A New York native and Georgia transplant, Dr. Kirk A. Nooks was appointed to serve as the fourth President of Gordon State College effective June 1, 2018. Prior to assuming these responsibilities, Dr. Nooks previously served as a college president along with other executive roles to include Campus Dean, Dean of Student Services and Project Manager. He brings a blended set of skills reflective of over 20 years of education, business and engineering experience.
A sought-after speaker and presenter, he has shared thoughts on topics ranging from the Learning College concept to Strategic Planning. Throughout his career, he has led institutions through major initiatives, including establishing and implementing a governance system, organizing and scaling up national completion initiatives, and developing a framework for faculty, staff and students to advance the institution’s learning organization aspirations. He also contributes to the profession as an author most recently in book chapter in entitled, “Strategic Planning and the Gen X President.”
For the past ten months, Nooks has partnered with faculty, staff, students and supporters to prepare the institution for its future role as regional catalyst. The campus has been engaged in a comprehensive renewal journey by establishing deeper relationships with the surrounding 14-county primary service region, conducting a Regional Workforce Study, drafting a five-year Strategic Plan and developing a Plan of Action for the Gordon State College Foundation. Since his arrival, the college has embraced the newfound rallying cry of “Highlanders Forward” and stands poised to Remember the Legacy and Pursue the Dream.
Nooks holds memberships at the local and national level to include the Barnesville Rotary Club, American Association of State Colleges and Universities and The Chair Academy where he serves on the board. During the 2015-2018 period, Nooks served as the Dean of the premier senior executive level professional development program for African-American leaders in the community college -The Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership.
Nooks holds a doctorate in higher education administration from The George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) and an M.B.A. in marketing and a Bachelor of Science in industrial management from Mercer University (Macon, GA). He is a graduate of the University System of Georgia Executive Leadership Institute, the Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership and a member of the inaugural cohort of the American Council on Education’s Spectrum Leadership Institute.
Nooks and his wife, Alison, reside in Forsyth, with their three children.