New AACC President Has Local Ties

The next president of (AACC) is Dawn Lindsay, a Maryland native.

Lindsay said she was excited to be chosen. She visited the college over the past week during the final interview process and the longer she was here, the more she wanted the job, Lindsay said.

"This is a dream come true for me. I cannot tell you how happy I am," Lindsay said to a crowd Tuesday at the college. "To take this college and facilitate continued growth is something I look forward to."

AACC's Board of Trustees Chairwoman Victoria Fretwell said the board unanimously chose Lindsay as the successor to current president Martha Smith at a press conference on Tuesday morning.

Lindsay was for the position. Fretwell said Lindsay's experience and enthusiasm for the job and the area made her stand out from the other candidates.

"She showed clear and unbound enthusiasm about Anne Arundel," Fretwell said.

Lindsay is the current president of Glendale Community College in Glendale, CA, which has about 44,000 students. AACC's student population is 53,000.

Lindsay said she is working with a local real estate agent to find a house in the community. She plans to begin living in Anne Arundel County in July, but Lindsay is no stranger to the county. She lived in Severna Park 18 years ago, she said.

Lindsay will begin her tenure as president on Aug. 1 with a salary of $234,500.

Smith said in a press release issued after the meeting that Lindsay will make an excellent president for the community college.

"I am thrilled with the selection of Dr. Lindsay because of her extraordinary talent, accomplishments and character," Smith said. "I have total confidence in her outstanding leadership to take AACC into its next chapter of excellence, and look forward to working with her to ensure a successful transition."

Smith and Lindsay nearly crossed paths at one point in their careers. A few years before Lindsay began teaching at Dundalk Community College in Baltimore County, Smith was the college's president. Lindsay said it's just a reminder that the community college network is a small world sometimes.

Lindsay said she wasn't coming to AACC with any preconceived goals, but instead wanted to learn before she began making a plan.

"I think it would be a little presumptuous of me to come in and have ideas, because the college is so solid," she said. "I think my first goal is learning how this college has turned into an academic institution with such rigor and excellence and passion."

A press release from the college outlined Lindsay's background:

Lindsay currently serves as President of Glendale Community College in Glendale, California. She has dedicated more than 25 years to the community college system. Lindsay was awarded Glendale Chamber of Commerce’s “Woman of the Year” and named “One of the Top 20 Female Leaders of Los Angeles” by Business Life Magazine. She also serves as a Commissioner for the American Association of Community Colleges. Lindsay holds a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University, a Master’s in Educational Counseling, a BA in Psychology, and a BSW in Social Work from McDaniel College.