Along with the new semester, South Piedmont Community College (SPCC) welcomes two new additions including Ryan Anthony, as dean of the School of Health and Public Safety and Renee Hode, as director of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Anthony comes to SPCC from El Camino College in Torrance, CA, where he served as faculty and coordinator for the department of public safety/administration of justice. Prior to beginning his career in higher education, he served as an officer in the San Fernando and Beverly Hills Police Departments, specializing in crisis negotiation, traffic, and gang units.
“All programs in health and public safety have a common thread – we all help people – and that’s what I love the most,” said Anthony.
Anthony’s career has been built on fostering relationships with federal, state, and local agencies and community partners. Using labor market data and stakeholder feedback, he has successfully developed programs to meet community and workforce needs.
“I look forward to working with agencies and community partners,” said Anthony. “Expanding the opportunities here will lead to finding lots of jobs for students.”
Anthony holds an AA in General Arts and Sciences from College of the Canyons, a BA in Criminology, Law, and Society from the University of California, Irvine, and a MA in Organizational Leadership from Woodbury University.
SPCC is also pleased to welcome Renee Hode to the team. Hode joined SPCC this month as the new Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. She will bring increased awareness of our small business programs to prospective and current businesses.
“Starting a new business is hard,” said Hode, “but with coaching and support we can help these businesses move forward and grow.”
Hode joins SPCC from Central Piedmont Community College where she served 15 years in various roles including Executive Director of the Small Business Center (SBC). Hode was recognized by the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) as SBC Director of the Year in 2019.
Hode also serves as a NCCCS Regional Director where she supports seven centers in the southwest region of North Carolina by training new directors and overseeing compliance. She will continue to serve in this role.
With over 4,500 small businesses in Anson and Union Counties that have 19 employees or less, Hode sees an abundance of opportunity to grow businesses and create new jobs.
“Building partnerships with area chambers and local and state agencies will bolster opportunities for our small businesses,” said Hode. “There is so much opportunity for growth in our area.”
Hode earned her BS in Business Administration and Economics from Monmouth University and resides in Union County.
Written by Misty McMillan