BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees on Wednesday named David Walters permanent president of Ingram State Technical College, the state’s only correctional education provider.
“Ingram State is unlike any other higher educational institution,” Walters told trustees after the vote. “It is where hope is restored, confidence is rebuilt and futures are changed.”
Walters has served as Ingram State’s interim president since November. His permanent appointment is effective May 16.
Located in Deatsville in Elmore County, Ingram State is part of the Alabama Community College System and serves an entirely incarcerated adult population.
The college, which enrolled more than 1,110 students as of Fall 2025, provides education and workforce training to people in Alabama correctional facilities, with programs aimed at helping students earn credentials, prepare for employment and successfully reenter their communities.
Walters said the college will continue strengthening programs that lead to “meaningful employment, successful reentry and lasting opportunity,” while expanding partnerships with industry, criminal justice agencies and community stakeholders.
“Together, we will position Ingram State Technical College as the national model for justice-involved education and workforce training,” he said.
“David brings a deep understanding of both Alabama’s community college system and the transformative impact of correctional education,” ACCS Chancellor Jimmy Baker said in a statement. “His combination of statewide leadership experience, commitment to correctional education, and demonstrated success leading Ingram State made him the clear choice to guide the college into its next chapter.”
Walters brings more than 30 years of experience in elementary, secondary and postsecondary education. Before becoming interim president, he worked for more than a decade in the community college system, most recently as vice chancellor of adult education and correctional education.
In that role, Walters helped expand Alabama’s adult education programs to more than 400 locations and programs. He also was instrumental in developing the Alabama Non-Traditional High School Diploma Option, a pathway for eligible adults who did not finish high school to earn a state-issued diploma by completing required academic and workforce-readiness components.
Lawmakers codified the non-traditional diploma option through passage of the REACH Act in 2025.
Ingram State recently recognized more than 600 graduates during spring commencement ceremonies across 17 career fields statewide. The certifications included industry credentials, GEDs and high school diplomas.