Gadsden State has new president

Martha Lavender is Gadsden State Community College's president.  The announcement came tuesday, more than 13 months after Lavender was named the school's interim president. The Alabama Community College System's Board of Trustees made it official tuesday.  Lavender began her nursing career as a graduate of Gadsden State Community College. She later received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Jacksonville State University, and her master's and doctoral degrees in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In 2011, she retired as the Dean of Health Sciences at GSCC.  The move provides stability for the position, which saw several changes over the last two years. Lavender replaced Helen McAlpine, who held the post for about two months. McAlpine replaced interim president William Blow, who was named to the post after former President Ray Staats resigned following a faculty no-confidence vote.