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Richmond Community College opens fall semester with a new vice president of instruction and chief academic officer at the helm.

Dr. Anthony Clarke joined the college this month and brings a background in engineering, business, and education to his new role at the college.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, he earned master’s degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Louisville, and earned a doctoral degree from the Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

After serving as an officer in the Army, he chose a career that dealt with improving quality and performance in manufacturing. He has worked with General Mills, Arthur Andersen LLP, and GE Aviation. When he decided to teach on an adjunct basis, he found a new love: education.

“I taught a year at Xavier University before accepting a position as a project director at Gateway Community and Technical College in Kentucky. I worked with employers and educators to define a career pathway for incumbent and dislocated workers as well as high school students who wanted to build a career in advanced manufacturing. I gathered input from employers to align a new manufacturing degree with their needs,” said Clarke.

His next move took him into the classroom and a career that eventually led him into his most recent position as the Dean of Workforce Solutions at Gateway Community and Technical College. He expanded the apprenticeship studies program and partnered with industry to offer programs that met their needs, such as Mechatronics, which incorporates several engineering and manufacturing disciplines.

“I have a varied background to draw from when problem solving and like to develop and improve partnerships that are beneficial to all parties. I was looking for the next challenge and wanted to move to the southeast. RCC has a good mix of college transfer and technical programs that interested me. During my interview, everyone seemed focused on student success, which makes for a great environment to be able to create programs that can change people’s lives. I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, and community to see what we can accomplish here,” said Clarke.

Since RCC has been the fastest growing community college in the state for the past two years, Clarke has a lot of good resources at his disposal.

“Dr. Clarke is joining RCC at an exciting time, and I look forward to the ideas and leadership he will bring to our college,” said RCC President Dr. Dale McInnis.