The Technical College System of Georgia has selected Dr. Kendricks D. Hooker as the next president of Augusta Technical College. Hooker will officially start his presidency on January 2, 2026.
Dr.Hooker succeeds Dr. Jermaine Whirl, who led Augusta Tech from 2020 to 2025, and Dr. Melissa Frank-Alston, who has served as interim president since April 1, 2025.
Leadership experience across the country
Hooker has taught and served in leadership roles in six states, bringing a broad perspective on higher education to Augusta.
He currently serves as provost of Cabarrus College of Health Sciences in North Carolina, where he has led academic strategy and student success initiatives since 2023. Before that, he worked as vice president of Academic Affairs at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis and held administrative roles at Madison Area Technical College in Wisconsin.
Earlier in his career, Hooker spent 13 years teaching biology at Baptist Health Sciences University, where he mentored students pursuing careers in science and healthcare. Those experiences, he said, shaped his leadership approach and strengthened his belief in collaboration.
“I try to be as clear as I possibly can,” Hooker said. “I try to make sure you understand what my expectations are. And once you understand what my expectations are, then it’s important for me to make sure that you have the tools and the resources to accomplish those things. Once you have that support, then my goal is to empower you to do what you’re responsible for doing.”
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How a classroom challenge shaped his future
For Hooker, education has always been personal. His journey began in college, where a single classroom challenge changed his career path and sparked a lifelong passion for teaching and higher education leadership.
“He said, ‘Mr. Hooker, you have three days to learn the bones.’” Hooker recalled when talking about a story from his favorite professor. “That Monday, when I got in class, he said, ‘Okay, Mr. Hooker, showtime.’ So I got up, I went through all of the bones with zero concerns. And he then told me, ‘Your grade depends on how well the rest of the students do, because now you’re responsible to make sure everybody in the class know the bones.’”
That moment, Hooker said, reshaped his outlook on education leadership.
“Knowing at that point, my aspiration changed a little bit,” he said. “Because at that point I’m like, okay, this teaching, this being a professor, it’s not bad. And I think that’s where the seed was planted.”
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Shaped by the community college experience
Hooker’s connection to community colleges runs deep. Hooker’s educational journey includes time at Coahoma Community College, an experience he credits with shaping his professional outlook and his commitment to accessible education.
“Given that the community or two-year college sort of laid the foundation for where I am today, I ended up having a love for sharing higher ed. — and an appreciation for the community college.”
A vision for growth and collaboration
As he prepares to take on his new role, Hooker said he plans to build upon the strong foundation already in place at Augusta Tech. His focus will center on listening to faculty, staff, students, and local employers to identify opportunities that strengthen both the college and the community it serves.
“Dr. Whirl has done some amazing work,” Hooker said. “And I want to build on the foundation in which he’s already laid.”
Hooker said one of his top priorities will be ensuring that Augusta Tech continues to meet workforce demands through high-quality, relevant programs.
“I want our institution to be known as an institution that transforms talent to strengthen our communities and improve the economic development of our communities,” he said.
He added that meaningful progress requires partnership.
“Currently, I’m on the outside looking in, and I’ve got to become a part of this institution,” Hooker said. “I need to be frontline with stakeholders internally and externally to understand what our needs are and then build this shared vision. And I think with the shared vision that we will all co-create, there’s going to be a greater level of investment.”
Hooker said he looks forward to continuing that mission while expanding partnerships that connect students to real-world opportunities.
“I want Augusta Tech to continue to be a place where education meets purpose,” he said. “When we help our students succeed, our community succeeds too.”
As the college prepares for its next phase of growth, Hooker said he is ready to lead with collaboration and clarity.
“Education gave me everything,” he said. “Now it’s my turn to give that back.
Hooker will officially begin his new role on Jan. 2, 2026.
