President's Cabinet
Diane Ryan, PhD
Vice President for Academic Affairs
diryan@harford.edu
Dr. Diane Ryan joined Harford Community College in January 2024. She most recently served as the Vice President of Academic Affairs at Yavapai College, in Prescott, Arizona. In this role, she supervised the College’s Academic Deans and the Dean of Instructional Support, as well as other key administrators.
Dr. Ryan was responsible for Career and Technical Education, Transfer Education, and Lifelong Learning; managing the academic affairs budget; supporting and promoting the Yavapai College Strategic Plan; ensuring the College met the accreditation requirements of the Higher Learning Commission for academic quality and compliance; providing expectations and educational oversight to academic divisions, including dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment, and Early College Academy; building community partnerships for student scholarships, academic entry, and workforce development; managing the review and revision of all academic policies and procedures; reviewing ROI to determine academic program development; leading the development of the college’s first baccalaureate degrees in Business and Nursing, and co-leading the design and renovation of two campus libraries/tutoring centers into Centers of Learning and Innovation and expansion of a Health Sciences Center.
She also promoted the use of open educational resources to remove enrollment barriers for students, developed collegial partnerships with the student enrollment and retention division to improve completion, and engaged in a student leadership program to stay connected to students.
Prior to this, Dr. Ryan served Yavapai as its Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. Previous administrative positions include the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences and then Pathway Dean of Engineering, Science, and Math at Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Virginia. Dr. Ryan has also taught English, Communication Studies, and Public Speaking at Tidewater Community College, Fisher Junior College, and Spoon River Community College.
She earned her B.A. in Mass Communications and her M.A. in Communication Studies from Western Illinois University, and she earned her Ph.D. in Community College Leadership from Old Dominion University.
Jacqueline S. Jackson, PhD
Vice President for Student Success & Title IX Coordinator
jajackson@harford.edu
Dr. Jacqueline S. Jackson joined Harford Community College in 2017. She came to Harford with a wide variety of experience in strategic management issues. Throughout her career she has worked to improve the onboarding experience for new students and develop more effective academic advising models that promote faculty engagement; she also has extensive experience in retention and completion planning and Title IX policy. She was the 2017 recipient of the Innovation of the Year award from the League for Innovation in the Community College for her work on a team of colleagues that addressed achievement gaps in highly-enrolled courses at Anne Arundel Community College.
Dr. Jackson received her PhD in Urban Education with a concentration in Higher Education Administration from Old Dominion University; she also holds an MS in College Student Personnel and Counseling, and a BS in Psychology, both from Western Illinois University. Prior to joining Harford Community College, she held a visiting assistant professorship at George Washington University, teaching full-time in the graduate program for Higher Education Administration. She was also the founding Chief Academic Officer at the University of the District of Columbia Community College, and spent nearly eight years working for several national higher education associations in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Jackson's professional interests include the academic achievement of first-generation and underrepresented students; retention and completion strategies; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and community relations. She is originally from Monmouth, Illinois ("Birthplace of Wyatt Earp") and resides with her husband, Maurice, in Havre de Grace, MD.
Kurt Doan, EdD
Senior Executive Assistant to the President/Board & Legislative Liaison
kdoan@harford.edu
Dr. Kurt Doan joined Harford Community College in September 2014 as the Director for Student Life and joined the President’s Office in August of 2017. Kurt oversees the day-to-day operations of the Executive Suite, and also works directly with the Board of Trustees, serving as Board staff for the College’s nine trustees.
Kurt earned a BA in Psychology from Penn State University, an MA in Higher Education Administration from The University of Arizona, and completed his doctorate in Higher Education Leadership and Innovation from Wilmington University in May of 2021. He has over 25 years of experience in the field of higher education and previously served as the Dean for Continuing Education at Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences. Kurt’s professional interests include educational equity for underserved communities—particularly the LGBTQ+ community.
Donna Shopulski, MBA, JD
Vice President for Human Resources, Risk, and Compliance
dshopulski@harford.edu
Donna Shopulski joined Harford Community College in July 2020 as the Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Employee Development. In October 2022, Donna was promoted to Vice President, Human Resources, Risk, and Compliance, in recognition of her expertise and contributions to the College in the areas of legal matters, compliance, and risk management.
Donna’s background includes 15 years with a multistate Caterpillar dealer where she served as Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, 12 years in private law practice (primarily focused on ERISA, general corporate, and employment law), a vice president role with an actuarial and benefits consulting firm, as well as serving as a business consultant. Donna has also worked as an adjunct instructor for the University of Baltimore School of Law, College of Notre Dame in Maryland, and CCBC.
Donna obtained her BA in English at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, her MBA from Loyola College, and her JD from the University of Maryland School of Law.
Denise Dregier
Executive Director, Harford Community College Foundation
ddregier@harford.edu
Denise Dregier has been employed as the Director for the Office of Institutional Advancement for Harford Community College and Executive Director for the Harford Community College Foundation since April 2010. She directs a 32-member Board of Directors with Foundation assets of $16 million.
Prior to her employment with Harford Community College, she was a small business owner for 20 years, working with her husband, Gary, in a real estate brokerage and appraisal firm in Baltimore.
As an extension of her role at Harford, Denise co-chairs the Education Committee for the Harford County Chamber of Commerce. She also is a member of the Community Foundation of Harford County Board of Directors. Recently, Denise has been chosen to serve as Harford's representative on the North Star Funding Committee, an initiative established by the Harford County Public School System and Harford Community College.
A resident of Havre de Grace, Denise is active in the community as a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Maryland Chapter, and the Maryland Association of Community College Fundraising Professionals, where she serves as President.
Her personal interest in equal opportunities for children and adults with differing abilities has led her to be appointed to the Miracle League of Harford County Board of Directors. The Miracle League of Harford County built and opened an adaptive baseball field at Schucks Regional Park, Bel Air. The field allows special needs players to play baseball.
Nancy Dysard
Director for Communications
ndysard@harford.edu
Nancy Dysard is a lifelong resident of Harford County. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management at Towson University and is a 2006 graduate of the Harford Leadership Academy.
With more than 25 years of marketing experience, she is currently the Director for Communications at Harford Community College and is a member of the Maryland Community College Public Relations Officers and the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations.
She has been a supporter of the Harford Center for a number of years and in 2019 was appointed by the Harford County Council to serve on its Board where she is a member of the fundraising committee.
Greg Works
Director for Institutional Effectiveness
gworks@harford.edu
Greg Works serves as the Director of Institutional Effectiveness. Greg joined Harford Community College in November 2021 after having spent 13 years as an institutional researcher at St. Louis Community College. He is a sociologist with many professional interests including demography, geographic analysis, and program evaluation. Greg has also served as an adjunct at several institutions.
Greg believes in the power of community colleges to transform lives. He began his career at Northeast Mississippi Community College. He has since attended four other community colleges and has worked at five community colleges, including Harford.
Thomas Alcide
Chief Information Officer
talcide@harford.edu
Thomas Alcide joined Harford Community College in January 2019 as the Chief Information Officer. In this position, he provides leadership and support to Information Technology Services and helps the College secure an IT vision that centers on student success.
Tom has more than 22 years of experience in information technology management, specifically within higher education. He holds an MS in Applied Information Technology and a BS in Business Management from Towson University. In addition, he has multiple professional certifications including Certified Associate in Project Management.