Ron Powers and the Pursuit of Excellence

Spotlight: 2025 Exceptional Faculty Award recipient

Business professor James “Ron” Powers has a simple belief: focus on what you’re good at, then get even better. It’s the principle that guides his classroom at Clark College and took shape long before he became an instructor. 

After graduating from high school, Ron joined the Army, where he was fortunate to complete a full year of college. When he returned home four years later, determined to finish what he had started, he enrolled in a community college in Southern California, earning a degree before transferring to a four-year school. 

“Since I was older and already had a mission to get my degree, I was a far more serious student than my counterparts,” he said. “I loved the experience because I’m a lifelong learner. I was not a 4.0 student by any means, but I gave it all I had.” 

After graduating with a degree in business, Ron spent 32 years in corporate America, most of which was in sales and marketing. Some of those years were spent at Kraft Foods, which offered to pay for his continued education. “I jumped on that,” Ron said. “I knew I wouldn’t get a better offer.” He balanced his career with night classes, eventually earning a master’s degree. 

His experiences in the corporate world often find their way into his classroom discussions. 

“The minute my students ask me to tell more war stories about the corporate world, they can put it in relation to what they’re going through,” he said. “You’re going to learn practical, real-life advice in my class.” 

He wants his students to walk away from his class with that drive to keep learning more. Much of that learning, he notes, comes from networking. Even in online classes, he emphasizes discussion over quiz scores, encouraging his students to build a network with their classmates. He notes that something as simple as calling someone by their name in a discussion post adds a layer of respect and begins building a professional network. In doing so, he pushes his students toward higher-level thinking while fostering a culture of respect and open communication. 

“I believe in creating a classroom where students feel seen, heard, and empowered to grow, not just academically, but personally and professionally,” he said. 

His students agree he does exactly that. One wrote in their nomination, “His classes are more than just lectures and assignments. They are opportunities for growth, leadership, and self-discovery. He ensures that students leave his class with not just academic knowledge, but valuable life skills that will serve them in their careers and beyond.” 

Another student said, “his genuine investment in student success is evident in the way he identifies potential in his students, even when they don’t see it in themselves. In my case, his encouragement led me to explore a career path I had not previously considered, reshaping my professional aspirations.” 

Ron’s respect for individual differences also extends to his encouragement of diverse leadership styles. Instead of promoting a one-size-fits-all approach to management, Ron recognizes that great leaders come in many forms and helps students identify and refine their own strengths. By creating a space where differences are respected and celebrated, he ensures that all students feel empowered to contribute, learn, and grow. 

Ron’s path in business was not always set in stone; one particularly intimidating calculus class in college almost deterred him from pursuing his passion, causing him to consider a different major altogether. It was his school counselor who gave him the advice that would eventually become the cornerstone of his own teaching philosophy. “Do well in all of your other classes, but just find a way to get a C in calculus.”  

The lesson stayed with him: instead of chasing perfection in subjects that he struggled with, he learned to focus his energy on areas where he was already strong. In the end, Ron worked hard and earned a B in his calculus class. “Which, for me, felt like getting a 4.0,” he said. 

Now, Ron shares that same advice with his own students, encouraging them to focus not on subjects that intimidate them, but on their strengths. 

“When we rank ourselves from 1-10,” he said, “we look at what we’re a 4 or 5 in and think, ‘I have to make that higher.’ But the energy it takes to go from a 5 to a 6, you can put into going from an 8 to a 9 in something else.” 

That small jump, he explains, has more of an impact when you go from good to great. “No one is going to go to a restaurant and get a 5 or 6 meal. They want a 9 or 10 meal. So, find out what you’re strong in, then get stronger, because people pay for excellence.”  

For Ron, the real reward comes later. One of his greatest joys comes when former students share how his classes shaped their paths. He fondly recalls a particular instance when a former student reached out to meet for coffee and shared that Ron’s teaching profoundly impacted their journey — that student went on to earn their Master of Business Administration degree. 

“I look at my students like my clients,” he said. “They’re paying me to give them training and advice. I want to give them that value so that 10 years from now, they may not remember my name, but they remember the learning they got from my class.” 

Beyond his passion for business, Ron dreamed of working at a college, which led him to become a faculty member at Clark College for the past 11 years. After 32 years in corporate America, Ron calls teaching his “retirement job,” he said with a laugh. His mentor, Professor Patricia Serrano, helped shape him into the instructor he is today. He had many other colleagues at Clark who inspired him on his journey, including Divya Kashyap, Debi Jack, Cheryl Konen, Helen Martin, and Trish Atkinson. 

While at Clark, he also taught evening classes at Larch Correctional Center for three years, expanding educational opportunities for incarcerated students. He also currently serves as the Faculty Advisor to the Clark College Student Veterans of America Club. 

“I went to community college. My wife went to a community college. All three of our kids went to Clark College and then a four-year university. So,” he said with a smile, “we are definitely a community college family.”

Learn More About the Exceptional Faculty Awards

The Clark College Exceptional Faculty Awards are presented annually to full-time and part-time faculty members. Nominations can be submitted by Clark College students, faculty, classified employees, administrators, alumni, Board members, and Foundation directors. Students are particularly encouraged to submit nominations.  Learn more about the Exceptional Faculty Awards here.   

Nominations for the 2026 Faculty Excellence Award will open on March 2, 2026.  

Read more about this year’s Clark Employee Award recipients.   

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley  

Story by Malena Goerl, Staff Writer, Communications & Marketing