Two individuals with many years of experience in leadership positions at Amarillo College have been promoted by Dr. Deborah Vess, vice president of academic affairs.

Toni Gray has been appointed dean of continuing education. She replaces Kim Davis, who retired after 32 years of service to the College.

Gray has been with Amarillo College for 18 years, 14 of which she spent as director of the Criminal Justice Program and the Law Enforcement Academy. The academy supplies almost 90 percent of the Panhandle’s law-enforcement personnel.

“Tony has a long track record of success and we feel fortunate to have her assume this new role at the College,” Vess said.

Concurrent with the naming of a new dean, the Criminal Justice Department has been placed under the umbrella of the Continuing Education Division, so Gray will now be administrator for both. Criminal justice for the past three years has been managed as an academic program, but it has always served both academic and continuing-education students and will continue to do so. 

Vess has also appointed Kim Crowley to associate dean of health sciences. Crowley previously served as director for the Center for Continuing Healthcare Education, a role in which she successfully built a set of licensure and education programs in various healthcare disciplines.

In her new position as associate dean, Crowley will be tasked with creating seamless connections between continuing education and academic areas by designing guided career pathways in the health sciences.

“Kim has developed a very successful partnership with SIM Central, and helps to train a large percentage of the area’s healthcare professionals,” Vess said. “Moreover, she has helped to address many needs of our underprepared students through collaborations with our Academic Success Department and other areas.

“I look forward to continuing to work with these two very talented members of our AC family,” Vess said.

August 4, 2015