Foundation Board Honors NACC President Dr. David Campbell at Dec. Holiday Gala

Northeast Alabama Community College is a state- and nationally-recognized institution, noted for its support of culture and the arts as well as its dedication to economic and community development. The man leading this mission was honored in December by the school’s Foundation Board.

Dr. David Campbell, President of NACC

Dr. David Campbell was chosen as the Honoree of the Year, and his career was celebrated at the Foundation’s Holiday Gala held on campus in December. “It was such an honor for the NACC Foundation Board of Directors to recognize me for my career at Northeast,” stated Dr. Campbell.  “There is no better feeling than to be appreciated by your friends, colleagues, and the community, and to be introduced by my son Jeremy was just icing on the cake!”

The NACC campus is situated on Alabama Highway 35 where DeKalb and Jackson counties meet, attracting students from both areas and beyond. Last year, NACC expanded its footprint by establishing classroom space in Mentone at the historic Moon Lake Elementary campus. Traditional and nontraditional classes are being taught there.

The college is also working with local and state elected officials to determine the feasibility of transforming Moon Lake’s gym into a performing arts center.

“It has been my pleasure to serve as the president of Northeast Alabama Community College,” Dr. Campbell told the crowd gathered for December’s event. “I have been here at the college in some capacity 48 of the college’s 59 years of existence. I started out as a Saturday adjunct instructor at a young 31 years old, which I would now describe as a kid.”

Dr. Campbell has served as president of the college for 24 years. “I still have such fond memories as a teacher here and cherish so many great friendships and memories I have with students,” he said. “Becoming president of Northeast in the very community that I was born and raised in has made it even more special.”

He was quick to acknowledge the “talented, dedicated, and special people” who comprise the NACC staff. “Whatever we have accomplished, we have done it all together.”

Dr. Campbell expressed gratitude to his wife, Carol, and their son, Jeremy, for their support. Jeremy was honored by the NACC Foundation in 2018. His career in television news has taken him to many major markets, including Atlanta, Tampa, and New York City. Today, he lives in Austin, where he serves as Senior News Director, Texas, for Spectrum News.

Coincidentally, it was in Austin several decades ago that Dr. Campbell’s career took a turn. He was working on his doctoral degree at the University of Texas, planning to go into a writing field. “But life can change on a dime,” he told the crowd. “One of my fellow students got a Fulbright Scholarship, and he was teaching a course on the American South. I was the only full-fledged Southerner in the program, so I was asked to take his place to teach it. I fit the typecasting, I suppose!”

Although many of his family members were teachers, Dr. Campbell had never considered the profession himself. His experience in Austin changed that. “I  wound up loving the teaching process and the students,” he said. “That was the beginning of my education career. You often hear it said that you never know what direction your life is going to take — my venture into education is a good example. And it has been such a fulfilling and rewarding journey.”

Dr. Campbell shared a powerful life lesson with the crowd. “As president of Northeast, I have strived to make the college the best it could possibly be and make Northeast as good or better than any in the state and nation,” he said. “I was never one to lack ambition. When I first started out as president, I felt that some people in our region had internalized some of the negative stereotypes about Appalachia and the South. I wanted to show that we have the capability, will, determination, intelligence, and ingenuity to do anything anyone in America can do.”

This attitude has yielded strong results. The Aspen Institute has named NACC a top American community college six times, out of 1,200 community colleges. “A number of ranking services have named Northeast the top community college in Alabama on numerous occasions,” Dr. Campbell said. “We recently finished our SACSCOC reaccreditation with no findings – a perfect score!” Again, he credited the NACC staff for the hard work to make these things happen.

A drive across the NACC campus reveals several new facilities built during the past few years. The two newest are the women’s softball stadium and the Workforce Skills Training Center, both state-of-the-art facilities completed in 2024.

To learn more about NACC’s impact and its offerings for area residents, visit www.nacc.edu.