Dr. Long accepted the role Friday, August 27th, 2021, following President Billy C. Hawkins’ decision to step down due to medical reasons. Board of Trustees Chair Mr. Isaiah Hugley says, “The Board of Trustees has accepted his resignation with regrets. The Board thanks Dr. Hawkins for 13 plus years of service and leadership to Talladega College and our community.”
The Board of Trustees formed a presidential search committee in June 2021, after Dr. Hawkins announced his plans to retire in June 2022. The search process is underway. WittKieffer, an international executive search firm, has been retained to assist in the search for the President of Talladega College.
Concurrently, Dr. Lisa Long is honored to serve as acting president. “I am committed to the College’s mission,” says Dr. Lisa Long, acting president of Talladega College. “For over 20 years, I have been dedicated to the rich legacy of Talladega College. I am committed to its mission, and I look forward to working alongside the Board of Trustees, senior leadership, faculty, and staff to expound on the institution’s legacy while continuing to serve our students and the community.”
More About Dr. Lisa Long:
Dr. Lisa Eyvette Long was born in Denver, Colorado. Long attended schools in Marlin, Texas, and graduated from Marlin High School.
She is a graduate of Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work. Dr. Long later attended The University of Alabama, where she earned a Master of Science degree in Social Work. In 2000, Long completed a Juris Doctorate at the Birmingham School of Law.
Dr. Long has been employed as a social worker at several companies, including Children’s Rehabilitation, East Alabama and Viva Renal Dialysis Center, and Southern Behavioral Health in Anniston, Alabama. Her duties included working with families and individuals suffering from mental illness.
In August 2001, Dr. Long accepted a position as a Field Coordinator for the Social Work Program at Talladega College, and in 2004 she was named Department Chair of the Social Work Department at Talladega College. She has taught at the undergraduate level in social work. She has also served as the Diversity Training Facilitator for Honda Manufacturing of Alabama in Lincoln, Alabama since 2008.
In 2009, Dr. Long was appointed Interim Dean of Social Sciences and Education at Talladega College, and in August of 2013, she assumed the duties as Provost/Vice President of Academic Affairs at Talladega College. As the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, she led the revision of the general education program, implemented the first Master’s Program in the 154 years of existence of the institution. She also served as Accreditation Liaison for a successful SACSCOC 10-year Reaffirmation. In December 2019, Lisa Long was elected, by her peers, as a member of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees. In July 2019, Dr. Long received a resolution from the State of Alabama House of Representatives in Montgomery, Alabama, for facilitating and earning a National Teaching Credential endorsed by the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and the American Council on Education (ACE).
Dr. Long is married to Shedric Long, Sr. Together they have raised their three adult children, Ashley, Shedric C., and Shedric, Jr.