Douglass Named New Coordinator of Veterans Affairs

Southwest announces the appointment of Mark A. Douglass as the new coordinator of veterans affairs.

Douglass brings 23 years of distinguished service in the United States Army, retiring at the rank of major. His career included senior leadership roles in strategic logistics planning, multimillion-dollar budget management, and cross-functional team coordination across domestic and international assignments. He served with Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa and the 401st Army Field Support Battalion, deploying soldiers to combat and non-combat operations and acting as a key liaison among military commands and interagency partners. His work developing distribution networks reduced operational lag times by 30 percent.

Academically, Douglass is completing a doctoral degree in urban higher education at Jackson State University. He also holds an MBA from Fordham University and both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Grambling State University. His doctoral research focuses on leadership and career success factors among ROTC cadets at urban universities, strengthening his expertise in equity-centered student success and support for non-traditional learners. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Ivy Tech Community College and ITT Technical Institute.

In his new role, Douglass serves as the college’s primary Veterans Affairs School Certifying Official, overseeing certification of VA education benefits and ensuring compliance with federal and Department of Defense requirements. Beyond benefits administration, he is committed to removing barriers for veteran and military-connected students through prior learning assessment, targeted recruitment and retention strategies, community partnerships, and advocacy for comprehensive, wraparound support services.