The Board of Regents named Dr. Kirk Nooks president of Gordon State College in Barnesville. Nooks will assume his new position on June 1, 2018. Nooks is currently president at Metropolitan Community College-Longview in Lee’s Summit, Mo.

“The selection of Dr. Nooks as president of Gordon State underscores the board’s commitment in providing the college with strong leadership,” said Chairman Jim Hull. “Dr. Nooks’ over 20 years of experience in education, business and engineering will serve the college well.”

“I’m pleased to welcome Dr. Nooks back to the University System of Georgia as president of Gordon State College,” said Chancellor Steve Wrigley. “His past experiences in higher education will be an asset in helping to increase Gordon State’s enrollment and provide a strong foundation for the college.”

Named president at MCC-Longview in 2013, Nooks began his tenure by establishing a presidential task force to explore the institution’s future and identify opportunities. The approach involved establishing a model based on several initiatives focusing on people, policies, programs, practices and progress.

“Gordon State has so much to offer as an institution of higher learning. I’m honored to be selected as president to serve Gordon State, its students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the college and to help the institution fulfill its mission,” said Nooks. “I look forward to becoming part of the Gordon State campus community and getting to know Barnesville and the region.”

Prior to joining MCC-Longview, Nooks served as both campus dean and executive liaison for diversity at Georgia Highlands College. Under his leadership, the campus expanded academic and student services.

An engineer by training, Nooks holds a doctorate in higher education administration from George Washington University, along with an MBA in marketing and a bachelor of science in industrial management from Mercer University. He is a graduate of the Thomas Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership and a member of the inaugural cohort of the American Council on Education’s Spectrum Leadership Institute.