On Wednesday, May 14, during its monthly meeting, the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees approved Chancellor Jimmy H. Baker’s recommendation to appoint current Gadsden State Community College president Kathy Murphy, EdD, as president of Wallace Community College in Dothan.
“We’ve made a decision that I believe will be proven to be a very good decision because we had an applicant that we already know what they can and will do,” said Baker. “Dr. Murphy’s heart, energy, and will to do a good job are second to none.”
Murphy’s move to Dothan will end a 4-year stint as president at Gadsden State, a role she accepted in January 2021.
“It has been my honor to serve as President at Gadsden State and I will miss our wonderful college, our exceptional faculty and staff, and, of course, our amazing students,” Murphy said. “During the past four years, we have experienced so many successes and there is so much more to come, and I cannot wait to hear about Gadsden State’s progress and future successes.”
Murphy will become Wallace’s first permanent president since the retirement of longtime leader Linda Young, who concluded her 36-year tenure at the college last year.
“Some people go to work every day to their job and others go to their career and I get to go to my calling,” said Murphy. “I appreciate the opportunity and the privilege I have to be a part of the Alabama Community College system, to have had the absolute blessing and pleasure of serving at Gadsden. Now, I warmly embrace and look forward to the opportunity and the privilege that we’ll have to serve alongside the great folks that are already at Wallace-Dothan.”
Before her time at Gadsden, Murphy served as superintendent of Hoover City Schools, has an educational background that spans 30-plus years. Prior to her service in Hoover City Schools, she was superintendent of Monroe County Schools. She served as a principal at Charles Henderson and Greenville High Schools and Greenville Middle School, and as a professor at the University of West Georgia and Judson College.
Murphy obtained both a Doctor of Education in Physical Education (with an Emphasis in Program Administration and Curriculum Development) and a Master of Education in Physical Education from Auburn University, and both a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and an Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership from Auburn University Montgomery. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Education from Troy University.
During her tenure at Gadsden, Murphy was recognized as Troy University’s 2024 Alumni of the Year.
Murphy’s appointment leaves a vacancy for Gadsden State’s presidency. Chancellor Baker appointed Gadsden State’s current vice president, Alan Smith, as interim president.
“Alan’s specialty is just being a great administrator,” said Baker. “He is doing a good job and is kind of the guru for the workforce center there in Gadsden, with Alan in this role I’m confident the process and improvements at Gadsden will continue.”
Since joining Gadsden State’s leadership in 2019 as dean of Workforce Development, Smith has played a critical role in guiding the college’s strategic growth. In his current role as vice president of Capital Projects, Community Relations and Workforce Development, Smith oversees key college operations and provides direct supervision for several deans and directors.
“This is an incredible honor that I embrace with great enthusiasm,” Smith said. “My connection to this college spans more than three decades, beginning with my time as a business student at Gadsden State.”
Murphy and Smith’s appointments will be effective beginning June 1, 2025.
