Wade McCamey’s career in education includes significant experience at several levels, from teacher to principal to superintendent in the secondary school system and from a professor to an administrator to president in higher education.
Under McCamey’s leadership as president at Walters State, the college developed innovative programs and services focused on student success and engagement; experienced tremendous growth in facilities, programs and enrollment, and received national recognition for several initiatives.
A year after McCamey was named president, the college opened the Walters State Student Success Center in 2006. The center combined several of the college’s support services in one location. The concept for a one-stop shop for student affairs services was eventually expanded to an entire building with the opening of the Student Services Building in 2011.
In addition to improving student success through enhanced support services, the college became nationally recognized for its use of mobile learning under McCamey’s tenure. Walters State has been named an Apple Distinguished Program three times for its innovative use of technology to engage students and improve learning outcomes.
For the past ten years, the college has also consistently ranked near the top among the nation’s most tech-savvy community colleges. Walters State is currently ranked second in the nation among mid-sized community colleges by e.Republic’s Center for Digital Education for its use of technology and digital services to improve academic services.
Under McCamey’s leadership, the college has also experienced growth in facilities at each of its campus sites. Following a successful fundraising campaign led by McCamey’s predecessor Dr. Jack Campbell, McCamey oversaw the construction of two new buildings at the Sevier County Campus; the college renovated and moved its Claiborne County Campus into the Claiborne County High School building; the Walters State East Tennessee Regional Public Safety Center underwent a $6 million renovation; the Great Smoky Mountains Expo Center was expanded with the development of the Ray and Barbara Bible Equestrian Center; a new 104,000 square-foot building is currently under construction at the Greeneville/Greene County Campus; and a workforce training facility was opened in Greeneville.
Among the academic programs expanded or added during McCamey’s tenure include nursing, which was expanded to the college’s Greeneville and Sevierville campuses, and surgical technology assistant, a new program offered at the Sevierville campus.
In 2007, the college received reaffirmation of accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Walters State also reached record enrollment under McCamey, with 6,967 students enrolled in 2010. Also in 2010, the college was named to the “Chronicle for Higher Education’s” annual list of “Great Colleges to Work For.”
A native of Greeneville, McCamey taught geography and biology in the Greene County School system prior to becoming one of East Tennessee's youngest high school principals at the age of 26 when he was hired to lead Chuckey-Doak High School. Two years later, in 1974, he served as assistant director of the Upper East Tennessee Educational Cooperative before returning to Chuckey-Doak as principal.
In 1979, he began his long-time career with Walters State when he was hired to direct the college's evening and off-campus instruction. He was named assistant dean and associate dean of evening and off-campus instruction before leaving the college temporarily when he was elected superintendent of Greene County Schools in 1988.
McCamey returned to Walters State in 1992 as chairperson of the behavioral/social sciences division and associate professor of education. He achieved the rank of full professor in 1995. While serving as chairperson of the behavioral/social sciences division, he also chaired the college's humanities division for a year before being named vice president for academic affairs in 1997. McCamey served in this position until 2001, when he was named president of Roane State Community College.
During his four-year tenure at Roane State, the college became the only public institution of higher education in Tennessee to achieve a perfect score for three consecutive years on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission's performance funding standards. Also under his leadership, Roane State developed a new, permanent off-campus center in Campbell County.
McCamey earned three degrees from East Tennessee State University, where has been named a distinguished alumnus. He holds bachelor's degrees in geography and biology, a master's degree in education administration and a doctorate in education administration from ETSU. He also has an associate's degree in business administration from Hiwassee College.