. Skills for Success courses qualify as college and career readiness indicators (CRIs), which have been added as a high school graduation requirement in Alabama.
enrollment scholarships begin in FY2014-2015. Dual enrollment is available to both public and private high school students the summer of their ninth-grade year. Scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, materials, and supplies. Currently, more than 29,600 students in Alabama are served through dual enrollment programs at Alabama’s community and technical colleges.
Systemwide Achievements in the Last Decade
Athletics
More than 30 athletic programs have either been created or revived during the Board’s tenure. The programs bring the number of teams participating with the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) to 144, representing more than 2,500 student athletes.
Fiscal Responsibility
Financial information must be timely and accurate to be relevant in the oversight process. The transition to OneACCS, the system’s single ERP, greatly enhanced the System’s ability to implement a unified accounting system, which has enhanced the ability to make prudent and swift decisions to modify business practices that are no longer beneficial to fulfilling our mission towards student and community services.
Timely reporting and efficient use of college resources are critical to success. Building upon the success of OneACCS, the Board of Trustees
Sports within the ACCC include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, volleyball and esports. The continued effort to add programs gives the ACCC a greater presence in the state and NJCAA. ACCC colleges have won NJCAA
Division I national championships in baseball, men’s golf and softball and Division II national championships in cross country and men’s and women’s tennis. Final Four appearances have been made in women’s basketball, and ACCC athletes have ultimately competed as Olympians, in the NFL and in MLB, including producing World Series champions.
made the decision to entrust Certified Public Accounting firms with the annual audits of financial statements, ensuring compliance with federal reporting requirements. These collective efforts, led and supported by the ACCS Board of Trustees and the Chancellor, have equipped each college with the necessary tools to better address the unique needs of their respective communities through timely data and a stronger support network. The Board’s decision to move to the single ERP enhanced standardized accounting practices and established a common chart of accounts for the entire system.
With perfect audits for the last several years, Alabama’s community and technical colleges now have great consistency and comparability. These synchronized services contribute greatly to compliance and audit readiness along with numerous other benefits that contribute to the system’s overall financial stability, including consistency, efficiency, collaboration, transparency, decisionmaking support, and compliance.
Systemwide Achievements in the Last Decade
Shared Services
In addition to a unified accounting effort, the ACCS has implemented a shared financial services model for the state’s community colleges that will improve the efficiency, accuracy and quality of financial operations. More than 20 community colleges are currently using the shared services model within the financial operations of the colleges. To date,
Security
The ACCS Board of Trustees has made the safety and security of faculty, staff, and students at Alabama’s community colleges and the System Office a priority. While security efforts were ongoing at each ACCS college, efforts to enhance and expand safety initiatives from a statewide level were bolstered by the Board of Trustees. With Policy 501.01, the Board set into place a standard structure and minimum requirements for each college’s emergency operations plans (EOPs), drills, exercises, and training, and established an audit schedule that includes each college going through an EOP audit and approval once every two years.
these models have worked very well and have resulted in improved financial management as well as savings for each college that can be put back into the classroom instead of into administrative costs.
Each college will remain a separate institution working to meet the needs of its community while still
The ACCS required that each college provide or establish a behavioral threat assessment program to identify potential at risk-individuals. The threat assessments have identified behaviors ranging from those with potential for targeted violence, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, mental illness, terrorism, and substance abuse. Each college has referral capabilities to assist these at-risk individuals. A Systemwide Investigative Support Center was also launched to support colleges with threat assessments. The center provides investigatory assistance, which included social media and other open-source internet material, when conducting threat assessments.
being able to benefit from this shared model for financial services. This is critically important as sound financial management is a core foundational standard by which our accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), determines our colleges’ accreditation standing.
Systemwide Achievements in the Last Decade
Police Departments and Training
Prior to 2017, a majority of security at Alabama’s community colleges was handled by private security firms whose law enforcers were not certified through the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training (APOST) Academy. Now, in an effort that started three years ago, the Alabama Community College
System has launched departments on every campus except Ingram State. The ACCS provides additional training to local police departments through collaboration with multiple state and federal agencies. In addition, the ACCS adopted new background investigation policy for hiring new police officers. In
addition, the ACCS adopted a new background policy for hiring new police officers, as established by state law, requiring each candidate to successfully complete a mental health evaluation, polygraph examination and drug test.
