Senior Leadership

Julie Taggart

Provost
* President's Cabinet

Julie Taggart was appointed Provost in January 2020. As the chief academic officer, she is responsible for the undergraduate and graduate academic programs, student affairs, assessment and accreditation requirements, and faculty affairs. Taggart began her career at CCAD in 1994 as a member of the faculty, teaching drawing, painting, and color theory. She is an alumna of CCAD and earned a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from Syracuse University.

In addition to her work at CCAD, Taggart is on the board of the Greater Columbus Arts Council and a member of the board’s Culture & Equity Committee. She maintains an active studio practice, which can be seen at julietaggartstudio.com.

Thomas Dotson

Chief Financial Officer
* President's Cabinet

Tom Dotson joined CCAD in 2019 and serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the college. He is responsible for all the business and financial affairs of the college, including accounting and finance, endowment management, legal matters, and procurement. Dotson also oversees human resources, payroll, and employee benefits. Dotson’s career spans 20 years of experience in financial planning & analysis, corporate development, strategic planning, and continuous improvement.

Prior to joining CCAD, Dotson served in various roles at NetJets, most recently as the Vice President, Strategic Initiatives. Dotson earned a BS in Accounting and Management Information Systems from the University of Dayton and an MBA from The Ohio State University.

Miranda Kridler

Vice President for Planning & Operations
* President's Cabinet

Miranda Kridler is a collaborative leader who is passionate about solving problems, building relationships and implementing projects. She joined CCAD as VP for Planning & Operations in 2022, and leads the Library & Information Technology, Facilities, Safety & Security and Auxiliary teams.

Prior to arriving at CCAD, Kridler was Senior Planner at Ohio University, where she led space, site, and capital planning projects, including multi-building space relocations with high campus impact and a focus on aligning physical space to strategic goals. She earned a BFA at Pratt Institute and a Master of Urban Planning degree at The City College of New York, where she was awarded the Rachel Carson Award for United Achievement in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design.

Chris Mundell

Vice President for Institutional Engagement
* President's Cabinet

As VP for Institutional Engagement, Chris Mundell leads CCAD’s efforts to build and sustain partnerships that advance the college’s mission in the community and expand its network of supporters. Mundell guides the Alumni Engagement, Development, Marketing & Communications, and Creative Careers & Collaboration teams; leads the college’s government and community relations strategies; and chairs the Presidential Commission on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

Mundell has worked 20-plus years in higher education and has held leadership roles with ACPA—College Student Educators International and the Ohio College Personnel Association. Mundell is a Leadership Columbus graduate and member of Columbus CEO’s “Future 50” class of 2021.

Emily Ragland

Vice President for Enrollment Management
* President's Cabinet

As Vice President for Enrollment Management, Emily Ragland leads the Admissions, Financial Aid, and Registrar teams and oversees recruitment strategy and efforts. Before CCAD, Ragland, who holds a BA in Psychology from Capital University, held several leadership roles in Capital University’s Admissions department, most recently as Assistant Vice President for Admissions. Prior to joining Capital University, Ragland worked as an Admissions Counselor at Otterbein University. Ragland’s experience in the nonprofit world includes co-founding Ohio Gap Closers, which delivers college planning training for foster parents, social workers, teachers, and community members.

Dr. Joshua Butts

Dean of Faculty

As Dean of Faculty, a role he has held since 2020, Joshua Butts oversees faculty recruiting, hiring, professional development, training, mentorship, evaluation, and promotion. Butts is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and works to prepare the college’s faculty for an ever-evolving art and design educational environment, and has been a strong advocate for individual faculty research, design, and fine art practice.

In addition to his role as a dean, Butts also is an Associate Professor in the college’s Liberal Arts program, teaching literature, creative writing, composition, and theory and criticism. A former Tennessee Williams Scholar at the Sewanee Writers Conference, Butts has published a poetry collection, New to the Lost Coast, with Gold Wake Press.

Eileen Galvin

Senior Director of Information Technology, Applications & User Services

Eileen Galvin joined CCAD in 2014. As Senior Director of Information Technology, Applications & User Services, she is committed to delivering safe, accessible, and impactful technology to the campus community and leads communication on behalf of Information Technology. She has been recognized with the Core Values President's Award twice for her work—individually in 2019 and as part of the IT department in 2021. Galvin's dedication extends beyond her role; she serves as Board Chair of Equality Ohio, a statewide non-profit advocating for the lived and legal equality of LGBTQ+ Ohioans. Galvin earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Linguistics from The Ohio State University.

