This week the College announced its appointment of both a new vice president for development and alumni relations and a new associate dean of students and director of the Pugh Center. The College announced these appointments February 14 and 15, respectively. 

Both of these positions opened when former Vice President for College Relations Richard A. Ammons and his wife, former Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Pugh Center Noel James left the Hill last June. Ammons left the College to serve as the Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, as mentioned in an Echo article published March 17, 2010. 

Deborah Dutton, now the vice president for development and alumni relations, has served as the College’s interim vice president since the summer of 2010, after Ammons left. She also “has served as Colby’s associate vice president for college relations for the past five years,” according to a press release posted on the College’s website. 

Dutton has had a “20-year career in development” and has worked at a number of institutions over the years. On the Hill, she has “led efforts to revamp the gift planning, major gifts and the annual Colby Fund areas of Colby’s development activities. She also created a five-year philanthropic plan in support of the Colby 2013 fundraising initiatives now underway,” as mentioned in the press release.

“In a competitive field of candidates for this position, Debbie emerged as a strong leader with the experience Colby requires to take its development and alumni programs to a new level of success,” President William D. Adams said in the press release. 

Beginning on July 1, Tashia Bradley, Ph.D., will serve as the associate dean of students and director of the Pugh Center. Bradley will replace Shontae Praileau, who resigned from the position unexpectedly last fall after only three months.

“[Bradley is] a very highly accomplished professional,” Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students James Terhune said. She has a “strong educational background in the field and extensive experience that is immediately transferrable to this position, so she stands out in lots and lots of ways.” 

The College began searching for a candidate for this position last October. “The process was very similar to what we always do in these cases,” Terhune said. “We advertise nationally in a variety of different places, we utilize professional networks and reach out to colleagues across the country…and we contact people individually….” 

Bradley will leave her position at Berea College, a liberal arts college in Kentucky, “where she has served as the director of the Black Cultural Center since 2005,” according to an email Terhune sent yesterday via Official Announcement. 

Previously, Bradley has held several similar positions at other institutions across the country, including the New College of Florida, Millikin University and the Univeristy of Kansas. 

“As you can see from her educational background and work experience she just brings a wealth of knowledge to the positions,” Terhune said. “We’re thrilled, she is tremendously talented and is going to be a tremendous addition to the Colby community, and we’re looking forward to having her here.”