State
bottom:
serve its communities, including the Alabama Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils (RC&D).
top: Nine colleges within the Alabama Community College system are led by female presidents, including, from left, Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics, Chattahoochee Valley Community College President Jackie Screws, Trenholm State President Dr. Kemba Chambers, Ingram State President Annette Funderburk, Wallace Community College-Dothan President Dr. Linda Young, Lawson
President Dr. Cynthia Anthony, Reid State Technical College President Dr. Coretta Boykin, Drake State President Dr. Patricia Sims and Gadsden State President Dr. Kathy Murphy.
The Alabama Community College System consistently partners with other state agencies to help better
Statewide Achievements in Athletics
The Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) is a 501(c)(3) collegiate athletic conference and a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and Region XXII. The participating member colleges comprise 144 individual teams, providing opportunities for more than 2,500 student-athletes.
Sports that make up the ACCC are baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, volleyball, and esports.
ACCC colleges have won NJCAA Division I national championships in baseball, men’s golf and softball and Division II national championships in cross country, men’s golf and men’s and women’s tennis. Final Four appearances have been made in women’s basketball, and ACCC athletes have ultimately competed as Olympians, in the NFL and in MLB, including producing World Series champions.
1981
Chattahoochee Valley State Junior College’s men’s golf team won the first national championship for Alabama’s two-year system.
1990
Central Alabama Community College men’s golf team wins its first NJCAA golf national championship.
1995
Wallace State Community College (Hanceville) men’s and women’s tennis teams sweep the NJCAA Division II National Championship, earning the first national titles for the college.
1996
Central Alabama golf wins its second national championship, and Wallace State’s men’s tennis wins its second national championship.
1997
Wallace State’s Track and Field team wins the NJCAA Division II national championship and Central Alabama’s men’s golf wins its third title.
1999
Shelton State Community College’s men’s golf team wins the NJCAA Division I National Championship – the first for any program in the college’s history.
Central Alabama’s golf wins its fourth national title and Wallace State’s women’s tennis brings a second national championship back to Hanceville.
2000
Central Alabama’s men’s golf wins its second consecutive national title and fifth overall.
2001
Central Alabama’s men’s golf completes a three-peat, capturing a national championship for the third year in a row.
2018 • Shelton State’s women’s basketball team advances to the NJCAA Division I Final Four for the third straight season, finishing third nationally 2019 • Under Hall of Fame coach Dave Jennings, Central Alabama men’s golf wins its eighth national title.
2002
Shelton State men’s golf wins its second national championship in four seasons.
2003
Faulkner State (now Coastal Alabama Community College) wins the men’s golf NJCAA Division I National Championship – the first for any sport in college history.
2006
Shelton State’s women’s basketball makes its first appearance at the NJCAA Division I Basketball Championship. The Lady Bucs have appeared at least 16 times since.
2008
Wallace State softball wins the first national championship for junior college softball in Alabama, capturing the NJCAA Division I title in Plant City, Florida.
2013
Wallace State softball wins its second NJCAA Division I National Championship, earning the title in St. George, Utah.
Central Alabama baseball and golf teams both win NJCAA Division I national championships. CACC baseball wins the first NJCAA World Series title for a junior college program in the state. Meanwhile, CACC golf wins its seventh overall.
2018
Shelton State’s women’s basketball team advances to the NJCAA Division I Final Four for the third straight season, finishing third nationally.
2019
Under Hall of Fame coach Dave Jennings, Central Alabama men’s golf wins its eighth national title.
2023
Making its 20th all-time NJCAA Volleyball Division I volleyball national championship appearance, Wallace State volleyball won a program-best three matches.
Statewide Achievements in Athletics
Other notes
In men’s golf, Central Alabama, Faulkner State (now Coastal Alabama), Shelton State and Wallace State have each had golfers to win individual national championships.
NJCAA Hall of Fame Coaches
• Bevill State men’s basketball coach Glen Clem
• Central Alabama men’s golf coach Dave Jennings
• Faulkner State men’s basketball coach Jack Robertson
• Shelton State baseball coach Bobby Sprowl
• Wallace State baseball coach Randy Putman
• Wallace State men’s golf coach Dan York
Alums
• Jessie Tompkins – Bishop State - former nationally ranked track and field athlete and advocate
• John D. Douglas – Calhoun - basketball coach who played in the NBA
• Jorge Posada – Calhoun – retired New York Yankees catcher, winning four World Series titles and making five All-Star teams
• Gary Redus – Calhoun – retired MLB player for five MLB teams. Stole 322 bases in a 13-year career
• Tim Hudson – Chattahoochee Valley – former star pitcher who won 222 MLB games, including 113 with the Braves. Won World Series with the Giants in 2014.
