Dr. Cynthia T. Anthony was appointed President of Lawson State Community College in March 2021. Dr. Anthony served as Interim President at Lawson State from September 1, 2020, until the time of her permanent appointment. She is the fifth president and the first female to lead the College.

Dr. Anthony has almost 35 years of higher education experience, having served as Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Success for the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) and Executive Vice President and Dean of Students at Lawson State. Prior to her leadership at Lawson State, Dr. Anthony served as Dean of Students at Bessemer State Technical College, which merged with Lawson State in 2005. In addition to various other leadership roles within the Alabama Community College System, she served as Interim President at three other institutions; Drake State Community and Technical College, Shelton State Community College, and Enterprise State Community College.

Dr. Anthony earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Talladega College. She received both her Educational Specialist degree in Educational Leadership and her Master of Education degree in Counseling from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She completed her Doctorate in Educational Leadership through a joint program at UAB and The University of Alabama. She was awarded UAB’s Department of Education’s Outstanding Alumni Award in 2005. She is a graduate of the Executives in Residence Program at Birmingham Southern College, Leadership Bessemer, the Mississippi Community College Fellowship Program, the Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership, and the FBI Citizens Academy.

Dr. Anthony currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the Bessemer Area Chamber of Commerce, North Central AlabamaWorks! WIOA Board member, Leadership Birmingham Board of Directors, Citizens Supervisory Committee of Jefferson County, Greater Alabama Council of Boy Scouts Executive Board, Alabama Community College Association Executive Committee member, ACCS Presidents Association Executive Committee, along with involvement in many other professional, civic, and community activities. Dr. Anthony was recently named as One of the “Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders of 2025”. She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Charles A. Long Outstanding Civic Award, Dr. Jack Hawkins Leadership Award, A. G. Gaston Community Service Award, NCBW Economic Empowerment Award, Community Affairs Committee Women’s History Award, and the Great American Hero Award. She is actively involved in numerous other professional organizations, state and local educational committees, social service organizations, and volunteer activities.

Dr. Anthony’s work has centered around the transformative power of education, especially in community colleges. Her vision for Lawson State Community College is to cultivate success through excellence and innovation. She believes that success evolves through student empowerment, innovation in teaching methods, and community collaboration. She strives to create an environment where students can flourish and achieve their full potential.