Central Arizona College hires dean of lifelong learning and education

Central Arizona College has named Gaye Bumsted Perry its new dean for lifelong learning and education.

The appointment was recommended on Jan. 2 and officially accepted by the Pinal County Community College District Board of Governors on Jan. 8 during its monthly governing board meeting.

The dean position is one of five created under the administrative restructuring process currently underway at Central Arizona College. The goal of the restructuring is to provide higher quality, more efficient educational and community services to the residents of Pinal County.

Bumsted Perry arrived from the Maricopa Community Colleges district in January to manage Central Arizona College’s district-wide programs in education, lifelong learning, prison education, and the university transfer programs.

While at MCCD Bumsted Perry was an instructional designer with the Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction where she was responsible for the design and management of district-wide faculty development programs for all 10 colleges.

A two-time graduate of the University of Arizona, Bumsted Perry earned her undergraduate degree in communication arts and her master’s in counseling and guidance. She earned her doctorate in communication arts and sciences and higher educational administration from the University of Southern California.

Bumsted Perry’s career has included work in education, business and public organizations. She has served a consultant in e-learning, organizational development and corporate training. She worked in the Pima County Attorney’s Office serving as the community justice board coordinator where her primary duties included grant writing, training and community outreach.

She also served as the school outreach coordinator where she was responsible for the organizational development and grant management of 26 elementary schools in a federally funded, community-wide partnership to implement evidence-based programs that promote safe and healthy schools in the Marana, Tucson Unified, Amphitheater and Flowing Wells school districts.

Before moving to Arizona, Bumsted Perry worked as a consultant for the Caelum Research Corporation, a company contracted by NASA-JSC to streamline educational processes.

She served as an assistant professor of technology at the University of Houston where she managed undergraduate and graduate programs in training and development.

Bumsted Perry’s experience includes being an associate professor and director of student advisement for the School of Communication at Texas Southern University; the coordinator of speech and drama at San Jacinto College South, and the assistant dean of students at California State University San Bernardino.

She has developed numerous distance learning presentations, investigated and secured multiple grants, and written several publications.

An integral member of the community, Bumsted Perry is a member of the Friends of Camp Wildcat (University of Arizona) Alumni Board, serves as an usher with St. Phillips in the Hills Episcopal Church, and participates in the P.F. Chang Rock and Roll Marathon (Team Diabetes).

Submitted photo