Dr. Perry Ward

President, Lawson State Community College

Dr. Perry Ward is president of Lawson State Community College. Since 1987 he has worked to ensure that Birmingham, Alabama and surrounding counties have a local workforce ready to meet economic needs. He works with the Birmingham Business Alliance, the Bessemer (AL) Chamber of Commerce, the Jefferson County Workforce Development Board, Blueprint Birmingham, the Alabama Region 4 Workforce Development Committee, the Western Jefferson County Economic Development Taskforce and Innovation Depot to develop, grow and help businesses succeed.  The community college has built just-in-time training initiatives with numerous local businesses, including the extensive automobile industry in Alabama.  As a member of the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium, the college trains technicians in compressed natural gas. It also trains students in the maintenance and inspection of alternative powered vehicles through a grant from the State Energy Sector.