(Photo of Dr. Thompson provided with release)
(Midland, Pa.) The Board of Trustees of the Midland Innovation + Technology Charter School has appointed veteran educator Dr. Chester D. Thompson as the school’s first Chief Executive Officer. He assumes his duties on February 10, 2022.
Dr. Thompson, who resides in Rochester, Pennsylvania, was the Associate Dean of the School of Business, Arts, Sciences, and Technology at the Community College of Beaver County for the past two-and-a-half years. Prior to that, he spent six years at Robert Morris University as the Assistant Vice President – Underrepresented Student Achievement, Executive Vice President – Executive Education and Partnerships, Advisor – Academic Affairs, Director – Student Support and Outreach Programs, and as an adjunct professor. While at RMU, Chet was the Director of the Black Male Leadership Development Institute. He has held positions with Bristol Myers Squibb, Verizon, Pfizer, Oracle, and the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission and is a United States Marine Corps veteran.
“Midland Innovation & Technology Charter School is groundbreaking in its approach to preparing students for meaningful work post-graduation and we could not be more pleased to have Dr. Thompson at our helm”, said Jerry Hodge, President of the MITCS Board of Trustees. “His background in education and business makes him uniquely qualified to not only interact with students and parents, but also work with local corporate partners, all of whom will ensure our school’s success.”
Midland Innovation + Technology Charter School, a project of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, is a new Pennsylvania public high school for boys and girls in grades 9 through 12 that will open in September in the ultramodern Charles J. Betters Innovation Center in Midland. It will offer the most modern career technical education available and will adhere to an axiom of Diversity By Design in that it will welcome students from all backgrounds from across southwestern Pennsylvania. MITCS will be organized through four inter-connected and collaborative academies that include: The PGT Transportation + Logistics Academy, The Cyril H. Wecht Forensic Science + Justice Academy, The MITCS Community Development + Sustainability Academy, and The MITCS Skilled Trades + Technical Careers Academy. Disciplines will include: Petrochemical Studies, Gaming and Simulations, Safety Engineering, Transportation and Logistics, American Enterprise and Global Studies, Aviation Technology, Sustainable Water, and Healthcare Innovations.
Prominent developer Charles J. Betters donated the land on which MITCS is located and has guided the construction. Pat Gallagher, the founder, owner, and CEO of PGT Trucking donated $500 thousand to establish the PGT Transportation + Logistics Academy, and famed forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril H. Wecht gifted and developed curriculum for the Cyril H. Wecht Forensic Science + Justice Academy. The school also won a $1.5 million start-up grant from the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools.
Families interested in pre-enrollment and information about MITCS may visit the school’s official website www.mitcharterschool.org. Enrollment seminars will be scheduled at regional hotel ballrooms and conference centers soon. Watch the MITCS website as enrollment seminars are added.