Darton College Hires New Dean of Institutional Advancement and Public Relations
Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
In January, Tracy Goode joined his alma mater, Darton College, as Dean of Institutional Advancement and Public Relations. Goode takes on this role, which includes raising awareness and funds for the school's programs, as Darton prepares to offer its first four-year baccalaureate program this fall.
"I took this position because I wanted to become part of something important to the community," Goode said. "It's such an exciting time for Darton."
On May 10, 2011, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the implementation of a four-year baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Darton College. The decision effectively upgrades Darton from a community college to a state college and addresses the growing need for health care professionals, especially nurses, in Georgia.
"We have a top faculty in nursing and graduated more nurses last year than any other college in the state, public or private," Goode said. "Health care administrators like our nurses although I might be biased because my wife graduated from Darton and has worked for four years as a registered nurse."
Raising Funds and Awareness for Darton
In his institutional advancement role, Goode supports the Darton College Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides additional support to the school beyond the allocations received from the Georgia State Board of Regents. The Foundation helps create scholarships and endowments, supports faculty and staff, and provides educational opportunities at Darton College.
"Only one out of every 16 students who applied for a Foundation scholarship at Darton last year got one, which means many deserving students were unable to attend school. I truly believe that if someone works hard and meet the requirements that they should not be turned away," Goode said.
Darton is holding a gala dinner dance on May 11 to raise funds for the Darton College Foundation. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the event go to the Foundation. In addition to scholarships, the Foundation is helping to fund development of new baccalaureate programs.
"It's worth the effort to reach out for an investment in people's lives. Darton has many students who remain in Southwest Georgia after graduation, so an investment in those students today has a huge impact on our area in the future," Goode said.
Speaking on Behalf of Darton
The other side of Goode's role is public relations, which means representing Darton College to the media, community and other stakeholders.
"The world of public relations is fun and I get to speak on behalf of the college that I love," Goode said. "Plus the team here is really good so that was a big attraction in taking this position."
An experienced actor, Goode brings extra poise and polish to his public relations role. He worked 12 years for Sherwood Baptist Church, assisting in their movie production efforts. Goode has also acted in small roles in major motion pictures such as the remake of Footloose and the upcoming release of What to Expect When You Are Expecting with Cameron Diaz.
"Acting is my hobby like golf is a hobby, I’m not really good at either one, but have a lot of fun doing it. I have an agent in Atlanta and receive only a few invitations to audition a month, but I only can audition at a few of those per year because of my schedule. Of course, you only get the part in maybe one out of a 100 auditions," Goode said.
Goode also worked as a producer of film, television and radio programs through his company TAG Communications. He now plans to use his production skills in a new role, that of biggest cheerleader for Darton College.
"I look forward to partnering with alum and business and community leaders to expand opportunities at the school. I want to make Darton College synonymous with Albany, and southwest Georgia" Goode said.
More information on Darton College is available at www.darton.edu or contact Tracy Goode at (229) 317-6929 or [email protected].
