Tennessee Board of Regents

1415 Murfreesboro Road, Suite 350

Nashville, TN 37217

Phone (615) 366-4400  Fax (615) 366-4464

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT: Mary Morgan

615.366.4414

Board Approves Janet Smith as New President of Columbia State Community College

Nashville, Tennessee, November 30, 2007—The Tennessee Board of Regents today unanimously approved Janet F. Smith as the new president of Columbia State Community College. She will take over the presidency February 18, 2008; the current president, Rebecca Hawkins, will defer her retirement until that date. Smith has been president of Rich Mountain Community College in Mena, Arkansas since July 2000. TBR Vice-Chair Bob Thomas said, “Dr. Smith has excellent experience and has been a sitting president, so I am confident she will get up to speed quickly and continue the outstanding performance we’ve come to expect from Columbia State. Its location in a major growth area means that strong, creative leadership is needed, and Dr. Smith will provide that.”

According to TBR Chancellor Charles Manning, who recommended Smith to the board, “Janet Smith has Tennessee roots that I think will serve her well at Columbia State. She is a native of Houston County and a graduate of Austin Peay State University. Plus she served for seven years as director of extension services at Dyersburg State Community College.”

Smith said, “I am very excited about working with the faculty, staff, and community of Columbia State to continue the excellence that the College is known for. The welcoming spirit and the pride that Columbia State takes in providing diverse higher education opportunities for the citizens of south central Tennessee is impressive. I look forward to returning to Tennessee to be a part of a great college and community.”

Smith holds a B.S. in Health and Physical Education from APSU, an M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction from APSU, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Vanderbilt University. Prior to assuming the presidency at Rich Mountain Community College, she spent 10 years as Dean of Academic Affairs at Hopkinsville Community College in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Her salary at Columbia State will be $151,900, which is the current president’s salary. Smith’s resume can be accessed here.

The Tennessee Board of Regents is the nation’s sixth largest higher education system, governing 45 post-secondary educational institutions. The TBR system includes six universities, 13 two-year colleges and 26 technology centers, providing programs in 90 of Tennessee’s 95 counties to over 180,000 students.

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