Dawe Named President at Ozarka
Melbourne – Ozarka College officials announced this week the appointment of Dr. Richard Dawe as President of Ozarka College in Melbourne, Arkansas. Dawe, a native of the north-Arkansas – southern-Missouri region, will assume the Presidency on July 1, 2009.
For the past year Dawe has served as Vice Chancellor of Planning and Organizational Development at Ventura County Community College District, a three college district of 36,000 students in the State of California. Prior to his current position, Dawe spent three years as Dean of Work Education at the College of the Ozarks in Branson, Missouri. He served in the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator from 1981 to 2004, and retired as a captain. His other experiences include Chief Financial Officer for the United States Transportation Command of the Department of Defense, and faculty member of the Naval Postgraduate School in the State of California.
Dr. Dawe received his Ph.D. from Saint Louis University; an M.S. degree in Financial Management from Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey; and a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. His education began at a community college, having received an Associate of Arts from Georgia Military College in Blytheville, Arkansas.
Dawe states, “There are few, if any more important callings in life than participating in a role that positively impacts those seeking to advance their learning. Having begun my higher education journey in a community college setting, I am strongly driven by the diverse and important mission of Ozarka College and I am ready to contribute to that mission of providing life-changing experiences to an area that I call ‘home.'”
He and his wife, Chris have two grown children, Richard, Jr. and Stephanie.
