BENTONVILLE — The organizational chart for Northwest Arkansas Community College's administrative team got a major makeover recently that included promotions, changes in duties, new hires and new positions.
The changes were announced to the college community Sept. 1, and two news releases were issued late Wednesday regarding the many changes.
Steve Gates, the new senior vice president for advancement, said Wednesday that the reorganization occurred in part because of enrollment growth, but also to better streamline services. Many of the new positions have the word "interim" as part of their title, which means the college will re-examine the effectiveness of the positions - both the position itself and the person in the role - within a year.
The state allows the college to create interim positions without getting prior state approval, but once the positions are made permanent, the college must conduct a full search that includes advertising for the position - something that for the most part did not happen with the new interim positions before someone was hired.
One new position stemmed originally from plans to hire a senior director of public relations and communication, but the search to fill that position proved fruitless, according to a memo from President Becky Paneitz to the college staff. About the same time, Chuck Kater, vice president for workforce development, resigned because of family health issues.
"It seemed logical (to) streamline operations by realigning those departments which share an external focus," Paneitz wrote.
The position of interim vice president for external affairs was then crafted. The person in the position will be responsible for workforce development, marketing and public relations. Under that person's supervision, there will be an interim associate vice president for corporate learning, who will be responsible for workforce development programs, business affairs and the Institute for Corporate and Public Safety.
There will also be an interim director of public relations, who will be responsible for planning and implementing public relations support for the media, students and community. The function of public relations had formerly been under Advancement, Gates said, but by moving public relations under External Affairs, the college will free up Advancement staff to work on resource development.
There have also been several changes in the Learning Division, including the creation of the positions of interim associate vice president for global business and computer information studies; associatevice president for academic programs; and interim associate dean of business and computer information.
According to press releases issued by the college, the following changes have been made:
◊Steven Gates has been named senior vice president for Advancement. He will provide strategic leadership for the Advancement Division and, under the president's guidance, will help shape the college's strategic direction and priorities. His title was formerly vice president of Advancement.
◊Wyley Elliott has been named interim vice president for external affairs and will provide strategic leadership for the public relations, marketing and workforce development teams, to include the Institute of Corporate and Public Safety, Skilled Trades, and Contract Sales. As the official spokesman for all media, Elliott will speak publicly on behalf of the college and serve on the president's cabinet. He comes to NWACC after a career in the banking sector, where he held a variety of positions.
◊John Tuthill has been named vice president for learning/learning support services at NWACC. He will oversee student learning, learning resources, learner services and community education programs. As the college's chief academic officer, he will serve on the president's cabinet. Tuthill was hired in 2007 as associate vice president for Student Learning and wasnamed vice president of Student Learning in 2008.
◊Ricky Tompkins has been named associate vice president for Grants and Institutional Research. He has served at NWACC since June 2006 as director of the Institute of Corporate and Public Safety and most recently as executive director for Grants and Institutional Research. In his new position, Tompkins will be responsible for federal and state agency and private funding relations and procurement, as well as the departments of College at the Crossing in Bella Vista and Institutional Research and Grants.
◊Tim Cornelius has been named interim associate vice president for Global Business and Computer Information Studies and will continue as dean of the Business and Computer Information Division - with additional responsibilities for culinary, hospitality, and career and technical programs and the development of institutes housed in the Shewmaker Center for Global Business Development.
◊Mike Hartman has been named interim associate vice president for Learner Support Services and will provide essential leadership and oversight of all admissions, financial aid, academic advising and all other related functions in support of the vice president for learning /learner support services.
◊Susan Pike has been named interim associate vice president for Corporate Learning and will be responsible for continuing education, skilled trades and apprenticeship programs, contract training, retail and supplier education programs, the Institute for Corporate and Public Safety, as well as Business Affairs. Pike has served at NWACC since May 2006, most recently as director of Continuing Education and Business Affairs.
◊Beau Walker has been named interim director for public relations and will be in charge of implementing a collegewide public relations initiative to promote the college to all stakeholders. He has most recently worked as a communications associate with DCI Group in Washington, D.C., and had previously served as senior legislative assistant to Congressman John Boozman.
◊Todd Kitchen has been named interim dean of Learner Administrative Services and is responsible for the oversight and guidance of alladmissions, student records and financial aid functions for the main campus and local satellite centers. He had been director of admissions at NWACC.
◊Bryan Aguiar has been named interim associate dean of Business and Computer Information and will support the interim associate vice president for Global Business and Computer Studies. His responsibilities include assisting the transition to the Center for Global Business Development, curriculum development and program implementation.
◊Teresa Whitmire has been named executive director for business development after serving at NWACC since January 2008 as director of Corporate Learning (Fayetteville) and Business Development. Whitmire's new responsibilities are to oversee business development through contract training, continuing education and the Global Corporate College.
Area, Pages 3 on 09/20/2009