Suzanne Harbin has devoted her entire professional career to Wallace State Community College in Hanceville.
She started at the college in 1990 as a part-time tutor for the Talent Search program, moving up as a full-time counselor two years later. Today Harbin is Wallace State’ s Vice President for Advancement and Innovation.
Harbin started out working for the legendary Dr. James Bailey, the 32- year president of Wallace State who retired in 2003. The tallest building on campus, the James C. Bailey Center, is named for him.
In 2003, Dr. Vicki Karolewics( then Dr. Hawsey) signed on at Wallace State as president. Karolewics is a legend in her own right, having spearheaded the construction of several new buildings on campus, along with overseeing many other innovations.
Harbin considers herself lucky to have worked with both college presidents.
“ They’ re both visionary and I’ ve been very fortunate to work for them, to work alongside them,” Harbin said“ I love I’ m given a lot of freedom to be innovative and come up with new ideas and new programs. Especially with Dr. Karolewics. It’ s very rare for her to say,‘ No, we can’ t do that.’” As a vice president, Harbin takes the same approach with her staff.“ I always find a way to say yes,” she said.“ Even if the answer is‘ no’ this
“ I want everybody to love what they do as much as I love what I do. I never get up in the morning and say,‘ I do not want to go to work today.’ The first day I get up and say that, it’ s time to go home.”
— SUZANNE HARBIN
way, let’ s find a way to make it‘ yes’ another way.” Harbin has many roles at the college, but one especially close to her heart is overseeing the Wallace State Future Foundation. The foundation is known for providing scholarships for students – in 2025, more than 300 students received $ 588,000 in scholarships through the foundation – but it does much more.
Harbin has dozens of stories about how the Future Foundation has helped students in need. One example is when an instructor noticed that a student was squinting in class. The instructor called Harbin and Harbin called her dad, who happens to be an optometrist in town. Dr. Wayne Fuller examined the student’ s eyes, and the Future Foundation provided the student with new glasses.
“ When the student got back to class, he said it opened up a whole new world for him,” said Harbin.“ Those kinds of partnerships – that’ s what I love.”
Harbin has a simple goal for her staff and for all employees at Wallace State.
“ I want everybody to love what they do as much as I love what I do,” she said.“ I never get up in the morning and say,‘ I do not want to go to work today.’ The first day I get up and say that, it’ s time to go home. Even on the most stressful days, I wish I had more hours in the day to get more things done.”
PROFILE 2026 | 11