Chris Whaley

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce will host a reception on Tuesday for Chris Whaley, the new president of Roane State Community College.

The hour-long reception starts at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Whaley is Roane State’s fifth president, a press release said. He succeeds Gary Goff, who retired Oct. 31 after leading the college for seven years.

Whaley is a Roane State graduate. After three years in private practice as an attorney, he returned to the college in 1997 as program director of the A.A.S. Paralegal Studies program, a position he held through 2002.

Since then, he has worked his way up through other administrative positions at the college, the release said. He was named dean of social science, business, and education in 2002, and in 2010, he was promoted to vice president of student learning/chief academic officer. Whaley has also taught as an assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor of legal studies, and he continues to teach.

Whaley earned his associate’s degree in social science from Roane State, a bachelor’s degree in political science from Middle Tennessee State University, and the doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Roane State is hosting receptions for Whaley at the college’s nine campuses. The first reception was held Nov. 1 at the main campus in Harriman, and more events are planned for the next few weeks.

Ranked the 27th best community college in the nation by StateUniversity.com, Roane State has campuses in Crossville, Harriman, Huntsville, Jamestown, Knoxville, LaFollette, Lenoir City, Oak Ridge, and Wartburg.

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce is at 1400 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

For more information about the receptions, call (865) 882-4507 or (865) 882-4501.