The position supports the OACC and the Success Center for Ohio Community Colleges to increase student persistence and accelerate degree completion at Ohio’s community colleges, and Jones will also serve as the OACC’s director of the Ohio Semiconductor Collaboration Network.
Clark State President Jo Alice Blondin said this position will allow Jones “to bring her expertise” to the state level and lead many statewide workforce projects, including Intel and Honda LG.
“Dr. Jones has given so much to Clark State and it is time for her to bring her considerable energy and expertise to the State of Ohio’s workforce development efforts,” Blondin said. “I am a firm believer in growing talent and leadership skills for the betterment of the individual and higher education, and we should all be very proud of Dr. Jones.”
Jones, who has served the college since 2007, has over 23 years of experience in academia, marketing and promotions, and over 10 years of professional experience building relationships with community organizations and businesses.
She holds a bachelor of arts in business management with an organizational leadership and human service leadership focus, a master of Business Administration with a healthcare management focus from American InterContinental University, and completed her doctorate in education with a specialization in leadership in higher education from Capella University in 2023.
The OACC advocates for the state’s 23 community colleges, serves as a resource for its member institutions and supports the mission of the community colleges to provide programming in technical education, lower-division baccalaureate education, developmental education and continuing education in local communities.
“This is an exciting time for Ohio’s community colleges as the state’s diversifying economy has created many new rewarding career opportunities for our students. In her new role, Crystal Jones will be joining OACC at an important time, where statewide collaboration with employers and community partners has never been more critical,” said Tom Walsh, interim president of the OACC. “Crystal’s tremendous amount of experience from Clark State will help Ohio’s colleges and our network of industry partners to build upon their successes and strengthen the talent pipeline that our employers’ need.”
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