Senior Leadership

Julie Taggart

Provost
* President's Cabinet

Julie Taggart was appointed Provost in January 2020. She began her career at CCAD in 1994 when she was hired to teach drawing, painting and color theory. She shifted her focus to administration after being appointed chairwoman of painting in 2002. Taggart 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. She maintains an active studio practice and you can see her work 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. He enjoys working with the CCAD community to support the college’s mission, execute our strategic plan, and implement continuous improvement efforts.

Prior to joining CCAD, Dotson served in various roles at NetJets, most recently as the Vice President, Strategic Initiatives. He started his career at a community banking institution as a financial analyst supporting financial planning & analysis, investment analysis, and various accounting operations.

Dotson earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Dayton, majoring in Accounting and Management Information Systems. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

Miranda Kridler

Vice President for Planning & Operations
* President's Cabinet

Miranda Kridler is the Vice President for Planning & Operations at Columbus College of Art & Design. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts 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. She brings a love of creative problem-solving to her work leading space, site, and capital planning projects including multi-building space relocations with high campus impact.

Chris Mundell

Vice President for Institutional Engagement
* President's Cabinet

Chris Mundell leads CCAD’s efforts to build and sustain strategic partnerships that advance the college’s mission in the community and expand its network of supporters. As Vice President for Institutional Engagement, Mundell guides the teams responsible for alumni engagement, development, marketing & communications, corporate & community partnerships, and career services. He also leads the college’s government and community relations strategies and serves as chair of the Presidential Commission on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

With a higher education career spanning over 20 years, Mundell previously served as CCAD’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Title IX Coordinator. Prior to joining CCAD, he held various roles in student advising and learning support services at The Ohio State University.

Mundell earned his master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Miami University and bachelor’s degree in History from Heidelberg University. Professionally, Mundell has been actively involved with ACPA—College Student Educators International, where he served as the chair for the Next Gen Conference, and has held a variety of roles on the governing board of OCPA (Ohio College Personnel Association) including past-president. Mundell is a 2012 graduate of the Leadership Columbus Program and was named to Columbus CEO’s “Future 50” class in 2021. Mundell volunteers as youth soccer coach in Hilliard, where lives with his family.

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. Ragland also is a member of the President’s Cabinet and Senior Leadership Team.

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 Admission. 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.

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.

Julia Gourley

Interim Associate Vice President for Development

Julia Gourley is an authentic and passionate connector of people and the arts, whether as an educator, nonprofit executive, or fundraiser. Following an impactful career in museum leadership, she joined CCAD to continue to grow relationships between CCAD’s mission and community, alumni, and businesses invested in the creative sector.

In addition to serving as CCAD’s Director of Major Gifts, a position in which she helps facilitate personal passion to advance CCAD’s mission, Gourley supports the strategic direction of alumni relations and development as Interim Associate Vice President for Development.

Prior to joining CCAD, Gourley served as executive director and senior director for advancement for Krasl Art Center in southwest Michigan. Gourley holds a BFA from Ohio University and a MSEd from the University of Dayton. In addition to being a patron of the arts, Gourley commits to her own regular creative practice and she consistently makes time to stroll along waterways and hike in forests with her best pup. 

Dr. Joshua Butts

Dean of Faculty

Joshua Butts, who received his doctorate from the University of Cincinnati, and degrees in English from The Ohio State University, has taught at Columbus College of Art & Design since 2009 and has served as Dean of Faculty since 2020. He teaches courses in literature, creative writing, composition, and theory and criticism. Butts has attended residencies at Byrdcliffe and the VCCA and was a Tennessee Williams Scholar at the Sewanee Writers Conference. His poetry collection New to the Lost Coast was published by Gold Wake Press in 2015. His poems have appeared recently in Pleiades, Fugue, and Southern Humanities Review.

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.

Laura Meek

Associate Vice President for Financial Aid & Student Records

Laura Meek joined CCAD June 2022 and has over 25 years of experience in higher education. At CCAD, she has oversight of both financial aid and student records operations, personnel, and processing. Meek has served in financial aid roles within enrollment management at both public and private colleges since 1994. She is a longstanding member of the Ohio Association of Financial Aid Administrators (OASFAA) and has held multiple positions on their executive board.

She has earned the designation of Certified Financial Aid Administrator (CFAA) from the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and upholds the NASFAA Statement of Ethical Principles. She presents financial aid informational sessions for numerous high schools and college access programs, serves as an expert on financial aid panels, and has presented at state association conferences. Meek also has lobbied on Capitol Hill, seeking student aid legislative changes on behalf of her students. Meek is a 1994 graduate of Capital University with a Bachelor of Social Work. A central Ohio native, Meek is a strong supporter of the arts and enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters traveling, watching movies, singing karaoke, and enjoying everything Columbus has to offer.

Athena Sanders

Associate Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students

Athena 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 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 the 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 overseeing 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 and previously 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. 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. She 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.