Two leaders from Athens State University, Mr. Richard Collie and Dr. Lionel O. Wright, will participate in the 2021 EAB Rising Higher Education Leaders Fellowship. This select group of leaders from across the country will meet for the next nine months to explore challenges and creative solutions in higher education.
EAB is a Washington-based education research company that partners with education leaders, practitioners, and staffs to accelerate progress and drive results across three key areas – enrollment management, student success, and institutional operations and strategy.
This nine-month, cohort-based experience aims to build community, develop a depth of expertise in the topics and issues that matter most to institutional strategy, and provide focused professional skills development from EAB industry experts.
Mr. Richard Collie currently serves as the Director of Student Inclusion Initiatives at Athens State where he also acts as sponsor for the Student Government Association and Black Student Union. He has previously served as Director of Student Support Services (a TRiO Program) at J.F. Drake State Community & Technical College in Huntsville, Alabama. In this role, he was responsible for directing and coordinating academic and student support services activities for first-generation students. He also served as chapter President and Vice-President of Drake State’s Alabama Education Association and as a member of the Legislative Committee.
He is a recipient of the 2016 Chancellor’s Award of Excellence which recognizes individuals with the highest standards of professional performance and service among college employees.
Additionally, he served as Chair of the Commission on Support for the Alabama Community College Executive Committee. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Oakwood College and a Master of Science in Management from Florida Institute of Technology.
A native of Chicago, he now resides in Huntsville, Alabama, where he loves playing golf and spending time with his grandchildren.
“I am humbled and honored to be a part of this program,” said Collie. “I’m grateful to Athens State and EAB for giving me the opportunity to understand more deeply the impact leadership has on the critical issues in higher education”.
Dr. Lionel O. Wright currently serves as Interim Associate Dean of the College of Business at Athens State University. He also serves as Assistant Professor and Department Chair of Global Logistics & Supply Chain Management and the Director of Graduate Studies and Business Workforce Development.
Additionally, he serves as an adjunct professor for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Graduate School of Business. He has been published in numerous academic and professional journals, serves as a corporate consultant, and recently presented research at the American Accounting Associations Northeast Regional conference.
Dr. Wright’s educational background includes a Doctorate in Global Supply Chain Management from Walden University and a Masters in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is a Certified Logistics Associate (CLA) and certified Demonstrated Master Logistician (DML). He is an active member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) and the Athens State graduate Chapter Leader of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS).
He served honorably in the United States Army for 26+ years as a career logistician in various leadership roles to include senior instructor/writer at the U.S. Army Quartermaster School, Warehouse Branch Chief and Inspector General. One of his most rewarding assignments as an Army Logistician was with Headquarters Army Materiel Command (AMC), the Army’s primary logistics and sustainment command, responsible for managing the global supply chain and ensuring installation and materiel readiness with more than 190,000 military, civilian, and contractor employees, impacting all 50 states and more than 150 countries.
He resides in Owens Crossroads, Alabama with his wife Artema and fur-baby Snowball. A native of Jamaica, he enjoys music, cooking, international sports, and traveling.
“It is indeed an honor to represent Athens State as an EAB Rising Higher Education Leaders Fellow,” Dr. Wright said. “I look forward to the opportunity to learn, to be challenged, to network, and to grow personally and professionally.”