Karla Fisher
Arkansas State University System President Charles Welch on Thursday named Karla Fisher the next chancellor of ASU-Beebe.
Fisher has been vice president of academics at Butler Community College in Kansas since 2010. She will succeed Eugene McKay, who announced in May that he would retire in January after almost 50 years at ASU-Beebe, including the past 21 as chancellor.
She will join ASU-Beebe on Jan. 16. Her salary will be $183,000.
In a news release, Welch said Fisher brings a experience in curriculum, student engagement and marketing.
“Butler and ASU-Beebe share many similarities in serving a broad mix of students on multiple campuses,” he said. “The search committee and campus constituencies were very impressed with her background, and we’re confident she’s the ideal leader to further enhance ASU-Beebe’s standing as a leading two-year college in the region.”
The 14-member search advisory committee reviewed 60 applications for the position. The university system named three finalists for the post in October.
Fisher was interim president at Butler for seven months in 2013. She has also been an associate of the Center for Community College Student Engagement since 2007 and was director of institutional marketing at Salt Lake Community college from 2001-2007.
“I am honored to join the ASU System,” Fisher said. “Everyone involved in the search process was incredibly welcoming. ASU-Beebe has a great history and, working together, I’m confident we’ll build an even greater future.”
The National Association of Instructional Administrators this year honored Fisher as Chief Academic Officer of the Year. She also received the Kansas Board of Regents Annual Award for Data Quality and Planning and the Wichita Business Journal Annual Award for Innovation for creation of Butler Early College Academies.
Fisher was awarded a Ph.D. in educational administration by the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas, a master of arts degree in communication by St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and a bachelor of arts degree in English by St. Mary’s University.
ASU-Beebe has more than 4,500 students and has additional campuses at Heber Springs, Searcy and the Little Rock Air Force Base. It is part of the ASU System, which serves 23,300 students throughout the state with sites in Jonesboro, Paragould, Newport, Marked Tree, Mountain Home and West Memphis.
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