DR. JOEL A. ENGLISH
Dr. Joel A. English is the President Emeritus for Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Centura College, and Tidewater Tech, where he led all aspects of budgeting, enrollment, and finance; accreditation, academics and program development; online education and innovation; student services, financial aid, and career services. Dr. English innovated unique approaches at public affairs for the organization, developing a strong relationship with the employers who rely on its graduates and with the political leaders within its communities. Overseeing the growth and development of 20 campuses across 13 states, Dr. English led the school system from a financial deficit in 2014 and 2015, to steadily climbing retained earnings every year thereafter, finally attaining $166 Million revenue and $47 Million EBITDA in 2024. He led a successful transition of ownership of the schools, allowing the schools’ founder to retire and finding an institutional buyer who closed the sale in May 2024.
Dr. English previously served as the CEO of Miami Media School, Illinois Media School, and Colorado Media school from 2013-2015, a group of seven broadcast media schools across the country. Prior to this, he honed his expertise in distance education between 2002-2013, where he designed the delivery of online coursework between 2002-2003 and led the online school’s growth from 0 to 1,800 students in the following years. He became a Commissioner and Board Member for ACCSC for six years, and for two of those years, he was the Chairman of the ACCSC Board.
Prior to leading education within the private sector of higher education, Dr. English was a Professor of Professional Writing and Distance Learning at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, after earning a Ph.D. in English Rhetoric and Composition from Ball State University. Within four years of instruction and distance education leadership within the traditional sector of higher education, he learned how to lead with passion, create collaborative working environments to motivate staff to achieve what was previously thought to be impossible, and innovate academic programs within a highly regulated environment. He is the author of many articles focused on higher education leadership and student success, and he published Plugged In: Succeeding as an Online Learner with Wadsworth/Cengage Learning in 2014.
Partners
With three decades of leadership experience in higher education, working with English Advisory unlocks a range of partners who are available for additional support. Support in Marketing and Advertising, Financial and Compliance Auditing, Legal Services, Accounting, and Academic Solutions are are available through our network of partners as an extension of English Advisory's services.
