Public Relations

Three selected for leadership programs

            BENTONVILLE (Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008) - Three NWACC employees have been selected to participate in area Leadership programs, College President Dr. Becky Paneitz announced today.

            The three are Dr. Ricky Tompkins (Benton County), Pam Belcher (Springdale) and Teresa Whitmore (Fayetteville).

            “These leadership programs give our employees the opportunity to learn about numerous segments of the communities we serve, develop effective network of contacts and enhance their desire to eagerly pursue and assume leadership roles within the community,” Dr. Paneitz said.

Dr. Ricky Tompkins

            Dr. Tompkins has been at NWACC since June 2006 as the Executive Director of Grants and Institutional Research and previously as Director of NWACC’s Institute of Corporate and Public Safety/ He was formerly with the Criminal Justice Institute of the University of Arkansas System.

            As Executive Director of Grants and Institutional Research, Tompkins has procured funding from local, state, and federal sources to benefit NWACC and its students.

            The NWACC Department of Institutional Research has also expanded its information services and participates regularly in regional and national research projects to better serve the students of Northwest Arkansas.

            As ICPS Director, the program grew and expanded its reach by offering courses online and nationwide with participants from 38 states, 2 U.S. territories, and U.S. Armed forces, and the United Kingdom.

            ICPS was also invited and accepted an invitation to become a founding member of the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium consisting of five higher education institutions from across the U.S. tasked with designing and implementing homeland security and emergency response training specifically for rural America. 

            “I am extremely honored to have been selected to participate in Leadership Benton County and know it will be highly beneficial,” Tompkins said.

            He holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, a Master of Liberal Arts from Henderson State University at Arkadelphia, and a Bachelor of Arts from East Texas Baptist University at Marshall, Texas.

Teresa Whitmire

            Teresa Whitmire is director, of NWACC Corporate Learning, Fayetteville. She was selected to participate in Leadership Fayetteville. NWACC’s Corporate Learning Division directly serves Northwest Arkansas companies, by providing employee education for entry level to “C” suite learners.

            Previously Whitmire served as Administrative Officer for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville, Tenn., and Contract Administrator for Computer Data Systems in Rockville, Maryland. Whitmire has a solid background in education having been a high school and adult education instructor. She is a Certified Microsoft Master Instructor and serves on Microsoft’s Master Instructors Board.

            The mission of Leadership Fayetteville is to produce a continuous stream of concerned, motivated, and educated individuals of diverse talents and interests eager to pursue and assume leadership roles and volunteer opportunities within the Fayetteville community. Sponsored by the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, twenty-five participants are selected annually to participate in this elite program.

Pamela Belcher

            Belcher is a graduate of Kansas State University with a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education, and is a founding member and former Membership VP of NWA American Society for Training and Development. She was selected into the Springdale Leadership class.

            She has worked more than 20 years in training and development for many businesses, both Fortune 500 and Oklahoma/Arkansas area companies, in industries such as:  Manufacturing, Healthcare, Restaurant Management, and Child Care/Learning Center operation.  Her areas of expertise are management development, interpersonal skills, safety and customer service.

            Her experience in training and development has been with such organizations as:  Tulsa Technology Center, OSU Okmulgee, University of Tulsa, Tulsa Community College, Northwest Arkansas Community College/Workforce Development Institute, University of Arkansas/Continuing Education, Office of Service to Business and Industry, and back with NWACC as Director of Organizational Development Coordinator.

            She is a certified instructor of Achieve Global (Zenger Miller) and Development Dimensions International programs.

            "I am honored to have been selected to participate in Leadership Springdale. I am looking forward to the great program they have established to learning more about my community and how I can be of service."

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