Get to Know Dr. Christy Dinkins 
A Trailblazer in Higher Education and Community Outreach

September 17, 2026

The term “change leadership” can evoke a variety of interpretations and connotations, but for Macon native Christy Dinkins, EdD, “leading the change from within” is what she endeavors to do each day as the director of campus and community partnerships at PCOM Georgia.

“Change leadership can mean many things,” she said. “For me, it's about guiding the way from the inside out and building bridges to support each other in our jobs and in our communities.”

Over the past four years, Dinkins has built her position into the dynamic role it is today, and in the process of serving others, has become a trusted voice, friend and leader among many people living and working in Gwinnett County.

“I kind of fell into this work,” she said. “A mentor of mine told me when I got into higher education, ‘You know you're really good at this.’ “I've always been passionate about student success, belonging and systems that support growth.”

The examples are plentiful.

Under her leadership, PCOM Georgia's opportunities for youth engagement and community partnerships have flourished. In 2022, she sought ways to develop Opportunities Academy, a weeklong summer program that introduces high school students across the region to STEM careers. Four years ago, there were just 27 applications. Now the program attracts over 200 teens annually from the local community.

In 2025, she launched the Community Engagement Internship program after recognizing the need while serving as a speaker on a women's leadership panel at her alma mater, Georgia State University. The first cohort started in January of the same year, and PCOM has had a cohort every summer, fall and spring since. 

“The interns have been doing such a great job,” she said. “One of our former Opportunities Academy mentees became a summer intern in 2025, which was another full-circle moment as the summer interns serve as mentors during Opportunities Academy.”

Dinkins also manages STEM Saturdays, a monthly enrichment program that pairs high school students with PCOM faculty and student mentors. She also helped reintroduce the Medical Explorers program by partnering with national organizations such as Scouting America.

Her secret to managing all of these partnerships?

“I listen. I ask people what they need to succeed and build programs around those insights.”

An advocate for professional development rooted in her own desire to continuously grow, Dinkins created the “Lead the Change” course in 2024 to nurture leadership skills among supervisors, managers and young leaders at PCOM. Through focus groups and conversations across campuses, she has cultivated a cohort now in its fourth cycle with more than 100 participants.

Assistant Director of Campus and Community Partnerships TaeYana (Ty) Thomas is one of the many young professionals who benefit from Dinkins’ career coaching.

“With Ty, because we started small, I knew when she was ready to take on more responsibility, even when she doubted herself,” Dinkins said. “She always says, ‘I show up, even when I'm afraid, I do it scared.’”

Recently, Thomas had the opportunity to present alongside Dinkins at the 2026 NAMME Summit at Wake Forest University School of Medicine on youth outreach programs they worked on together.

Dinkins’ work has earned her numerous awards and recognition within higher education and community service, including the 2026 Mentorship Excellence Award and the Louise McBee Scholarship from the Georgia Association for Women in Higher Education (GAWHE).

“Growth is a collective effort,” she said. “My dream is that everyone understands that we all need to develop. We can make the time, we can continue creating opportunities for others to develop, and support each other's successes.”

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