PIQUA – Edison State Community College Vice President of Business and Community Partnerships Rick Hanes earned a doctorate of education from Miami University after successfully presenting his dissertation study titled “The Effects of Performance Based Funding on Decision-Making at an Ohio Community College.”

Edison State President Doreen Larson said of Hanes’ achievement, “Great leaders in higher education have a common attribute – they are great learners! Rick, now Dr. Hanes, has demonstrated his thirst for learning through his years as a public-school teacher, administrator, superintendent and college vice president. Rick chose to deeply analyze the impacts of performance funding on community college outcomes as his doctoral thesis. I know, without a doubt, that Rick will apply his knowledge and continue to read, inquire, reflect and seek learning opportunities critical to his service to the education of students of all ages.”

Before joining Edison State in 2016, Hanes held a variety of public school administration roles, including serving as superintendent for Piqua City Schools, assistant superintendent for Tipp City Exempted Village School District and principal at Smith Middle School in the Vandalia-Butler City District and Arcanum Elementary School in the Arcanum-Butler Local School District. Hanes got his start in the public school system as a middle school science teacher at Tippecanoe Middle School, where he garnered the school teacher of the year award.

As vice president of business and community partnerships, Hanes has had the opportunity to apply his extensive leadership experience to oversee the development of innovative business partnerships, lead marketing ingenuities and engage in community outreach initiatives for the college.

In addition to serving as a vice president for the college, Hanes also is the executive director of The Edison Foundation, whose primary role is to provide Edison State students access to quality higher education through scholarship opportunities. Hanes, along with a robust foundation board, has continued to support The Edison Foundation’s mission to assist Edison State in meeting its educational and community service goals.

Since its inception in 1993, The Edison Foundation has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships, provided thousands of dollars in staff resource support grants, supported student athletic programs with uniforms, equipment, facilities and post-season play expenses, and enhanced campus facilities through capital campaigns.

Hanes also has actively engaged in various community leadership opportunities with Children’s International Summer Village, Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce, Piqua Education Foundation, Preble County 4-H, Rotary International, The Valley Church in Piqua and the YMCA, to name a few.

Hanes resides in Piqua with his wife of 28 years, Beth. Beth has spent the last 25 years of her career as a teacher, including in her current role as a fifth-grade teacher at LT Ball Intermediate School in Tipp City. Together they have three children, Luke, who holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Toledo; Josh, who holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Toledo; and Katherine, who is in her senior year at Piqua High School.