An open window in an abandoned structure triggers curiosity with a hint of mystery.
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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L. Joy Gates Black, currently vice chancellor for academic affairs and student success at Tarrant County College District in Fort Worth, Texas, has been unanimously selected Delaware County Community College’s Board of Trustees to become the school’s next president.
Black will succeed Jerry Parker, who will retire on June 30, after 40 years of service to the College, including 14 years as president. She will be the College’s fourth president since its founding 50 years ago. She also will be the first woman and the first African American to head the College.
A well respected higher education administrator with decades of experience at both community colleges and four-year institutions, Black was chosen by the Board of Trustees after an extensive national search to lead Delaware County Community College, which serves 28,000 credit and non-credit students annually.
“While we will miss the expert leadership and stewardship of Dr. Parker, we believe that Dr. Gates Black’s extraordinary track record in prioritizing and driving student completion represents a perfect fit with the College and our new strategic plan,” said Michael L. Ranck, chairman of the college’s 13-member Board of Trustees. “We look forward to a seamless transition based on the qualifications and expertise she brings to the helm.”
In her current position as vice chancellor, Dr. Gates Black is the chief academic and student services officer for Tarrant County College District, a comprehensive, community college in Fort Worth, Texas that annually serves more than 100,000 credit and non-credit students at multiple campuses. She joined TCC in 2010 as vice chancellor for Student Success, during which time she also served as interim president of Tarrant’s South Campus.
“Every community college is focused on student success and completion,” Dr. Gates Black said. “But what attracted me to this role is that Delaware County Community College has made a meaningful, tangible investment in both success and completion as measurable outcomes. The new strategic plan represents an honest and thoughtful examination of where the College is today, and where it aspires to be. I look forward to working with the College and the community to achieve these strategic goals and collectively move to the next level of achievement.”
Similar to Delaware County Community College, Tarrant County College is an Achieving the Dream Leader College. Achieving the Dream is a national, evidence-based, non-governmental, reform movement that seeks to increase the academic and training success of students, with a special focus on students of color and low-income students.
More than 200 institutions of higher education throughout 35 states and the District of Columbia are part of the AtD network, which serves more than 4 million community college students. Roughly 90 AtD institutions are considered “leader” colleges. Dr. Gates Black leads the AtD initiative at Tarrant County College and was instrumental in Tarrant achieving leader status.
Prior to her tenure at TCC, Black held a number of positions at community colleges across the country. These include: vice president for student success and enrollment management at Eastfield College in Mesquite, Texas, which annually serves more than 24,000 students; dean of Student Affairs at San Antonio College in Texas, which annually serves more than 40,000 students; assistant vice president for Administration and dean of Equity and Diversity at Los Angeles City College, annually serving more than 32,000 students. Black also served as associate dean of Admissions for the Los Angeles Campus of the University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif.; and assistant dean at the Cambridge College’s Springfield Campus in Cambridge, Mass.
She also has served as an adjunct faculty member at the Dallas Campus of the University of North Texas, San Antonio College and Cambridge College.
During a recent visit to Delaware County Community College’s Marple Campus, Black told the audience that she would spend her first few months as president meeting people and listening. “While community colleges share many common denominators, what makes the model so strong is how community colleges mirror the communities they serve,” she said. “To best understand Delaware County Community College’s future opportunities, I really want to listen to the College community and learn about the great things already happening here, and to engage the overall community on a broad scale,” she said.
Black holds a graduate studies certificate and a Master’s Degree in Education from Cambridge College, a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University, and has pursued additional doctoral studies in Human and Organizational Development from Fielding University in Santa Barbara, California.
A U.S. Air Force veteran and a native of Dayton, Texas, Black is married to Dillet Black. They have four adult children and five grandchildren.
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With a New Year, comes New Resolutions. According to a 2016 Nielson survey, the top two US New Year’s resolutions are staying fit and healthy (36 percent) and losing weight (32 percent). Let’s capitalize on the New Year’s renewed level of motivation and try something different to jump start weight loss.
How about intermittent fasting, or IF? This is a term for an eating pattern, not a diet, that cycles between periods of fasting and eating. It does not address which foods to eat but rather when to eat.