Julia Gourley

Interim Associate Vice President for Development

Gourley serves as CCAD’s Interim Associate Vice President for Development and Director of Major Gifts. She supports the strategic direction of alumni relations and development while also working to grow relationships between CCAD’s mission, and community, alumni, businesses, and individuals invested in the creative sector. 

Prior to joining CCAD, Gourley served as Executive Director and Senior Director for Advancement for Krasl Art Center in southwest Michigan. She has worked as a museum educator both at Krasl Art Center and at Dayton Art Institute. Gourley holds a BFA from Ohio University and a MSEd from the University of Dayton.

Laura Meek

Associate Vice President for Financial Aid & Student Records

Laura Meek is an accomplished leader in higher education, with over 25 years of experience in financial aid administration. As AVP for Financial Aid & Student Records, she leads the oversight of both financial aid and student records operations, personnel, and processing.

Prior to joining CCAD, Meek served in multiple director of financial aid roles. She is a longstanding member of the Ohio Association of Financial Aid Administrators and has held multiple positions on their executive board. She has earned the designation of Certified Financial Aid Administrator from the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators. She has lobbied on Capitol Hill, seeking student aid legislative changes on behalf of her students. Meek earned a Bachelor of Social Work from Capital University.

Nicole Monahan

Associate Vice President for Creative Careers & Collaboration

As AVP for Creative Careers & Collaboration, Nicole Monahan leads a team that empowers students to launch their creative careers through coaching, workshops, events, resources, and real-world experiential learning partnerships. Monahan holds an MFA in sculpture from Ohio State. Her past roles include curatorial work at The Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Craft; educational media strategy at McGraw Hill Education and Edmentum; serving in artist Ann Hamilton’s studio; and teaching at CCAD, Ohio State, Oregon College of Art & Craft, and The Evergreen State College. Monahan is a fellow of the US-Japan Leadership Program, a network of Japanese and American leaders in government, business, and non-profit sectors.

Natalie Parscher

Associate Vice President for Marketing & Communications

Natalie Parscher is an accomplished marketing leader with more than a decade of experience in higher education and mission-based organizations. As AVP for Marketing & Communications, she leads a team overseeing brand strategy, digital marketing, and media relations, and the CCAD Student Agency.

Previously, she led award-winning marketing campaigns at The Columbus Foundation, raising $35 million for nonprofits, and worked as a marketing strategist for The Ohio State University. Natalie holds an MA in Communications from Northern Illinois University and a BA in Communications from Saint Louis University. Her expertise includes brand strategy, marketing operations, and digital transformation, with several industry awards recognizing her impact.

Athena Sanders

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students

Athena Sanders has worked at CCAD since 2016 and previously from 2008 to 2012, serving in various roles as Director of Advising & Learning Support, Assistant Dean of Students, to now, AVP for Student Affairs & Dean of Students. She has a BFA in Art Education and a Master of Education in College Student Personnel—all from Ohio University. Sanders' role at CCAD focuses on the education and development of students through a holistic lens to support their experience outside the classroom. She oversees areas of student development including Advising, Disability & Access Services, Student Engagement & Inclusion, Residence Life, Counseling & Wellness, and student conduct.

Richelle Simonson

Associate Vice President for Operations

Richelle Simonson is Associate Vice President for Campus Operations. In this role, Simonson oversees the Safety & Security and Maintenance/Facilities teams, as well as CCAD Auxiliary Operations, including campus food service, Ampersand Supply Store, Parking and Mobility, Mailroom, college events, summer residence hall leases and agreements, and special projects.

Prior to joining CCAD, Simonson spent over 25 years overseeing a variety of auxiliary operations for The Ohio State University. She started her career working for Ohio State’s Department of Athletics supervising ticket operations, retail store, concessions contracts and events, and championship management.

Beverly Thomas

Associate Vice President for Human Resources

Beverly Thomas joined CCAD in February 2019. As Associate Vice President for Human Resources, her responsibilities include oversight of HR operations, recruiting, talent management, development and training, employee relations, and payroll and benefit administration. Thomas has effectively balanced big picture thinking and strategic planning with hands-on execution that has allowed her to provide strategic leadership and affect positive change for HR programs and employee services. Prior to CCAD, Thomas worked at GC Services Limited Partnership, where she served as Human Resources Director overseeing all aspects of HR operations across several locations in Columbus, Ohio and St. Louis, Missouri.