Change is scary and exciting for all concerned.
Suddenly, the ground has shifted at both SEARK and UAPB.
SEARK President Steven Bloomberg has taken a job at a college in the Bakersfield, Calif., area, and now Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander, head of UAPB for 11 years, has been named the new chancellor at the University of Michigan at Flint.
Under Bloomberg, who had been in place for six years, the college leaned into creating a sports environment.
Under Alexander, UAPB has moved the needle to increase enrollment, retention and graduation rates. He now heads to Flint where he will need all the arrows in his quill to make the same kinds of improvements there that he made in Pine Bluff.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Those wishing Alexander farewell said they appreciated not only the tenacity he brought to his day job but also his leadership and involvement in many other facets of Pine Bluff life. Mayor Shirley Washington recalled Alexander helping out one day as food was gathered and handed out to those in need. As she put it, he was everywhere.
His replacement will take some time as an interim will be named and then a search committee will start work.
SEARK, operated by a local board that is able to move quickly, has already hired Bloomberg’s replacement: He is Tyrone Jackson who starts work on July 1.
Jackson has been the president of Mississippi Delta Community College, in Moorhead, for five years and has three decades of education experience.
“I am honored to be named as the next president of Southeast Arkansas College,” Jackson said in a news release. “I thank the Board of Trustees for their confidence in me to serve as SEARK’s new leader. I am committed to collaborating with internal and external stakeholders with the ultimate goal of promoting student success. I am excited and look forward to arriving on campus in July.”
“With Dr. Jackson’s 30 years in education and extensive experience in community college leadership and accreditation, the board of trustees is confident in the future success of Southeast Arkansas College,” SEARK board chair Rebecca Pittillo said. “He fully understands the importance of working with key stakeholders to accomplish the college mission of building a community of lifelong learners committed to becoming the leaders of tomorrow.”
Good luck and best wishes to those leaving and those coming — especially to those coming. The success of both institutions is crucial to the successful arc of Pine Bluff and southeast Arkansas. At a time when the city and region are losing population, it is imperative that students find solid educational offerings here where they can eventually find gainful employment. The people in charge of these institutions stand alone, but they are hardly alone in their efforts. We are all rooting for you.