Ricky Tillis: From student to employee to director at Valley Street Campus

Ricky Tillis has come full circle at Gadsden State Community College.

Tillis was hired on Jan. 11 as the new director at the college’s Valley Street Campus, filling a role that had been vacant since 2017.

“I started here as a student and returned as a student, became an employee and, now, I am the campus director,” he said. “It’s sure been a wonderful progression.”

Tillis is in charge of a historic institution. The Valley Street Campus was established in 1960 as the Gadsden Vocational Trade School by Eugene N. Prater, director at the time of the Veterans Continuation Program for Negroes.

According to the school’s website, it was meant to be “a private vocational training school for Black Americans.”

Prater chose to establish it in Etowah County because of the “response to discontent expressed by Black veterans in Etowah County for being denied admission to the all-white Alabama School of Trades.”

The school was renamed Gadsden State Technical Institute in 1972. In 1997, carrying its current name, it was designated as a Historically Black College or University by the U.S. Department of Education.

“For more than 100 years, HBCUs have been educating minorities, giving them economic opportunities and instilling great values,” the United Negro College Fund says on its website. “Not only have they consistently produced leaders in their communities and across the nation, but HBCUs today are consistently and affordably producing the leaders of the future.”

Tillis started his higher education journey at the Valley Street Campus as a carpentry student in 1992. He is a graduate of Gadsden High School, where he was a member of the 1991 state championship football team, and played for the Alabama Raiders semi-professional football team.

In 1994, he surrendered to a calling in ministry and enrolled at the Birmingham-Easonian Baptist Bible College, earning a bachelor’s degree in Pastoral Studies in 1998.

During his time studying, Tillis worked in “warehousing and trucking,” but changed careers in 1999 to work in treatment aid at The Bridge, a facility that provides treatment and rehabilitation for adolescents struggling with substance abuse.

Over the next several years, his career progressed to counselor of the Male Adventure Treatment Program, counselor for the alcohol and drug program and, later, program director for the CARE Unit, a news release on Tillis’ hiring explained.

Tillis continued his education while at The Bridge, earning two master’s degrees — in biblical studies (2001) and religion education (2002) — from the Birmingham Theological Seminary.

He began serving in ministry in 1997 at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Glencoe, then moved to Sunlight Missionary Baptist Church in Eastaboga.

Tillis and his wife, Angela, started Harvest Fellowship Community Church in East Gadsden in 2004, and he became a full-time minister the following year. He continues to serve as pastor there.

During his time in ministry, however, Tillis said he “still longed to finish” his education.

“I never like starting something I don’t finish,” he said. “So, I returned to Gadsden State in the spring of 2011.”

He later transferred to Athens State University, where in 2019 he received a Bachelor of Science degree in liberal studies with a Sociology minor. He currently is working there on his third master’s degree, in career and technical education with a concentration in leadership.

Tillis in 2014 took a job with the Valley Street Campus’ physical plant department. GSCC said he sought a position where he could “make an impact on the lives of students.”

He said, “I’ve always been in a position of coaching, and I’ve always loved interacting with students. To encourage and assist students in their educational pursuits is my passion.”

Tillis in 2020 was hired as program advisor for Title III. This program, according to GSCC, began at the Valley Street Campus in 1998 and was “designed to enhance the academic programs, fiscal management and physical resources" of the campus.

“The mission of Title III is to further provide resources and support that will strengthen the quest for an individual’s successful completion of their goals by encouraging intellectual and technical skills of students and faculty,” according to Gadsden State.

Tillis still handles that role in addition to his duties as campus director. He tracks and monitors students to determine their academic progress, retention and graduation. He also provides academic advising and develops individual educational plans while working with academic directors, faculty and advisors.”

He’s excited to handle both jobs, citing his goal of advancing “student and community engagement by bringing focus to the Valley Street Campus.”

Tillis added, “I want to improve upon the foundational work that has already been laid by the previous campus directors. I consider this an honor and responsibility.”

He said increasing student engagement is a priority, is at the top of his list.

“We have students driving from Rome, Georgia, from Heflin, from Birmingham, from Decatur and from Montgomery,” he said, “They’re passing other colleges because they want to come to Gadsden State. They’re serious about their studies here. We need to provide an environment that is warm and welcoming. That’s important.”

Tillis believes it is the small things the campus does that can keep students engaged, such as activities during HBCU Week (the second week of September). Tailgating, cook-outs and other educational events have been held.

“Something as simple as providing popcorn and drinks breaks up the monotony for them,” he said. “I want them to stay engaged. We want them to learn, but we also want them to have fun.”

Tillis said he also wants to reconnect with the neighborhood surrounding the Valley Street Campus.

“I’ve spoken to some neighbors about potentially meeting,” he said. “I would like to hear from them. I think we need to have a strong connection with the people who live in the neighborhood our campus is in. We want our neighbors to come to our campus. We want them to see what educational and training opportunities we offer.”

Tillis expressed gratitude toward the campus’ the faculty and staff, which he said “are committed to the educational well-being of the students.” He called them “difference-makers.”

“Everybody at Valley Street is important and has a role to play,” he said. “Coming together as a team for the better good of others is what the Bible points out in Philippians 2:3-4 – ‘Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.’”

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: GCSS hires Ricky Tillis as new director for Valley Street Campus