Contact: Chris
Chesrown
Media Relations Manager
480-731-8503
January 10, 2001
Don Campbell to Head Governing Board for Maricopa Community Colleges
Greater Phoenix – Dr. Donald R. Campbell, long-time educator, community leader and businessman, was elected President of the Maricopa County Community College Governing Board. This is his fourth time as president and he is beginning his 19th year on the board.
The new president follows Gene Eastin who will continue to serve on the five-person board. Nancy Stein of Scottsdale is the new board secretary. Both she and Campbell were elected to the year-long posts at a public meeting of the board on January 9, in Tempe.
Dr. Campbell represents Maricopa County District 5, where he has resided for more than 50 years. (District 5 includes South Phoenix, Guadalupe, Surprise, Avondale, Tolleson, El Mirage, Fort McDowell Indian Community, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community, Tohono O’Odham Indian Community and Gila Bend and Buckeye.)
For 22 years, Dr. Campbell worked in teaching and administration at Arizona State University. After retiring from ASU, he was director of Project Challenge, an education in-residence program for 16 – 18 year old high school dropouts. He has a real estate business and is also a retired lieutenant colonel of the Arizona Air National Guard.
Currently, he serves on the executive committee of the Grand Canyon Council for Boy Scouts and was active in the Scout’s “Learn for Life” committee. He served eight years on the Roosevelt Elementary School governing board and has been a board member of the Phoenix Aviation Advisory Board, Northwest Phoenix YMCA and an officer of the Maricopa County NAACP. He was also on the Arizona Joint Legislative Study Committee on Community Colleges.
According to Campbell, challenges for the Maricopa Community Colleges during the next several years are in growth management. While Maricopa is one of the largest community college districts in the nation and serves over 264,000 students annually, expansion is necessary if the district is going to continue to meet the needs of the exploding population of Maricopa County, Campbell believes.
Population growth for Maricopa County is projected to more than double in the next thirty years. The demographics will change resulting in a larger minority population. Technology has produced a society that wants everything, including the delivery of education, faster or immediately, Campbell believes.
“Maricopa Community Colleges must begin to plan now for staggering growth, changing demographics and technological advancements. We are challenged to be flexible, visionary and think out of the box without sacrificing our commitment to provide quality education to the communities in Maricopa County, “ Campbell said.
His goals for the coming year include assessing the need for expansion as well as the need for additional developmental education to meet changing demographics. In addition, he would like to see recruiting efforts for instructional and personnel staff reflect the rising minority population. Campbell also believes that alternative methods for delivery of instruction should be explored and expanded.
“We must try to anticipate the nature of the changes, what their impact will be and how we as a community college system will adapt and remain consistent with our mission. These are priorities,” said Campbell.
The Maricopa County Community College District is composed of 10 community colleges, several satellite campuses, skill centers and business/industry, technical and customized training institutes. For more information: 480-731-8000 or www.maricopa.edu.
- disclaimer
-
We welcome feedback
March 13, 2002