Verl Long named Maricopa community outreach coordinator

As Central Arizona College prepares to expand its presence in the city of Maricopa from its current shopping center location on the John Wayne Parkway to a full-service campus, the institution is welcoming a new community outreach coordinator to the region in Oregon native Verl Long.

Long joined the CAC staff in July, replacing Barbara Meyer who retired from Central Arizona College at the end of June.

A 2000 graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in psychology, Long earned his master’s degree in higher education from Iowa State University in 2005 and is currently enrolled in the institution’s doctorate program.

He has a community college background both as an undergraduate and as a working professional. He graduated from Florida Community College in Jacksonville with a liberal arts degree in 1998 and worked at Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa from 2005 until landing in Arizona.

Prior to accepting his role at Central Arizona College, Long served as the coordinator of student support services for the TRiO grant program at Des Moines Community College. He began that role in February 2007 and was an instructor there from June 2005 until arriving at CAC. From January 2005 until February 2007 he was the educational advisor/multicultural liaison at the college’s urban campus.

Before starting his tenure at Des Moines Community College, Long was the resident manager in the department of family housing at Iowa State University for one year and a financial aid advisor at the university from August 2003 until December 2004.

File photo