David Campbell is coming home, in a manner of speaking.
On Tuesday, East Mississippi Community College announced Campbell has been hired as executive director for the Communiversity and the school’s workforce training programs.
Campbell, 62, comes to the Communiversity from Orange Park, Florida, where he served the past two years as vice president for Workforce Development and Career-Technical Education at St. Johns River State College. But he’s spent most of his almost 30-year career in workforce development at Mississippi community colleges, including Northwest Mississippi CC in his native Senatobia and Hinds Community College in Pearl.
His familiarity with the state’s community college system and years of experience in workforce development made Campbell a natural fit for EMCC as it looked for someone to lead its workforce development programs, EMCC President Scott Alsobrooks said in a press release announcing Campbell’s hiring.
“Dr. Campbell possesses a wealth of experience in workforce training at the community college level and understands that partnerships with our stakeholders are vital to ensuring the success of our programs, our students and the communities we serve,” Alsobrooks said.
Campbell, who will assume the position April 4, will provide strategic direction over the Communiversity on Highway 82 in Lowndes County. He also will collaborate with business and industry leaders, economic development agencies and policy makers to ensure that the college’s workforce training meets the needs of area employers while providing students industry-relevant training in fields that are in demand locally. He will also oversee EMCC’s Adult Education Department and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs.
“Workforce development is about helping people help themselves while building a strong community.” Campbell said. “You build strong communities by providing residents the training they need to fill in-demand jobs that pay good wages for economic and family prosperity.”
Campbell said EMCC’s reputation in workforce development made the job particularly appealing.
“I always admired the strong workforce program at EMCC and efforts there to meet the needs of the local community,” Campbell said. “I am excited about the opportunity to build upon the partnerships EMCC has established with business and industry leaders, local and state public officials, the Golden Triangle Development LINK and K-12 stakeholders.”
Campbell replaces Courtney Taylor, who served as Communiversity’s first executive director from 2019 until November 2021, when she left to become deputy director for strategy and programs as the state’s workforce development agency, Accelerate Mississippi.
Campbell has a Ph.D. in Community College Leadership from Mississippi State University and a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Mississippi. Campbell and his wife, Angel, have two sons, Aaron and Andrew, and two grandchildren.
Campbell’s salary at EMCC will be $71,540.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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