Media release from Georgia Northwestern Technical College:
Dr. Elizabeth Anderson, vice president of Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness at Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) has been named executive vice president and chief academic officer by Dr. Heidi Popham, president of GNTC, effective March 1.
In her new position, Anderson will continue to be responsible for Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness and will now also be responsible for Adult Education, Economic Development and Student Affairs.
“As vice president of Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness, Dr. Anderson has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a deep commitment to student success. In the role of executive vice president and chief academic officer, Dr. Anderson’s leadership will now extend to Adult Education, Economic Development and Student Affairs; areas vital to both our students and the communities we serve,” said Dr. Heidi Popham, president of GNTC. “By aligning these divisions, we are strengthening GNTC’s commitment to providing seamless pathways from education to career, enhancing support systems that empower students to succeed and deepening our partnerships with business and industry.”
Popham said that she is confident Anderson’s expanded leadership will further elevate GNTC’s impact across our region.
“It is an honor and privilege to serve in this new role at GNTC,” said Anderson. “We have such an amazing team at GNTC and we all work so well together. I am looking forward to continuing to inspire success and create lasting opportunities for our students and community.”
Anderson has been a member of GNTC’s executive leadership team since 2018. In this role, she has provided strategic oversight for all credit technical education programs across the college’s six campuses, Aviation Training Center, online learning platforms and multiple off-site instructional locations. She has also led institutional efforts related to academic program development and implementation, accreditation attainment and compliance, academic support services, instructional administration and student academic appeals processes. Anderson also is responsible for library services, accessibility services and apprenticeships.
Anderson has played an active role in strengthening instructional services and expanding student access to high-quality technical education opportunities that support workforce readiness and student success across northwest Georgia. She represents Academic Affairs on GNTC’s Campus Assessment Response and Evaluation (CARE) Team and serves on the Polk County College and Career Academy Board of Directors and the Dalton Public Schools Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Advisory Committee.
She participates in peer reviews for the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG); is a graduate of TCSG’s inaugural Senior Leadership Academy, 2023-24; and is a graduate of Leadership Dalton Whitfield, 2024-25.
Prior to joining GNTC, she served in multiple academic leadership roles at Chattahoochee Technical College, including dean of Arts and Sciences and associate dean of Mathematics. During this time, she supervised academic programs and faculty across multiple campuses, supported accreditation and assessment initiatives, led curriculum and course delivery innovations and worked collaboratively with leadership to implement flexible instructional models designed to enhance student engagement and completion. She also served as the TCSG math representative for the Georgia Department of Education’s committee for developing effective assessment in K-12 education.
She began her educational career path as a mathematics teacher at Summerville Middle School, 2002-03, mathematics teacher at Cedartown High School, 2003-08, and a Learning Support Mathematics Instructor at Kennesaw State University, 2009-11.
Anderson earned a bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education – Mathematics from Jacksonville State University (JSU), master’s degree from JSU in Secondary Education – Mathematics, and a doctoral degree in Philosophy in Higher Education from Mercer University (MU). She received Magna Cum Laude honors as an undergraduate and was a member of Phi Kappa Phi at MU.
“With 24 years of experience in education, including 15 years in leadership roles, I bring extensive instructional and administrative expertise to my work in technical education,” said Anderson.
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