Profiles from the Pack: President Jack E. Daniels III

After 11 ½ years leading Madison College, President Daniels recently celebrated his final commencement and the long-awaited Early Learning Campus Goodman South initiative. Discover how a 1970s disco song motivated Daniels during challenging times and hear about his next adventure in retirement.

On Dec. 10, you gathered with Madison College’s partners to announce the future Goodman South Early Learning Campus opening in January 2025. What was going through your mind?
On a scale of 1-10, that day was a 15. This project was years in the making and involved many organizations and people.

You’re known for your campus walks. What inspired those?
It’s important to engage people so that they don’t look at you as some monolithic leader. I want people to feel comfortable talking with me. It is something that I have done my entire career. When I was vice president of academic affairs in San Diego, the president invited me on “his walks”. You would be surprised by what you can get done informally, it’s a good time to talk. After the pandemic, we told students it was great to see them, but we need to ask them how they are feeling, and you can’t do that unless you are walking around and asking and getting that affirmation of where they are in their lives.

How does Madison College put the “community” in community college?
We serve the majority who are looking for a higher education. We get the bulk of the students who the Carnegie-based institution or the research-based institution are not even going to look at, and we provide them with skills and learning to pursue a career at a high-paying wage, or we get them ready for universities, so they can become a successful professional in the discipline of their choosing. Madison College students who transfer to universities do better academically than native students because we prepare them for success. I talk with parents whose children go to a four-year university right out of high school and fail and don’t want to go back, and they come here and bring up their grade point average, go back to university, maintain their grade point average and successfully graduate with a degree. There are countless stories like that. And when you look at students of color, you won’t see those numbers at four-year institutions, as you see at Madison College and community colleges across the country. 

Who would you trade places with at Madison College?
A faculty member because they have the best job in the world. I enjoy teaching and engaging with students.

What significant challenge did you face as Madison College president? 
Weathering a pandemic while not losing direction. 

Who shaped your leadership style?
Many folks (mentors and parents), however, it comes down to “Treat others how I would like to be treated.”

What lesson has stayed true through your higher education career? 
Failure to plan is a plan to fail.

What is your super skill?
Listening. 

If your time at Madison College had a playlist, what would be on it? 
“Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now” by McFadden & Whitehead. This song embodies the idea that you must keep moving forward despite obstacles. If you encounter a barrier, you figure out how to go around or through it to reach your goals. I’ve never had a defeatist attitude. A prime example is closing the downtown campus in 2019 after decades of serving the community: it took a lot to get through that, with people telling us you can’t do it. The first board of trustee vote was 4-4, and we ended up waiting a year for approval. Goodman South Campus opened in August 2019, bringing education options to an underserved community and serving as the catalyst for the South Madison renaissance. The “ain’t no stopping us” attitude is something that Madison College should embrace moving forward: if there is a challenge, evaluate, assess it, and if it is the outcome you want to achieve, go for it.

What’s in your future?
Listening and following where God leads me to start a new journey. I know there’s another season for me, and I have no fear about where it will take me next.

What’s your next adventure, by plane or car?
I am moving to Atlanta. I am happiest when I am working, but I also enjoy traveling Egypt has always been on my list due to its historical significance, as well as West Africa and the entire continent. I have traveled extensively, enjoying different cultures, and I often visit places where the government advises caution, but I've never encountered issues during those trips.

Any last words of inspiration?
This is an outstanding college, but there is much more to accomplish. There are good people here who will continue getting things done because the job is never finished.