Arkansas State University-Beebe has hired a new chancellor who will take the reins in January.
Karla Fisher, who has been vice president of academics at Butler Community College in Kansas since 2010, will succeed Eugene McKay, who is retiring after working almost 50 years at ASU-Beebe, including the past 21 years as its chancellor.
Fisher has a Ph.D. in educational administration from the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas, as well as a master’s of arts in communication and a bachelor’s of arts in English from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.
Her salary will be $183,000. She starts her job Jan. 16.
ASU system president Charles Welch made the announcement Thursday.
“We conducted an extensive national search and have chosen a dynamic administrator who will build on Chancellor McKay’s excellent work. (Fisher) brings to ASU-Beebe a wealth of experience in curriculum, student engagement and marketing. Butler and ASU-Beebe share many similarities in serving a broad mix of students on multiple campuses. The search committee and campus constituencies were very impressed with her background, and we’re confident she’s the ideal leader to further enhance ASU-Beebe’s standing as a leading two-year college in the region.”
Fisher was chosen by a 14-member search committee, whose members included faculty, staff, students and community leaders. She beat out Michael DeLong of Pulaski Technical College and Ted A. Lewis of Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tenn, who were also among the finalists.
Fisher was interim president at Butler Community College for seven months in 2013 and had been an associate of the Center for Community College Student Engagement since 2007, as well as having served as director of institutional marketing at Salt Lake Community College from 2001-2007.
“I am honored to join the ASU System,” Fisher said. “Everyone involved in the search process was incredibly welcoming. ASU-Beebe has a great history and, working together, I’m confident we’ll build an even greater future.”
The National Association of Instructional Administrators this year honored Fisher as Chief Academic Officer of the Year.
She also received the Kansas Board of Regents Annual Award for Data Quality and Planning and the Wichita Business Journal Annual Award for Innovation for creation of Butler Early College Academies.
ASU-Beebe is a two-year college and serves more than 4,500 students.
