Bishop State Community College has hired a new dean of workforce development. David Felton has been appointed the dean of economic and workforce development. Felton comes to Bishop State after spending the last 10 years in the Alabama Community College System. He served as the dean of workforce development at Trenholm State Technical College and also worked at Jefferson State Community College, first as an instructor before being promoted to the manufacturing & technology center program coordinator. Prior to education, Felton spent 30 years in manufacturing, a majority of which was in project management. It's Felton's project management capabilities that will come into play with the new Advanced Manufacturing Center on the horizon. Felton says the challenge the college now faces is one of the reasons he applied for and accepted the position. "I like a good challenge," Felton says during an on-campus interview. "I knew from my interview here what was coming up as far as the new center and I feel I have great project management experience from my industry experience and that's going to be required in managing the creation of this facility and center." The other reason Felton took on the challenge was personal. "Moving down here to the coastal region was a goal that my wife and I had." In addition to all of his work experience and industry knowledge, Felton says he will bring other qualities to the table at Bishop State. "I'll bring passion, excitement, a very significant work ethic, and probably some ideas that aren't new, but they may not have been emphasized." Felton went to DeVry Institute of Technology in Columbus, Ohio where he earned his Bachelor's of Science degree in Electronics Engineering. He also graduated from Malone University in Canton, Ohio where he received his degree in Business Administration.