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Dr.
Rachel M. Desmarais has been named Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Office of Forsyth Tech. |
"(Winston-Salem, NC) – Forsyth Tech announces that Dr. Rachel M. Desmarais
has been promoted to the newly created position of Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer following a nationwide search. Desmarais, who assumed
her new position on July 1, 2015, has oversight responsibilities for the
college’s leadership team as well as day-to-day operations of the college. She
recently completed her Ph.D. in Instructional Design & Technology from Old
Dominion University in Norfolk, VA.
Desmarais has
worked at Forsyth Tech for the past 13 years. In 2002, she was hired as
department chair of the Thomas H. Davis iTec
Center, providing student instruction and managing the college’s Information
Technology programs.
In 2008, she
was promoted to vice president of Information Services with the distinction of
becoming the college’s first Chief Information Officer. In 2010, her role was expanded to include
college strategic and annual planning and college-wide assessment, becoming the
vice president of Planning and Information Services.
“I am
honored and excited at being selected Forsyth Tech’s new EVP and COO,” says Desmarais.
“I look forward to helping facilitate increased internal coordination between
departments and overseeing further development of cross-divisional initiatives.
My goal is to help identify new ways of providing our students with an even
greater degree of quality education and support.”
Demarais
herself is a product of the community college system. Not long after graduating
from Mars Hill University 1992 with a degree in music, Desmarais enrolled in
computer classes at Forsyth Tech, which launched her career in information
technology.
“I realized fairly
early on that my four-year degree wasn’t enough—it didn’t provide me with the
real-life job skills I needed to develop a stable and financially secure career
path,” she says. “I understand first-hand the value of a community college
education.”
“Rachel
emerged as our new Chief Operating Officer as a result of a rigorous search
process,” says Forsyth Tech President Gary Green. “Having someone with deep internal
knowledge of the college step into this role is a big asset. It will allow us
to more quickly focus on opportunities for change that will broaden the
high-quality education and training opportunities we offer our students.”
Desmarais remains
connected to her musical roots despite demanding job responsibilities. A second
soprano, she is a member of the Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers, a choral
group based in Asheville, NC, that performs
music of all styles and periods across the Carolinas, including the annual Piccolo
Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC.
Prior to
Forsyth Tech, Desmarais worked in Information Technology Management for the
Winston-Salem law firm of Womble Carlyle.
Forsyth Tech provides students
with flexible educational pathways to a competitive workforce for the community
and global economy. The college offers associate degrees, diplomas, and
certificates in more than 200 programs of study, including programs that
promote personal and professional development through non-credit courses and
seminars, as well as customized training for business and industry. Forsyth
Tech is the fifth largest community college in North Carolina and serves more
than 35,000 students with approximately 1,500 full and part-time faculty and
staff."
- A Press Release
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