BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Coastal Alabama Community College has named Dr. Lee Conerly as its new Dean of Academic Instruction. Dr. Conerly brings more than two decades of higher education and secondary education experience to the role, having previously served as the College’s Associate Dean of Academic Instruction since 2020.
In her former role as Associate Dean, Dr. Conerly provided continual guidance to academic faculty, including overseeing onboarding programming for new faculty. She also led a veterans’ support initiative, which celebrated veteran students while providing critical support during their time as a college student. Dr. Conerly also has served beyond the tremendous footprint of Coastal Alabama by serving as a reviewer for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Prior to her administrative leadership roles, Dr. Conerly served as Division Chair of English, Humanities, and Fine Arts at Coastal Alabama Community College, and served the College and its students in the classroom as an English, humanities, and speech instructor. She began her educational career teaching high school and middle school English in Clarke County.
Dr. Conerly has also been active in statewide academic leadership, serving as President of the Alabama Community College Instructional Administrator Association (ACCIAA) for the 2025–2026 term after serving as Vice-President from 2023 to 2025.
Her contributions to higher education and student success have earned her numerous accolades, including the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Award of Excellence as Administrator of the Year in 2022, Coastal Alabama Community College Academic Faculty of the Year in 2018, and the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Distinguished Administrator Award in 2024. She was also inducted into the PTK Alumni Hall of Honor in 2024.
“Dr. Conerly has shown a long-standing dedication to student success, academic excellence, and faculty support,” said Dr. Aaron Milner, President. “Because of this, I am confident in her ability to lead our academic instructional programs in this new role.”
Dr. Conerly holds a Ph.D. in Humanities from Faulkner University, a Master of Secondary Education in Language Arts from the University of West Alabama, a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Alabama, and an Associate of Science from Faulkner State Community College (now Coastal Alabama Community College).
For more information about Coastal Alabama Community College and its academic programs, visit
www.coastalalabama.edu.
