Dr. Yolanda Wilson
Dr. Yolanda Wilson, WCC vice president of Instruction, Ashe Campus and Alleghany Center, has been named the sixth president of the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) on Thursday following a special meeting of the CSM’s board of trustees on Nov. 3.
Dr. Wilson joined Wilkes Community College in 2020 as the vice president of instruction. Prior to joining Wilkes Community College, Wilson held the position of associate vice president for business, computer, arts and sciences, and dean of the learning commons at York Technical College in Rock Hill, S.C. Dr. Wilson received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Education from the University of Maryland, a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland, and her Doctor of Education (Ed. D) in Adult and Community College Education from NC State University.
“I remember telling some of our leadership team when we hired Dr. Yolanda Wilson that we would be lucky to keep her for more than two or three years because she was going to be a president somewhere sooner rather than later,” said WCC President, Dr. Jeff Cox. “She possesses a unique blend of deep knowledge across several areas of community college leadership, and she has exceptional interpersonal skills that allow her to be a very effective leader. Dr. Wilson has made a significant impact in the two-and-a-half years she was at Wilkes Community College. Dr. Wilson is going to make an excellent president, and I am proud that Wilkes Community College played a role in her development as a leader.”
During her tenure at Wilkes Community College, Dr. Wilson facilitated a strategic re-alignment of programs and services at all three campus locations. She was instrumental in launching the Wilkes Community College Teaching and Learning Fellowship program as well as an annual teaching and learning summit. Wilson has provided leadership for the West Regional Teaching and Learning Hub for 16 North Carolina community colleges in partnership with the NC State Belk Center, NC Student Success Center, and Achieving the Dream. She developed a 3+1 partnership agreement for ADN to BSN with Appalachian State University to create a more cost-effective nursing pathway to support our allied health workforce demand.
Dr. Wilson currently serves on the Aspen Institute Alumni Advisory Council, the Wilkes Community Foundation Board, and three North Carolina Community College System committees: the Curriculum Committee, the Transfer Advisory Committee, and the Developmental Education Advisory Council. She is board secretary and Region 2 director for the American Association for Women in Community Colleges and chairs reaffirmation visits for the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Dr. Wilson said, “I am incredibly grateful for all of the opportunities I have been given and the wonderful friendships I have made while at Wilkes Community College. Dr. Cox has been an amazing mentor, creating an institutional culture where both students and employees can learn, flourish, and grow. I am a better leader having worked alongside such an outstanding group of colleagues who consistently put students first and I cherish the time I have spent at this great institution.”
Dr. Wilson will begin her presidency at CSM on Jan. 1, 2023, upon the retirement of current CSM President Dr. Maureen Murphy on Dec. 31, 2022.