By Brandon Martin
Dr. Jermaine Ford is hoping his background in private business and his experience will help foster relationships with local stakeholders in his quest to serve as the next president of Patrick Henry Community College.
Following his undergraduate studies, Ford said he originally thought he would enter the field of library sciences until his path took an unexpected turn.
“I found my next step in business and industry,” he said. “Working in business and industry, working up in several rankings and running my own firm.”
While serving on a board, Ford said he was asked about his next step.
“I know the good Lord wants me to do something and I’m trying to figure out what that is,” Ford recalled saying at the time.
Ford said he was told his skillset would be valuable for workforce development at the community college level.
He was told “somebody with your skillset” would be valuable because Ford “not only worked in higher education” but also “business and industry.”
Ford said he was sought as a prospect because he “not only knew the language of higher education” but also “the language of business and industry.”
Upon being told something similar from a colleague, Ford said he informed his wife that their lives would change forever as he would be pursuing his new goal of working in administering higher education.
“At my current institution at South Louisiana Community College, one of the things that I have been able to serve and be very instrumental in is connecting to business and industry and then bringing that back to the college as well as our superintendents for k-12,” Ford said.
He said the key is pinpointing the future goals of those industries.
“Any time we are looking to expand business into the region or recruit business into the region, I as the next president of PHCC will be at the table,” Ford said, and if chosen for the position, “I don’t care if I need to put on some overalls and meet with our local farmers or if I have to put a suit and tie on and meet with my local CEO. At the end of the day, it’s about service to the region.”
Ford said this will allow PHCC to “connect the dots” between industry needs and curriculum goals in terms of promoting trade careers.
“We do career planning at 7th grade, 9th grade and 11th grade. I would love for as early as 5th or 6th grade to really start to work with those career counselors,” Ford said.
Another way of engaging interest in students to enter trades would be to hold “signing days” that are similar to when athletes sign on to play at certain universities.
“It’s something that I’ve done at my current institution. I’ve got to tell you, it’s gone really, really far. Especially, in rural communities where we have major CEOs and employers,” Ford said. “It’s nothing like students, not just walking across the stage, but students going to work and the presidents and CEOs of those organizations are physically there with the hardhats and uniforms saying ‘you’re graduating on Friday and you’re going to work on Monday.’”
Along with getting business leaders to contribute to recruiting students to PHCC, Ford said he would like to have them involved with fundraising efforts for new buildings and equipment.
Having previously discussed hiring difficulties for a motorsports company in Louisiana, Ford said he was able to get buy-in from the businesses to make capital improvements with a guarantee to funnel employees to that company.
“We have to understand where our business and industry partners are. What are their pain points? How can we help close the gaps,” he said.
Ford is one of four finalists in the running to serve as the next president of PHCC.
He has 14 years of experience in higher education, after starting his career in 1994 at DePaul University in the Access Services Department. From 1999 to 2012, Ford worked in private industry at Ready Computer, Global Ink and Accessories, and Sustain Technology, Inc. In 2012, he returned to higher education at Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois as the WIA Youth Worksite Manager for one year. He then became a Business Services Consultant at the same institution. In 2015, he moved to South Louisiana Community College first as the Director of Corporate College, then in 2016 as the Associate Vice President, Workforce and Economic Development, and finally in 2019 as the Vice President, Workforce and Economic Development, the position he currently holds. Ford earned his associate degree from Moraine Valley Community College, his bachelor’s from DePaul University and his master’s degree from the University of Phoenix. He earned his doctorate from Grand Canyon University.
