Albany Technical College recently announced the new chair for the college’s Board of Directors. Joe Austin, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Phoebe Putney Health System, will serve as the new chair beginning this month. Austin succeeds Virginia Parker, who has served as the chair of the Albany Tech Board of Directors since July of 2011.

A native of Dothan, Alabama, Austin has served on the Albany Tech Board of Directors since July of 2009. With more than 34 years of diverse experience in health care, Austin came to Phoebe Putney from North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia, where he served as the Chief Executive Officer. Previously, he served as the Chief Executive Officer for the Huntsville Hospital System (Alabama) for more than six years.

In his early career, he worked as an administrator in a variety of health care concerns, including rehabilitation hospitals. His Georgia experience is not limited to the Metro Atlanta part of Georgia. Austin had a great introduction to the Southwest Georgia culture and habits when he worked early in his career at Dooly Medical Center in Vienna.

Since serving as a member of the Albany Tech Board of Directors for a number of years, Austin has become an avid supporter and advocate for the college. His new duties as Board Chair will allow him to be involved on a larger scale.

“Albany Technical College is a growing college in this community and I look forward to helping the college become an even greater asset to Southwest Georgia,” said Austin.

Albany Tech hopes to expand the college in both square footage and the various programs offered. Austin says that it’s an exciting time to be a part of that growth. “Albany Tech is responsible for a large portion of our workforce here at Phoebe and in other needed parts of the community and I look forward to continued service on the board as we serve the workforce needs of our area,” said Austin.

Austin earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in business administration from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and also serves on the board of the Albany Boys and Girls Clubs. Before locating to Albany, he served on numerous boards and professional associations in the Metro Atlanta area in Georgia and in Alabama.