Brad Newman Named as President
In March 2021, Brad Newman was appointed President of Shelton State Community College by the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees. He arrived to the position with twenty-eight years of leadership and management experience.
Prior to his appointment at the College, Brad served as plant manager for ZF Chassis Systems, LLC in Tuscaloosa, one of the company’s top performing facilities in the world. In this role, he worked cooperatively with Mercedes-Benz U.S. assembly plants in nearby Vance, Alabama. Before his employment with ZF, he was plant manager at various suppliers and initially began his career at General Motors as a manufacturing engineer.
A leader in West Alabama, Brad is Chairman of West Alabama Works, Board Member and Vice-Chair for Education and Workforce Development for the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, Ex-Officio Board Member for the Tuscaloosa County Industrial Development Authority (TCIDA), and a member of the West Alabama Regional Workforce Council. He is also a German Business Council founding member and a member of the Alabama Germany Partnership.
Beyond his leadership roles in the automotive industry and West Alabama, Brad is committed to activities that improve the lives of others. He is actively engaged in developing young leaders, co-leads a statewide effort to improve the process for prisoner re-entry for the state of Alabama, volunteers through prison ministry, and developed the OnTrack Process for Juvenile Delinquency.
Brad has both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from The University of Alabama. Together with his wife Hollie, Brad has two children and three grandchildren.
Former President Norman Cephus passed away in January 2021. During his tenure, he was President of Fredd State Technical College (now the College’s Fredd Campus) from 1982 until his retirement in 1990. He oversaw expansion of the physical plant, the College’s designation as a Historically Black College and University, and participation in the Title III Grant Program.
SSCC basketball coaches, Joe Eatmon and Madonna Thompson, were selected to attend the inaugural TopConnect NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Virtual Symposium on October 8 and 9, 2020. Coaches Eatmon and Thompson were able to interact with other head coaches and learn from reputable and established members of the athletic administrative field. .
Shelton State Community College began monitoring the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic in the spring semester of 2020. With the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff as its priority, the College began operating based on guidance issued by the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of the Governor of the State of Alabama, and the Alabama Community College System Chancellor. The College’s Emergency Response Team met regularly to review and update safety regulations. Protocols and procedures were fluid during this unprecedented time and were adjusted according to the previously mentioned entities. To maintain a consistent flow of information, the College created a living COVID-19 Plan document. This continually updated document served the following objectives: 1. To establish a timeline of phases allowing the safe return to SSCC campuses 2. To educate SSCC employees, students, and community members on protocols and procedures designed to help mitigate risk 3. To ensure the health and wellness of each SSCC employee, student, and visit a. Provide information and resources regarding health and wellness b. Detail implementation measures and disinfection protocols c. Communicate social distancing and personal protection equipment (PPE) procedures In addition to meeting the needs of its students, Shelton State Community College (SSCC) worked to meet the needs of the West Alabama community. Medical supplies from the College’s health services programs were made available to local agencies during the COVID-19/Coronavirus outbreak. Donated items from the College’s simulated healthcare settings included N95 masks, surgical masks, face shields, gowns, and gloves. A complete look at the College’s COVID-19 efforts can be found by visiting Shelton State’s COVID-19/Coronavirus webpage.
In cooperation with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Alabama National Guard, the College offered free vaccination opportunities to faculty, staff, students, and the general public.