By CAROLINE BECK, Alabama Daily News
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Dr. Chris Cox was appointed as the interim president of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College during the Alabama Community College System’s board meeting on Wednesday.
Chancellor Jimmy H. Baker said that he believes Cox will be a great benefit to the college.
“Dr. Cox’s wealth of experience and innovative ideas have been an asset to the Alabama Community College System and will be of great value to Lurleen B. Wallace Community College,” Baker said in a press release. “Chris brings tremendous energy and enthusiasm to every role he takes and I’m confident the students, faculty, staff, and administration will be well served by his leadership.”
Cox currently serves as the Executive Director of Workforce Solutions and Innovations for the ACCS and has more than 24 years of higher education administration experience.
Prior to his role at the ACCS, Cox served as the Assistant Superintendent for Oxford City Schools.
Cox, a native of the wiregrass region said he was excited to take on the position.
“Returning to the Wiregrass in this capacity is an honor and a privilege and I am ready to hit the ground running to serve the Andalusia, Opp, Greenville, and Luverne communities,” Cox said in a press release. “LBW is a special place and I look forward to working alongside the faculty, staff, and administration to best serve our students.”
Baker also said during Wednesday’s meeting that finding the next president for Lurleen B. Wallace College has been an ongoing process.
“We thought we had a solution but it ended up that we couldn’t agree on some contracts,” Baker said.
- Inside Alabama Politics reported weeks ago that State Rep. Mike Jones, R-Andalusia, was a likely candidate for the job. However, IAP later reported that talks broke down over “multiple issues.”
Cox began his career as a teacher and coach at Dale County High School in Midland City. He later served as Assistant Principal at Geneva High School in Geneva and Principal at Pinedale Elementary School in Enterprise. Prior to joining the ACCS, Cox spent time in Oxford, first as Oxford High School’s principal and then as Assistant Superintendent for the Oxford City Board of Education.
Cox earned a Bachelor of Science in Social Science from Troy State University and a Master of Science in Educational Administration from Alabama State University. Cox also earned his Doctorate of Philosophy in Educational Administration from Auburn University.
Lurleen B. Wallace Community College serves a five-county area in South Alabama and has campuses in Andalusia, Opp, Greenville and Luverne. The college specializes in nursing, advanced manufacturing, information technology, and applied technology.
Cox’s tenure is expected to begin on January 2.