Committee

Nanci Coleman

Nanci Coleman is the program director for Automotive Technology at Tri-C’s Western Campus. She has more than 25 years of experience with a variety of public, private and nonprofit organizations. Coleman has diverse experience in career development and job placement for ages K-12 to adult, as well as a deep knowledge of local growth industries and hiring practices. She holds a B.A. in international affairs from The George Washington University. Her prior work experience includes more than 20 years at the Cuyahoga Valley Career Center in Brecksville.

Alaina Foster

Alaina Foster manages Veteran and Military Connected Services at Tri-C’s Eastern Campus. She also teaches a First Year Experience success seminar to help new students navigate the challenges and expectations of college life. Foster holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix, a BBA from Baldwin Wallace University and an associate degree in human resources management from Tri-C. She is currently pursuing a doctorate from the Roueche Center for Community College Leadership at Kansas State University.

Meagan Fowler

Meagan Fowler is an assistant professor and librarian at Tri-C’s Metro Campus, where she has served in various roles since 2010. A member of the 2018 Library Leadership Ohio cohort, Fowler is a passionate educator who strives to foster critical thinking and information fluency in her students.

She holds an M.A. in librarianship from the University of Sheffield, U.K., an MAT from Marygrove College and a B.A. from Cleveland State University.

Magda Gómez, Ed.D.

Magda Gómez serves as director of Diversity and Inclusion at Cuyahoga Community College, where she works on multiple initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusivity awareness and education. Her work focuses on valuing students and employees by encouraging mutual respect and honoring the unique perspectives each person brings to the table regardless of age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or military status.

Gómez holds an Ed.D. in community college leadership from National American University, an MSSA from Case Western Reserve University and a B.A. in communications from John Carroll University.

Heather Hetchler

Heather Hetchler is an adjunct professor of communication at Tri-C’s Westshore Campus. Her passion is teaching healthy communication skills that empower others to find and use their voice for change. She helps people navigating nontraditional family structures (e.g., single parenting, co-parenting) through her firm, Wise Cardinal, and promotes healthy financial habits for women through her work with enlightenHer.com. Hetchler holds a master’s degree in applied communication and methodology from Cleveland State University and a bachelor’s in communications from Miami University.

Haidy Kamel, Ph.D.

Haidy Kamel is an associate professor of chemistry at Tri-C’s Eastern Campus. She holds a B.A. in pharmaceutical sciences from Suez Canal University in Ismailia, Egypt, and a Ph.D. in pharmacognosy (natural products chemistry) from the University of Mississippi. Her doctoral research earned a Kilmer Prize from the American Society of Pharmacognosy and the American Pharmaceutical Association.

Kamel received a fellowship from the National institute of Underwater Science and Technology in 2006 to continue her research in the field of drug discovery from natural sources. She has published 12 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Natural Products and the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin.

She joined Tri-C in 2011, where she teaches general and organic chemistry and currently serves as vice president for the American Association of University Professors at her campus.

Jennifer McCall

Jennifer McCall is the contract training program coordinator with Corporate College. She thrives when managing relationships and processes, coordinating training and events, contributing to collaborative team efforts and actively engaging in organizational initiatives. Her experience has afforded her exposure to many facets of program planning and implementation, including managing relationships and processes, end-to-end training and event execution, and program and process development.

McCall has worked in a variety of industries including health care, engineering/manufacturing, hospitality, and print and promotional advertising. She loves to motivate women to become the best versions of themselves.

Jessica McLaughlin

Jessica McLaughlin has been an assistant professor of psychology at Tri-C since 2019. She holds a B.A. from Grinnell College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Wayne State University. While living in the Detroit area, she specialized in assessing and diagnosing children from low-income families. She then taught at Montgomery College in Maryland for five years while also serving as faculty advisor for the Psychology Club, helping psychology faculty incorporate open educational resources into their classes, and completing the Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship.

Currently, McLaughlin teaches general psychology, abnormal psychology and child development at Tri-C’s Metro Campus. She is passionate about incorporating social justice issues into her classroom, with an emphasis on combating the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Nicole Meadows

Nicole Meadows serves as donor engagement and outreach events specialist for the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation. She is also an adjunct faculty member in the College’s Hospitality Management program. Prior to joining Tri-C, Meadows served in various event planning and sales roles at resorts, country clubs and special event venues. She holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel, restaurant and institutional management from The Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from West Virginia University.

Delia (Dee Dee) Pfister, Ph.D.

Dee Dee Pfister has served Cuyahoga Community College in various leadership roles over the past nine years. She is currently the associate vice president of Academic Professional Development, Online Learning and Transfer. Prior to joining Tri-C, she worked at Ursuline College, Lake Erie College, Fifth Third Bank, and Axelband and Brown Advertising.

Pfister holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Kent State University as well as a master’s in interpersonal communication, a graduate certificate in women’s studies, and a bachelor’s in organizational communication with a minor in studio art from Ohio University. She was the first student at Ohio University to simultaneously earn a master’s and a bachelor’s degree in four years.

In 2017, she won the National Council on Student Development Dissertation of the Year Award for her dissertation, “Singled Out for Success: A Narrative Inquiry of Single Mothers in the Community College.”

Julia Ruane

Julia Ruane has more than 30 years of experience in higher education. As assistant dean of Student Affairs at Tri-C’s Western Campus, she supports student success through her work promoting student rights and responsibilities, providing emergency student assistance, chairing the campus’ Behavioral Intervention/Care Team and serving on Collegewide committees. Ruane’s background is in business, higher education administration and leadership. She holds BBA, MBA and Ed.S. (education specialist) degrees.

Janet Spitzig

Janet Spitzig is the interim associate dean of liberal arts at Tri-C’s Metro Campus. She has more than a decade of experience in higher education, particularly in the areas of marketing, program planning and student success. In addition to a doctorate in business administration from Franklin University, Spitzig holds an M.Ed. in adult learning and development and a BBA in marketing from Cleveland State University.

Andy Whyte

Andy Whyte is an instructional design specialist with Tri-C’s Corporate College® and workforce divisions. He has nearly two decades of experience in secondary and postsecondary curriculum development. A member of the Client Solutions team since spring 2021, Whyte has played a key role in designing and implementing training programs for adult and youth peer recovery supporters with Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services. He holds two M.Ed. degrees from Kent State University and a B.A. from Eastern Illinois University.

Robin Williams

Robin Williams was recently appointed assistant dean of academic affairs at Tri-C’s Westshore Campus after managing the Business Administration program for many years. Her decade of experience in higher education includes service as a faculty recruiter for Indiana Wesleyan University and as assistant director of academic operations for Ursuline College’s Adult Program. She has also worked in the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Williams holds a master’s in strategic management from Indiana Wesleyan and a B.A. from Ursuline. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in global leadership and higher education administration at Indiana Tech University.

Chavilah Witt

Chavilah (Chava) Witt is the director of student engagement for Tri-C’s Western and Westshore campuses. She is also active in the Hispanic Council Mentorship Program. Prior to joining the College in December 2019, she worked in residence life and student life at multiple postsecondary institutions including Cleveland State University. Witt holds an M.S. in training and development from Texas A&M University and a B.A. in organizational communication and Spanish from the University of Findlay in addition to Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Color Code Personality Assessment Trainer certifications.