Columbia College Interim President Dr. David Russell announced today that Dixie Williams will serve as the college’s vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing. Williams will join the college on August 16. She will oversee the Marketing, Enrollment Services, Student Success, Financial Aid, and Recruiting & Admissions departments.
“We are pleased to welcome Dixie to our college family. Her passion for helping prospective students realize and achieve their educational goals is consistent with our focus on helping students succeed,” said Russell. “This position is vital to the college’s long-term success and we are confident that Dixie will add an innovative and data-driven approach to our recruitment and retention efforts.”
Williams brings more than 18 years of experience to the position, possessing expertise in student affairs, admissions, student recruitment, budget management, communications and enrollment management. She most recently served as the interim associate vice chancellor for Strategic Enrollment and Director of Admissions at the University of Missouri-St. Louis for the past two and a half years. Williams worked in related fields at Missouri State University, Missouri Southern State University and Missouri Western State University before joining UMSL.
“I appreciate the opportunity to be part of an institution with an outstanding reputation and potential for growth like Columbia College,” said Williams. “I would like to thank Dr. Russell and Dr. Piyusha Singh (the college’s provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs) for selecting me for this role. I look forward to hitting the ground running with our team while being intentional in our efforts to engage prospective and current students around the country.”
Williams secured a master’s degree in college student affairs from Eastern Illinois University in 2003 and received a bachelor’s degree in speech communications from Missouri Western University in 2001.
James Arnold, the college’s director of Athletics, also has served as interim vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing during the last 10 months. Arnold will continue in his role with the Athletic Department, which recently captured its fourth straight American Midwest Conference Presidents’ Cup as the best overall athletic department in the league.
“James has done a superb job and I have relied on his strong leadership skills to keep both athletics and enrollment management moving forward,” noted Russell. “We are fortunate to have him on our team and I look forward to working with him on several projects moving forward.”
