Campus News
June 10th, 2025
Nichols appointed Garrett College dean
Swanton resident in charge of College budget, administration
Photo by John Rudd
Lisa Nichols is Garrett College's new dean of administrative services.
Swanton resident Lisa Nichols has been appointed dean of administrative services at Garrett College.
Nichols, who previously served as senior research and development business manager for the National Energy Technology Laboratory in Morgantown, will oversee the College budget and administration. That portfolio includes oversight of facilities, financial aid, fiscal operations, compliance, and information technology.
"I wanted to be in my community, work with my neighbors and have the opportunity to have an impact locally," said Nichols, who spent 20 years in various roles at the U.S. Department of Energy's technology laboratory in Morgantown. "This position hit a lot of the things I'm interested in doing."
Dr. Richard Midcap, Garrett College's president, said Nichols' expertise aligned perfectly with her responsibilities with the College.
"Lisa oversaw a $30 million annual operating budget and more than 175 research projects valued at over $300 million a year at the Morgantown laboratory," said Midcap. "Her information technology and process improvement experience were also skills we were seeking in filling this position."
"The creativity around business systems integration work was fun," Nichols said of her work at the Morgantown laboratory. "It was also rewarding to design and implement processes that permitted people to work more effectively."
Nichols, who previously served as an economist with both the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Commerce, is also a former Garrett County business owner. She operated an Oakland-based Jazzercise franchise for nearly six years, earning two Presidential Club Awards for sales performance.
"I liked having an opportunity to make a positive impact on members' lives," Nichols said of being a hands-on, small-business owner. "Running a small business, especially in a rural community, was challenging – but being able to work closely with and support members in reaching their goals was very rewarding."
Midcap said he was "very pleased to be able to add someone to our senior leadership team who lives in the county and knows our local community."
Nichols said initial discussions with her new colleagues have helped her set two immediate priorities.
"I've heard a lot from people about the desire to engage in process improvement," said Nichols, who brings significant experience in that area from her previous position. "People also talked about wanting to find new ways to increase collaboration across campus, which is something I'm interested in working on."
Nichols holds dual bachelor's degrees in economics and international studies, as well as a Master of Science in Business Data Analytics, all from West Virginia University. She also completed the Executive Potential Program through the Washington, D.C.-based Graduate School USA.
