VPAA Bios

VPAA Finalists

Dr. Paula Livingston

Dr. Paula Livingston currently serves as the Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs at Estrella Mountain Community College and provides collaborative visionary leadership and support to all academic and occupational/CTE divisions and programs. Before moving into the role of interim VPAA, Paula was the Dean of Instruction and Workforce Development at EMCC, where she provided oversight and leadership for several academic and occupational divisions and programs, as well as the work out of the Center for Workforce and Experiential Learning and the EMCC Makerspace.

Dr. Livingston is a champion of the community college mission and strongly believes in the critical role community colleges play in supporting the economic vitality of the communities we serve. Paula’s experience in higher education spans across academic areas, including special focus on workforce initiatives, experiential learning opportunities for students, accreditation and compliance, and strategic planning. Utilizing the principles of shared governance, Paula has worked collaboratively across all areas of the institution to foster a sense of inclusion and diversity of perspectives and voices in the decision-making process.

In her work, Dr. Livingston develops and fosters relationships with business/industry, education partners and community organizations to further EMCC’s mission of student success. Paula has collaborated with faculty in developing and expanding educational offerings to support the socio-economic mobility and educational advancement of students. Her focus has been on promoting teaching excellence, fostering an environment of inclusivity and teamwork, and championing innovation across the college. She has worked collaboratively with faculty and provided academic leadership to support strategic and sustainable growth for EMCC, including the Microsoft Datacenter Academy and the development of the first 2-year Artificial Intelligence program in the United States. Additionally, Paula has been integral in garnering millions in grant funding and donations to support teaching and learning, student scholarships, and curriculum development and programming.

Paula holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership – Higher Education/Community College, a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting. In her spare time, Paula enjoys outdoor activities, including mountain biking, scuba diving, and exploring new places, but her passion is being grandma to the cutest grandbabies.
 

Dr. Dennis Mitchell

Dennis Mitchell, Ed.D., serves as the Interim Chief Academic Officer (CAO) and Senior Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at Mesa Community College (MCC), where he provides collaborative, executive leadership for academic programs, departments, and related instructional support areas that serve the needs of MCC's diverse student body and community. Previously, Dennis served as MCC's Associate Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness (IE) and Accreditation Liaison Officer, supporting college planning, institutional effectiveness, institutional research, business intelligence and data analytics, accreditation, grants development, assessment, program review, and compliance. In addition, Dennis also works as a faculty associate in Arizona State University’s (ASU) Doctor of Education and Master of Higher Education programs and has been a past adjunct faculty member in MCC’s English Department.

His nearly 20 years of experience in higher education include Rio Salado College and both the Morrison Institute for Public Policy and the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at ASU. Since joining MCC in 2007, Dennis applied his passion for data analytics and continuous improvement efforts in various IE positions. Specifically, he led the implementation of Tableau as MCC’s data analytics solution, creating data dashboards for student success, enrollment monitoring, and proactive graduation that are still in use at MCC and across the Maricopa district.

During his career at MCC, Dennis has aspired to lead inclusively and model a shared governance approach to decision-making as he co-led the development of a new college strategic plan and vision, mission, and values statements; co-led the implementation of MCC’s first bachelor’s degrees programs; successfully led the college through a 4-year HLC Assurance review and two site visits; tri-chaired MCC’s prior Strategic Enrollment Management Task Force; co-chaired Maricopa’s IE Council; and served on the Guided Pathways Council Guiding Team.

A first-generation college graduate, Dennis earned a Doctor of Education in leadership and innovation from ASU, a master's degree in public administration from Valdosta State University, and dual bachelor's degrees in English literature and journalism from ASU. His current research pursuits include data use in higher education, employee perceptions of data use, equity-mindedness, equity-minded data use, and employee data literacy.
 

Dr. LoShay Willis

Dr. LoShay A. Willis is an accomplished college administrator/educator with over 20 years in higher education. Dr. Willis possesses broad academia experience serving as Assistant Dean of Career Programs, Department Chair of Health Sciences, Clinical Coordinator and Faculty for the Respiratory Program, and Adjunct faculty at Moraine Valley Community College. Dr. Willis also served as Director of Clinical, Faculty, and Laboratory Coordinator for the Respiratory Program at Indiana University Northwest. Dr. Willis has a breadth of leadership and classroom experience, as well as extensive mentoring and teaching at the university and community college levels. Dr. Willis currently serves as Dean of Career Programs for Moraine Valley Community College, in which she oversees four departments: Health Sciences, Mechanical Technology, Nursing, and Public Services. Dr. Willis is passionate about supporting students as they pursue their academic and vocational goals.

In addition to her experience as a higher education administrator/educator, Dr. Willis has an extensive background in healthcare, with over a decade of experience in the Phlebotomy and Respiratory Therapy professions.

Dr. Willis received her Doctor of Education in Ethical Leadership from Olivet Nazarene University, Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management, Associate of Science in Respiratory Therapy, and Phlebotomy Certificate from Indiana University Northwest.