Arizona Western College opens public forums for key workforce leader search

Five finalists are being put before Yuma and La Paz residents for a job that helps steer Arizona Western College’s workforce engine, from career and technical education to health care training and employer partnerships.

The college opened public forums for the Executive Vice President of the Entrepreneurial College position, a post that reports to the president and helps direct programs designed to respond to local labor demand. The finalists are Dr. Isaac Zúñiga, Dr. Shadi Kilani, Dr. Shelley Pearson, Dr. David Campbell and Andrew Clegg. The forums are being held at the AWC Yuma Campus in the Matador Activity Center, room 106, with sessions on Thursday, April 16 and Monday, April 20.

The search carries added weight because Dr. Reetika Dhawan, who currently holds the role, is set to become Arizona Western College’s 10th president in July 2026, replacing Dr. Daniel Corr after his retirement. Corr has led the college since July 2016, making the transition a major leadership shift for an institution that says it serves more than 11,000 students each year across 12 locations in Yuma and La Paz counties.

Arizona Western College launched the Entrepreneurial College in May 2023 as a “Second Pillar” to meet workforce demand and build a more reliable pipeline of talent for employers. The unit combines credit and non-credit offerings, including classes that do not always follow the normal semester schedule, a structure meant to make training more responsive to job openings and industry shifts.

Kathy Ocampo, Arizona Western College’s vice president and chief human resources officer, said the college received a “great response” to the posting and wants the next leader to build on momentum in Workforce Development and Career and Technical Education. The college says the forums are intended for members of the Yuma and La Paz communities, underscoring how closely the role is tied to the local economy.

That connection reaches well beyond campus. Arizona Western College says labor market data shows 65 percent of jobs are classified as skilled and technical, and the college’s workforce and economic data page says it plays a vital role in the economic health and development of Yuma and La Paz counties. In September 2025, Lightcast estimated that AWC added almost $319.2 million to the income of the two counties in fiscal year 2023-24.

The college says more than 15 roundtable sessions, town halls, CTE discussions and industry leader meetings helped shape the Entrepreneurial College. That history makes the EVP search more than an internal staffing decision. The next leader will help determine how Arizona Western College trains workers, responds to employer needs and keeps the region’s talent pipeline moving in step with a fast-changing labor market.