Callaway named executive director of Arkansas Community Colleges

Arkansas Community Colleges (ACC) announced Thursday (July 10) that Dr. Collin Callaway will be the new executive director of the association, a nonprofit membership organization representing all 22 of the state’s public community and technical colleges.

Callaway has 20 years of experience working in student services and higher education policy in Arkansas. During her 17-year tenure at ACC, she led numerous collaborative initiatives involving teams of community college administrators and staff throughout the state of Arkansas.

Callaway’s contributions at ACC include spearheading advocacy efforts during legislative sessions, directing programmatic research and advocacy of the nationally recognized Arkansas Career Pathways Initiative, and leading policy evaluations and support for state financial aid programs.

“Dr. Callaway has a history of uniting stakeholders to develop policies that support ACC member colleges and their students,” said Dr. Cathie Cline, chancellor of the University of Arkansas-East Arkansas Community College and chair of the ACC Board of Directors. “She is known and respected as a key player in improving outcomes for community college students and advancing workforce training in Arkansas.”

As executive director, Callaway will be responsible for collaborating with government agencies, educational institutions, private foundations, and others on projects that improve the ability of the member colleges to meet the needs of their students, as well as the needs of their local business and industry leaders.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and a doctorate in education in adult learning from the University of Arkansas. She has been with ACC since 2008.

Prior to her time at ACC, she worked at the University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College and the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.

ACC members include all 22 comprehensive community and technical colleges in Arkansas, with the board of directors consisting of the president/chancellor of each member institution.