Calhoun Interim President, Dr. Joe Burke, received recognition for his outstanding leadership at the College from Alabama Senators Tom Butler, Steve Livingston and Arthur Orr on behalf of the Alabama Senate. Burke was presented with an official resolution certificate in the presence of the Calhoun College Foundation Board and Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Board Trustee, Crystal Brown on Friday.

Selected to serve as interim president in 2018 by Jimmy H. Baker, ACCS Chancellor, Burke has successfully led the College for the last two years. During his presidency, he has accomplished a plethora of achievements, with one of his very first being his announcement to restart Calhoun’s athletics program. His goal was to not only bring the program back permanently but to also generate more sports options and opportunities to the athletics division of the College.

Under his leadership, Calhoun’s Huntsville campus expanded with a new state of the art nursing simulation lab, which derived from a workforce development grant on behalf of Alabama Governor Kay Ivey for 1 million dollars. Calhoun received an in-kind contribution from Huntsville Hospital Systems to design, renovate and equip existing space dedicated to nursing. Burke celebrated this milestone by hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new lab, which increased the College’s nursing graduates by 48 percent annually. His guidance also allowed students a once in a lifetime opportunity to refurbish the reclaimed Lunar Rover in partnership with the United States Space and Rocket Center, as well as the College’s Advanced Manufacturing Program to rank number one in the nation.

“This resolution is extremely well deserved and timely for Dr. Joe Burke,” commented Orr. “This community has felt and witnessed the inspirational leadership he provides daily and what better way to thank him for his dedicated service to the students of Calhoun and this community, than with this an official resolution on behalf of the Senate of Alabama,” he added.

“It’s not too often you hear people say they have the opportunity to do what they love every day,” commented Dr. Joe Burke. “I feel fortunate to say that over 30 years having served as an instructor, counselor, vice president and now interim president, that I am doing exactly what I love and that is to change lives through education,” he added.

Before serving at Calhoun, Dr. Burke served as Vice President and Dean of Instruction at Northeast Alabama Community College, a position he held for 11 years.