Dixon, the son of two community college graduates, said his passion for community colleges started at SCC. He was 23 when he completed his service to the Marine Corps and started taking classes at SCC using benefits from the GI Bill.
He graduated from SCC with an Associate of Arts degree with emphasis in political science. He then received a transfer scholarship to the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in international and comparative politics.
Dixon spent a semester of study at Georgetown in Washington, D.C., and completed an internship at the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia, also in Washington, D.C.
He and his wife moved to the Springfield, Mo., area where he took a job with the Hollister Chamber of Commerce. He spearheaded a ballot initiative to expand the taxing district and bring a satellite campus of Ozarks Technical Community College to Hollister, Mo., called OTC Table Rock.
This experience grew his interest in moving big ideas from start to completion, so he chose to pursue a Master of Public Administration degree from Missouri State University.
Dixon then took a job for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, where he focused on business retention and expansion programs, including community college initiatives. He moved into a vice president role and worked with the board of directors to improve workforce development in Southwest Missouri.
Dixon became the Missouri Community College Association (MCCA)'s seventh chief executive officer in January 2015.
“Throughout our community, state and nation, strong community colleges are preparing students for life and the workforce,” said Dixon. “Their academic programs and workforce training programs will provide a tenfold return on our investment.”
The St. Charles Community College Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, raises funds to support student scholarships and educational programs for the college.
St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit stchas.edu.