At its regular board meeting on Wednesday, May 8, the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees appointed Goodrich ‘Dus’ Rodgers as chairperson and Valerie Gray as Vice Chair.
Rogers, who serves the board’s District 5, is a retired Colonel of the Army National Guard and Army Reserves and works for the Farmers Telecommunications Cooperative in Rainsville as Executive Vice President, Customer Support and Business Development. He has had a career in public service and worked 16 years for the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service and 15 years in Economic Development with the Jackson County Economic Development Authority.
Gray, who serves the board’s District 3, serves as the board’s first female vice chairperson. She is a lifelong resident of Chambers County and retired as the Executive Director of the Chambers County Development Authority where she was employed for more than 22 years.
The Board is the governing body of the ACCS, created by the Alabama Legislature in Act No. 2015-125 to create a “unified system of community colleges and programs to deliver excellence in academic education, adult education and workforce development” to meet the needs of citizens, businesses and industries. Board trustees are business leaders who know the day-to-day experience and challenges of running businesses, including the challenges of recruiting and training a skilled workforce.
The Board of Trustees is comprised of the state Governor, seven members appointed by the governor, one state-at-large member and one ex officio, nonvoting member appointed by the governor and serving on the State Board of Education. The governor serves as President of the Board.
In addition to Ivey, Rogers and Gray, the ACCS Board of Trustees include: J.E.B Shell, District 1; John Mitchell, District 2; Britton Lightsey, District 4; Ron Houston, District 6; Llevelyn Rhone, past chairperson; District 7; Tim McCartney, Member-at-Large; and Dr. Yvette Richardson, Ex-Officio Member.
For additional information on the ACCS Board of Trustees, including member bios, please visit: https://www.accs.edu/about-accs/board-of-trustees/.
About ACCS
Alabama’s community and technical colleges were unified as one system May 3, 1963, when legislators laid the groundwork for a unified system of institutions to focus on accessible training in “arts and sciences and in useful skills and trades” for current and future labor needs. The important cause remains the singular purpose of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS). With 24 community and technical colleges in more than 130 locations and an economic impact of $6.6 billion, the ACCS is Alabama’s gateway to first-class, affordable education and technical training to compete in a constantly evolving workforce. More than 155,000 Alabamians benefit from the various certification, credential, dual enrollment and degree programs ACCS offers alongside leading industry partners. The System includes the Alabama Technology Network, which provides extensive training and service offerings directly to business and industry. ACCS is governed by the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees.