Dr. Sally Carder, recently-retired National Park Community College President, has been named Grand Marshal for the 2014 Oaklawn Rotary Christmas Parade, announced Ron Kelsay, parade chair.
A native Arkansan from Grant County, Carder graduated from Prattsville High School and was the first of her family to graduate from college. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. In 1993, she completed her Doctorate in Education from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
Carder spent 40 years in education, training and administration at both the secondary and postsecondary levels. She coached and taught at Poyen Public Schools before accepting a counseling position at Ouachita Vocational School. From there she moved to the Arkansas Department of Vocational Education where she spent over 13 years supervising a statewide industry training program and coordinating the curriculum and instruction for 24 vocational schools. In 1998, Dr. Carder became the Director of Instruction for Quapaw Technical Institute in Hot Springs, and was promoted to the office of President two years later.
Carder was instrumental in facilitating the merger between Quapaw Tech and Garland County Community College that resulted in the formation of National Park Community College in 2003. In July 2005, she became the first woman president of NPCC. She retired in July 2014 after a successful tenure during which the college experienced record growth, became one of the most active volunteer groups in Hot Springs, and emerged as an educational leader in the state. She now volunteers with the Charitable Christian Medical Clinic and Ouachita Children’s Center.
“Dr. Carder believes that community service is not only an area in which all citizens should participate, but also an opportunity and a God-given responsibility,” said Kelsay. “This aligns perfectly with Rotary International’s motto, Service above Self. Dr. Carder, a visionary with a strong faith and a heart for service, believes as we in Oaklawn Rotary do: Working together, great things lie ahead for Hot Springs and Garland County.”