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.
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.
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.
Kurt Doan, EdD
Special Assistant to the President and Board of Trustees
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.
Nancy Dysard
Chief Communications Officer
ndysard@harford.edu
Nancy Dysard has been with Harford Community College since 2005. With over twenty years of experience in communications and marketing, she excels in leading strategic initiatives within both higher education and corporate settings. As the Chief Communications Officer, Nancy crafts and implements extensive marketing strategies to boost enrollment, enhance brand awareness, and drive customer engagement. Managing a budget close to $1 million, she oversees a team handling digital marketing, brand management, public relations, and crisis communication, ensuring cohesive messaging across all channels.
Before joining Harford Community College, Nancy worked in the private sector, where she managed corporate branding, public relations, and internet marketing strategies, including search engine optimization. Her career began with leadership roles in regional office management and administrative operations where she was instrumental in building and streamlining operational procedures.
Nancy earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Towson University and an A.S. in Business Administration from Harford Community College. A 2006 graduate of the Harford Leadership Academy, she is also an active member of the Maryland Community College Public Relations Officers, the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations, and the Public Relations Society of America.
Karina L. Jackson, CPA
Associate Vice President, Finance
kjackson@harford.edu
Karina Jackson has served the local government and not-for-profit industries for almost thirty years. Since June 2020, she has been responsible for the leadership and management of all accounting, budgeting and finance functions within Harford Community College’s Finance Department, and the operations of the College Store. She delivers key financial reports to the President, her Cabinet and the Board of Trustees that lead to informed strategic decisions. In 2024, Mrs. Jackson’s role expanded to include oversight and leadership of the College’s Procurement Department.
Before joining the College, Mrs. Jackson spent ten years as a member of the Harford County Government Treasury Department and a member of the Cecil College Finance Department.
Mrs. Jackson became a certified public accountant in 1993 and spent the early part of her career as an independent auditor for a mid-level public accounting firm. She graduated from Mount St. Mary’s University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.
She is a current member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts, the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants, the Government Finance Officers Association, the Maryland Association of Community Colleges Business Officers and the National Association of College & University Business Officers.
Casey Snyder
Executive Director, Harford Community College Foundation
csnyder@harford.edu
Casey Snyder’s professional career began with the Boy Scouts of America, where he held several roles including District Executive, Camping Director, District Director, and Field Director for the Baltimore Area Council. Early in his career, Casey found his passion for working with volunteers, community engagement, and team development. He joined Harford Community College in 2022 as the Director for Development. As an HCC alumnus, Casey found pride in returning to Harford to engage in community efforts to foster growth and opportunities through the Harford Community College Foundation. Casey holds a bachelor's degree in Recreation and Park Management with a concentration in Adventure Sports and a minor in Leadership Studies from Frostburg State University. He is a graduate of both Leadership Baltimore County (2017) and Harford Leadership Academy (2023).
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.