Drake State president tapped for Biden’s Infrastructure Advisory Council  

Pres. Joe Biden announced this week that he plans to appoint Drake State Community & Technical College president Dr. Patricia Sims to the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council.

The council consists of industry and government leaders selected by the POTUS, and Sims is the only Alabama representative.   

About Dr. Sims

Sims has been President of Drake State, a Historically Black Community College, since 2018. Under her leadership, Drake State has seen a significant increase in state and federal funding, has increased strategic partnerships, and expanded its program offerings.

The school was recently awarded a $2.4 million grant as part of the U.S. Department of Commerce and National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s “Connecting Minority Communities” pilot program, to help eliminate historical broadband and computer access inequities in and around Madison County.

Drake was one of the first five universities and the first Historically Black College and University to be awarded the grant. 

Sims previously worked in Huntsville City Schools as a teacher and an administrator. She also worked as Dean of Instructional and Student Services at Drake State, then at Athens State University as the Dean of Education for five years before returning to Drake in the fall of 2018.

The National Infrastructure Advisory Council 

The NIAC advises the White House on how to reduce physical and cyber risks and improve the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors.

Sims joins 26 highly qualified and diverse industry and government leaders selected for this appointment.

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