• Carl Pettersson – Central Alabama – 5-time PGA Tour winner
• Turner Ward – Coastal Alabama – former MLB player and hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals
• Mike Anderson – Jefferson State – longtime NCAA basketball coach
• Cooper Criswell – Southern Union – MLB pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, previously pitching for the Los Angeles Angels and Tampa Bay Rays
• Mackey Sasser – Wallace Community College Dothan – longtime baseball coach for the Governors and former catcher for the New York Mets
• Derek Holland – Wallace State – 13-year career in MLB, including pitching for the Texas Rangers in the 2010 & 2011 World Series
• Craig Kimbrel – Wallace State – future Hall of Fame baseball closer for the Baltimore Orioles. He’s a 9-time All-Star, World Series champion with the 2018 Boston Red Sox and the Atlanta Braves all-time saves leader
• Ricardo Lockette – Wallace State – track and field runner for the Lions, who won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks
BEVILL
Fast Facts
STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Joel Hagood
Main Campuses: Fayette, Hamilton, Jasper, and Sumiton
Additional site: Pickens County Educational Center in Carrollton, Sumiton
Alabama counties in service area: Fayette, Marion, North Jefferson, Lamar, North Tuscaloosa, Pickens, Walker and Winston
Mascot: Bear (Grizz Lee Bear)
BISHOP STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Olivier Charles
Main Campus: Mobile
Additional Sites: Carver Campus, Southwest Campus, two truck driving sites (Mobile and Jackson)
Alabama Counties in Service Area: Mobile and Washington
Mascot: Wildcat
CALHOUN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Jimmy Hodges
Main Campus: Decatur (Tanner address)
Additional sites: Huntsville – located in Cummings Research Park – the only community college in the nation to be located in a major research park
Alabama counties in service area: Lawrence, Limestone, Marshall, Madison, and Morgan
Alabama counties in service area: Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Escambia, Mobile, Monroe
Mascot: Coyote
DRAKE STATE COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE
President: Dr. Patricia Sims
Main Campus: Huntsville
Additional sites: Cochran Center
Alabama counties in service area: Jackson, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, and Morgan
ENTERPRISE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Daniel Long
Main Campus: Enterprise
Additional sites: Andalusia, Ozark
Alabama counties in service area: Coffee, Dale, Geneva, Pike
Mascot: Boll Weevil
GADSDEN STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Kathy Murphy
Campuses: Anniston, Centre, Gadsden
Alabama counties in service area: Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah and St. Clair
Mascot: Cardinal
INGRAM STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE
President: Annette Funderburk
Main Campus: Deatsville
Instructional Service Centers: Alabama Therapeutic Educational Facility (Columbiana), Bibb (Brent), Donaldson (Bessemer), Draper (Elmore), Easterling (Clio), Fountain (Atmore), Limestone (Harvest), St. Clair (Springville), Thomasville Regional Day Reporting Center (Thomasville), Tutwiler (Wetumpka), Ventress (Clayton)
Adult Education Services: Alexander City Community-Based Facility (Alexander City), Baldwin Day Reporting Center Lite (Bay Minette), Birmingham Community-Based Facility (Birmingham), Birmingham Day Reporting Center (Birmingham), Bullock (Union Springs), Childersburg Community-Based Facility (Alpine), Elmore Correctional Facility (Elmore), Fort Payne Day Reporting Center Lite (Fort Payne), Huntsville Day Reporting Center (Huntsville), Jasper Day Reporting Center Lite (Jasper), Kilby Correctional Facility (Montgomery), Loxley Community-Based Facility (Loxley), Mobile Community-Based Facility (Eight Mile) Mobile Day Reporting Center (Mobile), Montgomery Day Reporting Center (Montgomery), Montgomery Women’s Facility (Montgomery), North Alabama Community-Based Facility (Decatur), Opelika Day Reporting Center (Opelika), Perry County PREP Center (Uniontown), Red Eagle Community Work Center (Montgomery), Sand Mountain Day Reporting Center Lite (Albertville)
Alabama counties in service area: Chilton, Jefferson, Shelby and St. Clair
Mascot: Pioneer
LAWSON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Cynthia Anthony
Main Campus: Birmingham
Additional sites: Bessemer
Alabama counties in service area: Jefferson and Shelby
Mascot: Cougars
LURLEEN B. WALLACE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Brock Kelley, 2007 LBW alumnus
Main Campus: Andalusia
Additional sites: Greenville, Luverne, Opp
Alabama counties in service area: Butler, Covington, Crenshaw, Coffee, Geneva
Florida counties served: Holmes, Jackson, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Washington
Mascot: LBW - - Home of The Saints. The College’s first-ever mascot, introduced in 2022 following a rebranding, is a Saint Bernard named Blue.
