By Lookout Staff

August 10, 2015 -- Frank R. Dawson, the former chair of Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Communication and Media Studies department, has been hired as the college’s Associate Dean of Career and Technical Education (CTE), SMC officials announced Friday.

A former media executive, Dawson had served in the post an interim capacity since February 1, 2014, officials said. As Associate Dean, Dawson will provide administrative leadership for SMC’s CTE programs.

“The College is the leading job trainer in Los Angeles’s Westside and offers 110 associate degrees or certificates in career-oriented programs,” said Grace Smith, a spokesperson for the college. “Dawson will also lead the development of new contract education programs and international training for global businesses and emerging industries.”

SMC’s career-oriented programs include business, computer science, cosmetology, design technology, renewable energy and early childhood education, Smith said.

In his new position, Dawson also serves as project director for SMC’s role in the Los Angeles High Impact Information Technology, Entertainment & Entrepreneurship, and Communications Hubs, known as LA HI-TECH.

A group of eight community colleges, 30 high schools, and 100 employers, LA HI-TECH will train students for some 4,000 tech and digital media jobs expected to open up in the area over the next four years.

Before teaching at SMC, Dawson served as director of comedy development and as director of programming for Universal Television. He also worked as production executive for the NBC dramatic series “Miami Vice” and for six years at the CBS Television Network in various prime time TV administrative and production positions.

“Frank’s combination of industry experience, faculty leadership, and entrepreneurial skills will take our career technical education programs to the next level,” said Georgia Lorenz, SMC Vice President of Academic Affairs. “We are lucky to have his dynamic leadership at a time when the spotlight is shining bright on the value of CTE programs at community colleges.”

Dawson was “instrumental” in developing SMC’s Promo Pathway – the nation’s first accredited on-air promotion and marketing production program,” College officials said. The program – which is now offered at SMC as an Associate Degree and Certificate in Entertainment Promotion/Marketing Production -- trains underrepresented students for careers in creating TV promos.

Dawson holds an M.S. degree in Television and Radio from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University – where he has been inducted into the school’s professional gallery of distinguished alumni – and earned a BA in Sociology from Cornell University, SMC officials said.

To learn more about SMC’s extensive CTE offerings, visit: www.smc.edu/CTEviewbook.