President Blondin named Woman of the Year

On April 12, the American Association for Women in Community Colleges presented Jo Alice Blondin, Ph.D., Clark State president, with the Mildred Bulpitt Woman of the Year Award, a national honor recognizing leadership and mentorship that advance opportunities for women in community colleges. The award is named for Mildred Bulpitt, a pioneering educator and the founder of the AAWCC Leaders Institute which prepares women for leadership roles in higher education.

“Jo has been a longtime colleague and friend to me, as well as a mentor to me and many other community college leaders,” said Lisa Avery, president of Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon who nominated Blondin. “She leads with candor, grit and pragmatism, as well as dedication to the students we serve.”

Blondin will retire in June after 33 years in higher education including 13 years as Clark State’s fifth president. During her tenure, she strengthened the college’s position as a school of choice while expanding academic programs, growing state support and investing in long-term institutional success.

One of her signature achievements is the nationally-recognized Serving Our Own Through Advancement and Retention (SOAR) initiative, through which she has mentored dozens of emerging education leaders—efforts that have helped increase state funding by 60 percent and strengthened academic offerings, including the addition of four bachelor’s degrees at Clark State, with more in the pipeline.

Blondin also led more than $40 million in campus and technology investments, secured nearly $25 million in additional grant funding and expanded the Clark State Foundation to more than $40 million to support students who need scholarships and emergency . Under her leadership, the college grew its footprint in Bellefontaine and Xenia, launched in-demand workforce programs in fields such as cybersecurity, semiconductor technology and healthcare, and earned national recognition for its strong support of military members and their families.

Beyond Clark State, Blondin served as chair of the Higher Learning Commission Board of Trustees, on the Board of the American Association of Community Colleges and is authoring a children’s book scheduled for release in May.

“To receive a national honor of this stature is truly humbling,” Blondin said. “By recognizing my work, AAWCC also lifts up the work of Clark State’s Board, faculty, staff and students. This recognition belongs to them.”