MARION MILITARY INSTITUTE
Main Campus: Marion
President: COL David J. Mollahan, USMC (Ret)
Top programs by enrollment: General Studies
NORTHEAST ALABAMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. David Campbell
Main Campus: Rainsville
Additional sites: Scottsboro
Alabama counties in service area: DeKalb and Jackson
Mascot: Mustang
NORTHWEST SHOALS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Jeff Goodwin
Campuses: Shoals & Phil Campbell
Alabama counties in service area: Colbert, Franklin, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Winston
Mascot: Patriot
REID STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE
President: Dr. Coretta Boykin
Main Campus: Evergreen
Alabama counties in service area: Butler, Conecuh, Covington, Escambia, Monroe, Wilcox
Mascot: Lion
SNEAD STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Joe Whitmore
Main Campus: Boaz
Additional sites: Albertville, Arab, Birmingham, Guntersville
Alabama counties in service area: Blount, DeKalb, Etowah, Marshall
Mascot: Parson
SHELTON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Jonathan Koh
Main Campus: Tuscaloosa- Evelyn Martin Campus
Additional sites: C.A. Fredd Campus and additional sites with community and K-12 partners
Alabama counties in service area: Bibb, Hale, Pickens, Tuscaloosa
Mascot: Buccaneer
SOUTHERN UNION STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Todd Shackett
Main Campus: Wadley
Additional sites: Opelika and Valley
Alabama counties in service area: Chambers, Clay, Lee, Macon, Randolph and Tallapoosa
Mascot: Bison
TRENHOLM STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Kemba Chambers
Main Campus: Montgomery
Additional sites: Separate campus in Montgomery
Alabama counties in service area: Bullock, Elmore, Lowndes, Macon, Montgomery
Mascot: Titan
WALLACE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE – DOTHAN
President: Dr. Linda Young
Main Campus: Dothan
Additional sites: Eufaula
Alabama counties in service area: Barbour, Bullock, Dale, Henry, Houston, Geneva, Russell
Mascot: Governor
WALLACE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – HANCEVILLE
President: Dr. Vicki Karolewics
Main Campus: Hanceville
Additional sites: Oneonta
Alabama counties in service area: Blount, Cullman, Marshall, Morgan, Winston
Mascot: Lion
GEORGE CORLEY WALLACE COMMUNITY COLLEGE– SELMA
President: Dr. James M. Mitchell
Main Campus: Selma
Additional sites: Demopolis, Gallion
Alabama counties in service area: Dallas, Lowndes, Perry, Sumpter, Greene, Marengo, Hale
Mascot: Patriot
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Alabama Community College System is sincerely grateful to all employees, community partners and stakeholders across Alabama who invested time, resources and support during the system’s historical 60th anniversary celebration, the Diamond Jubilee, in 2023.
The development of this historical book commemorating the state’s two-year colleges and highlighting innovation for the colleges’ future was initiated by David Walters, Chairman of the Diamond Jubilee and Vice Chancellor of Adult Education, Special Projects, & System Initiatives. Special thanks go to the following for the editing and organization of the book:
Ebony Horton Bradley, Ty Cowan, and Russell Moore of the Alabama Community College System; ACCS Presidents; Chancellor Jimmy H. Baker; Senior Vice Chancellor Susan Y. Price; and media and public relations practitioners across the ACCS, including Geri Albright, Ashleigh Aldridge, Sherika Attipoe, Taylor Beck, Victoria Belton, Betsy Bishop, David Bobo, Shondae Brown, Tana Collins, Gail Crutchfield, Sara Davis, Jackie Edmondson, Cassie Gibbs, Scott Hardy, Kristen Holmes, Marietta Holmes, Maggie Mash, Johnny Moss, Meg Nippers, Daniel Owen, Trent Randolph, Mary Ray, Samantha Rose, Courtney Steele, Wes Torain, Shelley Smith, and Taylor Wheeler.