People are using IF to lose weight, improve health and simplify their lifestyle. There are several different methods of IF in practice today. All of them split the day or week into “eating periods” and “fasting periods” During fasting periods, you eat either very little or nothing at all.
But before I can recommend something, I feel obligated to try it, which I did. I tried the method of fasting for 24 hours once a week over two weeks and sure enough I lost 5 pounds. It provided quick results, which were very rewarding. Another method to try, and the most popular method of fasting, is the Leangains protocol or the 16/8 method. It involves skipping breakfast and restricting your daily eating period to 8 hours such as 1 to 9 p.m. I have not tried this method but plan to.
But what I found most interesting is the research on how IF affects your cells and hormones. Here is my brief summary of four changes that occur in your body when you fast:
Human Growth Hormone: the levels of growth hormone can increase as much as five-fold when you fast. This has benefits for fat loss and muscle gain.
Insulin: Insulin sensitivity improves and levels of insulin drop dramatically. This in turn makes stored body fat more accessible when insulin levels are low.
Cellular Repair: The cellular repair process is initiated when cells have fasted. This includes a removal of old and dysfunctional proteins that build up inside cells. It’s a type of cellular cleansing.
Gene Expression: The beneficial effects of fasting extend to longevity and protection against disease. Studies have demonstrated a protection factor for normal cells and a decrease in the production of carcinogens resulting from the changes in the function of genes.
These changes in hormone levels, cell function and gene expression are responsible for the health benefits of fasting.
However, weight loss is the most common reason that people try IF. In addition to lower insulin and increased human growth hormone levels, it increases release of the fat burning hormone norepinephrine. And according to several studies, because of these changes in hormones, IF actually increases your metabolic rate by 3.6-14 percent. (Am J Physio 1990; Am J Clin Nutr 2000). However, the main reason it works for weight loss is that it helps you eat less calories overall. So when combined with a slight increase in metabolism, IF results in a very effective way to loose weight.
Lastly, the biggest surprise I discovered while conducting my own IF sessions, was the noticeable impact on simplifying my life. Eating healthy is what I preach and practice daily. But let’s be honest, it can be hard and time consuming in an already overcrowded schedule. One of the main obstacles is all the work required to plan, shop and cook healthy meals.
As odd as it may sound, I love shopping in multiple grocery stores. I have ingredients in each of them that I prefer. I receive several food, health and cooking magazines all of which I take time to review regularly. I have various recipe apps on my iPhone and perusing different recipes is a favorite weekly activity. I find cooking relaxing and therefore I don’t rush it. Often, I listen to music and cook until the perfect dish is completed.
But alas, all of this pleasure takes time, and more time. So when I found myself faced with fewer meals to plan, cook and clean up after, I discovered additional hours in the day. It was delightful.
Although one approach does not fit all in the quest to achieve body weight control, IF can be a dietary strategy for consideration. Ultimately it must be a method that is best for you and easiest to sustain for your lifestyle. Jump starting weight loss while improving one’s health and simplifying your life at the same time, seems like a good way to begin 2017.
If you try IF, feel free to send an email and let me know how it worked for you. Tate4foodandfitness@verizon.net.
Jackie Tate has been working in the health and fitness industry for 25 years. She has a master’s of science degree in health education and a bachelor’s of science degree in nutrition, both from Penn State. Early in her career she was recruited by Johnson & Johnson to work in their diabetes division during which time she earned her diabetes educator certification. In 2009, she developed a health and wellness consulting business. Tate’s Wellness Company enables her to work with individuals to create personalized dietary plans using a one-on-one consultation approach. She conducts personal training sessions and leads fitness classes at Way Martial Arts in West Chester, Darlington Arts in Garnet Valley, and the Concord Country Club in Concord Township. Jackie is a certified fitness trainer, Silver Sneakers and zumba Instructor. Additionally, she teaches nutrition to students attending the Academy of International Ballet in Glen Mills. Lamb McErlane, PC is one of Jackie’s corporate clients where she delivers nutritious Lunch N Learn sessions for employees as part of their on-going commitment to wellness. Jackie has a passion for inspiring people to lead healthier lifestyles through optimal nutrition and fitness. Tate4foodandfitness.com Tate4foodandfitness@verizon.net
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