Executive Staff for the Project:

• Mittie Hutchins (Project Director)

Mittie has years of experience in Performance Improvement and Institutional Accreditation.  With a strong business background, anchored by an M.B.A. in Business Management, she has designed and planned multi-million dollar projects in the healthcare industry and in education.  Ms. Hutchins professional abilities are well known in Central and East Texas.  While in the healthcare industry, she was Vice President of Community Health Services and Risk Manager at Marshall Regional Medical Center.  At the Medical Center, an acute care, facility with three rural health clinics, and Home Health Services, she was responsible for accreditation and quality improvement, management and business development, as well as the operation of eight professional departments.  Ms. Hutchins redesigned the hospital's Performance Improvement Program to more directly reflect the mission statement of the hospital and to involve non-clinic departments.  She achieved JCAHO Accreditation of the hospital through a strategic plan utilizing all departments and the Medical Staff.

Prior to joining the administrative staff at Texas State Technical College Marshall, Ms. Hutchins directed human resources and assisted the President of Wiley University, a prominent Historically Black University, in the college's Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS) Self-Study.  In 2001, Ms. Hutchins became the TSTC Marshall's first Director of Institutional Effectiveness.  During her first year, she developed and designed the college's Institutional Effectiveness process and re-designed the college Unit Action Plan and Strategic Plan.  She recently guided the college through its first Self-Study and accreditation through SACS.  Ms. Hutchins is experienced in leadership and facilitation skills, human resource development and management, high performance management and participation, management information systems, monitoring, evaluation and follow-up, conflict resolution, and consensus building.

As part of her charge and in concert with this project, Ms. Hutchins will coordinate the activities of the Institutional Effectiveness Committee.  The Committee is appointed to providing accurate and timely information which supports institutional planning, policy formation and decision-making, as well as providing support for assessment and evaluation activities throughout the College.  Membership of the Committee includes representatives of the staff, faculty, and key administrative personnel.  The Institutional Effectiveness Committee assists in accomplishing the duties related to performance and process improvement.  The Committee supports dissemination of information, and review of the status and the evaluation of the Unit Action Plans and correlation with the Strategic Plan.

• Dr. J. Gary Hendricks (Member-Executive Task Force)

Dr. J. Gary Hendricks was appointed to the presidency of Texas State Technical College (TSTC) Marshall in June 2002 and he actively led the College through its final efforts in achieving separate SACS accreditation in December 2002.  Prior to becoming President of TSTC Marshall, Dr. Hendricks was Executive Vice Chancellor of the Texas State Technical College System for four years and was a member of the Chancellor's staff for nine previous years.  As Executive Vice Chancellor of the System, Dr. Hendricks supervised System Office operations, including Board meeting preparation and acted as the System staff member to the Board of Regents Committee on Instruction and Student Services.  Dr. Hendricks also coordinated the development of the TSTC Strategic Plan and worked closely with staff members of the Legislative Budget Board, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the Office of the State Auditor in developing and implementing a performance measurement system for TSTC.  Dr. Hendricks also supervised institutional research, financial operations, and the administrative computing functions at the System Office.

Prior to joining TSTC, Dr. Hendricks was a manager of consulting for the Waco office of Peat, Marwick, Main and Company and his own consulting firm.  He has also been president and CEO of a foodservice distribution company as well as manager for both General Motors and NCR Corporations in the field of Information Technology.  His introduction to TSTC came through consulting assignments for TSTC Waco in the mid-1980's.

Dr. Hendricks holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Cincinnati, a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Dayton, and a Doctorate Degree in Higher Education Administration from Baylor University.  His strong background with the System and governmental and private agencies will provide vital external linkages in researching trends affecting the college.  His leadership in business and education will be key in developing a Comprehensive Development Plan.

• Ginger Gordon (Project Assistant)

Ms. Gordon is well qualified to support this Project.  She holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor's Degree in Business.  She has business experience at Fortune 100 and 500 companies.  Prior to coming to TSTC Marshall, Ms. Gordon coordinated a two-year community network grant project.  While earning her Master's degree, she worked as an Administrative Secretary.  She now serves as the Research Assistant in the Institutional Effectiveness Office.  Her education and career experience make Ms. Gordon an ideal choice for the Project Assistant.