Cazenovia College names new director for center for adult & continuing education

CAZENOVIA, N.Y. — Cazenovia College announced it has recently appointed Carla DeShaw as new director of its Center for Adult and Continuing Education.

DeShaw, of Canastota, is a continuing-education administration, workforce development, and grant-writing professional with nearly 30 years of experience. She joined the college in May, according to Sharon Dettmer, VP for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at Cazenovia College.

DeShaw earned an associate degree in business administration from Cazenovia College in 1984 and previously served there as a head volleyball coach and alumni board member. She later earned a bachelor’s degree in vocation/technical education, a master’s degree in educational administration, and a certificate of advanced study in educational administration from SUNY Oswego.

DeShaw recently retired after 12 years as executive dean of community education and workforce development for Cayuga Community College in Auburn. Prior to that, she spent nine years as assistant director of continuing education for the Madison-Oneida BOCES Consortium of Continuing Education. She earlier worked as coordinator of adult & continuing education for the Delaware Chenango Madison Otsego BOCES in Norwich.

Widely recognized for her work in workforce development, DeShaw created the Mohawk Valley Manufacturer’s Consortium for incumbent worker training in lean manufacturing, management development, and technical skill development. She also secured more than $16 million in grant funding for workforce development and other initiatives while at Cayuga Community College.

DeShaw said she looks forward to the opportunity to share her knowledge and skills while helping to expand and create new workforce-development initiatives and programming at Cazenovia College. “I am excited to have come full circle with my career and return to my alma mater. I am looking forward to adding new programming, services, and partnerships to an already great foundation that has been built,” she said in a statement.