From Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences
Top Photo courtesy of ASHS, with cutline: L to R: Susanna Speegle, admissions director; Laura Bailey, dean of curriculum and instruction; Dr. Antonio Cooper, Jr., dean of students; Dr. James Martin, school president. (Credit: ASHS)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Just one month after taking on his role, Dr. Jimmy Martin has successfully recruited three educational leaders, each bringing distinct expertise to the development of the Alabama School for Healthcare Sciences. The statewide school board has unanimously approved these appointments, a decision met with enthusiastic applause.
“With these three leaders, ASHS is moving forward with a ‘Dream Team’ that will help the school, and its students reach their potential — and beyond,” stated Martin while presenting his selections to the ASHS board during their meeting at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine in Birmingham on Wednesday. The appointees are:
- Laura Bailey, (of Wetumpka) Dean of Curriculum and Instruction. For the past five years, she served as education administrator for Career & Technical Education (CTE) Workforce Development at the Alabama State Department of Education and as a director of Alabama Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA).
- Dr. Antonio Cooper, Jr., Dean of Students. He has been the director of curriculum and instruction for the Vestavia Hills City School System since 2019 and is also an adjunct professor of education at Samford University. With extensive administrative experience in both rural and urban Alabama and Mississippi, his focus areas include CTE, establishing dual enrollment programs, and building partnerships between schools and business/industry.
- Susanna Speegle, Admissions Director. Currently serving as assistant director of enrollment management at Marion Military Institute, northeast of Demopolis, she is an enrollment and data specialist. Her experience at MMI includes coordinating off- and on-campus recruiting efforts and managing events with schools, institutions, and families.
“Laura, Antonio and Susanna’s experience and commitment to the concept and mission will inspire everyone they meet and truly change lives,” Martin informed the board members.
The trustees warmly welcomed the chosen candidates. All three administrators are set to begin their positions on July 1. “We are asking these important people to join us as we take a major leap of faith,” said Mike Warren, board president. “We are initiating a complex new idea with a wide scope and complicated demands and are all entering this exciting venture with high expectations. We are asking these talented experts to commit to creating a new community with the added responsibilities associated with ASHS being a residential campus. As such, these persons will have broader responsibilities than they have had in the past in traditional school settings.
“We applaud these exceptional choices and Dr. Martin’s efforts to meet all of ASHS’s needs.”
Bailey, a resident of Wetumpka, brings 17 years of experience as both an administrator and secondary teacher. In her recent state role, she supervised staff across CTE fields including Health Science, Education & Training, Hospitality & Tourism, and Human Services, overseeing approximately 200 Health Science and 350 Family & Consumer Science Programs statewide. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Montevallo and a Master of Education Leadership from Auburn University. She is currently pursuing a J.D. at the Birmingham School of Law, expected in December 2026.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help shape a school that will directly impact Alabama’s healthcare future,” Bailey commented. “My experience as a teacher, district administrator and state leader has prepared me to design a curriculum that supports students in discovering their purpose and gaining the skills they need to thrive. I’m excited to work alongside students, educators and industry partners to empower the next generation of healthcare professionals.”
Cooper has received recognition for his work in developing student character education and strategies for engaging students and stakeholders throughout his nearly two decades in teaching and administration. He earned both his Bachelor of Science in elementary education and a Master of Science in K-12 guidance education from Alcorn State University. He further obtained an educational specialist degree and a doctorate in education from Walden University in Minneapolis.
A Birmingham native residing in Tuscaloosa, Cooper shared: “I’m honored to serve as the inaugural Dean of Students at ASHS and excited about the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the healthcare landscape of our state. My vision is to cultivate a campus environment where students are inspired to develop their character, confidence and calling in healthcare, while preparing to make an immediate impact in their communities. By bridging academic excellence with personal transformation, we’ll create a close-knit campus family rooted in purpose, resilience, and service. From the moment they walk through our doors to the launch of their careers, I want this to be an experience they’ll carry with pride for a lifetime.”
Speegle, who calls Demopolis home, holds a Bachelor of Arts in communications with a public relations concentration from Jacksonville State University and earned a master’s degree in management from Faulkner University last year.
“I’m thrilled to be part of ASHS and to contribute to shaping its future,” Speegle stated. “This opportunity allows me to not only give back to my hometown community but to help students make a difference in their own. I can’t wait to be a small part of these students’ big future.”
ASHS development is advancing rapidly, aiming to welcome the first freshman class of up to 100 students to a temporary campus on the grounds of the University of West Alabama in Livingston in the fall of 2026. Final decisions are currently being made regarding healthcare career pathways and curricula to facilitate the recruitment of faculty, staff, and students. Groundbreaking for the $62 million, 10-acre residential campus adjacent to Whitfield Regional Hospital in Demopolis is anticipated this fall, with plans for it to open in the fall of 2027.
For additional details, visit the Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences Foundation website at https://ashsfoundation.org/. Follow updates on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ashsfoundation and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/alabama-school-of-healthcare-sciences-foundation/