Jo Alice Blondin

Jo Alice Blondin, Ph.D., became the fifth president of Clark State College on July 1, 2013. Prior to Clark State, Dr. Blondin served as Chancellor of Arkansas Tech University – Ozark Campus and Professor of English for seven years, as well as Chief Academic Officer, Chief Student Officer, Department Chair of English, Communication, and Social Sciences and Instructor of English. She holds a Ph.D. in English from Arizona State University; Master of Arts in English from Arizona State University; and Bachelor of Arts from Purdue University majoring in English with a minor in Spanish.

Dr. Blondin focuses all of her efforts on realizing the mission of the institutions she has served, and is known for both her student-centered approach and her emphasis on economic development. Since coming to Clark State, Dr. Blondin has led the development and implementation of a new strategic plan—and a recent revision of that plan, the creation of a new marketing/branding campaign, the development of employee wellness, safety, and mentoring programs, the establishment of Precision Agriculture, Food Science, Manufacturing, and workforce programs, a reorganization of the campus to increase student success and completion that has resulted in an increase of 50% in state funding for Clark State, secured more than $13 million in state funds for capital and community improvement projects, and received grant funding for Manufacturing, Precision Agriculture, Cybersecurity, Addiction Studies, Mental Health, and youth programs totaling more than $9 million. During summer 2016, Clark State embarked on a student-success focused Major Gifts Campaign that has raised more than $12 million to date.

Dr. Blondin’s national, regional, and local service strengthens Clark State’s responsiveness to workforce and community needs. Dr. Blondin serves on the boards of the National Council for Workforce Education, the Higher Learning Commission, the American Association of Community Colleges, and Association of Community College Trustees Advisory. Additionally, she serves on the boards of the Dayton Development Coalition, Dayton Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Blondin lives in Springfield with her husband, Andy Fox, who is a systems analyst for ABF Freight Systems. Their daughter, Helena, is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Veterinary Medicine program at The Ohio State University.