J.F. Ingram State Technical College extends our deepest gratitude and warmest congratulations to President Annette Funderburk as she prepares to begin a new role with the Alabama Community College System as Special Assistant to the Chancellor. Since first being appointed interim president in 2017 and then president in 2018, President Funderburk has given nearly a decade of dedicated leadership to Alabama’s only correctional education college.
Under her leadership, Ingram State strengthened its mission as the sole correctional education provider in the state, consolidating ACCS correctional education programs to ISTC and expanding services across Alabama’s prisons and Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles facilities. Today, the college provides adult education, career technical training, and job skills programming exclusively to justice-involved students, with a clear focus on workforce readiness and successful reentry.
President Funderburk championed initiatives that walk with students from incarceration to meaningful careers. During her tenure, Ingram State established a dedicated Job Placement Division and developed the Alabama Prison-to-Workforce Pipeline framework—“enroll, educate, engage, employ, and exit”—to coordinate training, work-based learning, and post-release support so graduates have the skills, credentials, and resources they need to thrive in our communities
Her time as president has been marked by historic milestones and national recognition. In 2024, Ingram State celebrated the largest commencement ceremonies in college history, honoring hundreds of graduates across multiple sites through a hybrid model that kept families and students connected. In 2025, ISTC became the first institution in Alabama selected for the Lowe’s Foundation Gable Grant, positioning the college among an elite group of organizations nationwide investing in the skilled trades and expanding access to cutting-edge training technology for Ingram State students.
President Funderburk herself was recognized as an exceptional educator in Business Alabama magazine, highlighting her impact on correctional education and workforce development across the state.
Beyond campus, President Funderburk has been a powerful voice for education, economic development, and second chances. She has represented correctional education on statewide initiatives such as the Alabama Prison Repurposing Commission and has been deeply engaged in professional and community organizations, including the Correctional Education Association and the Economic Development Association of Alabama. She is a graduate of Leadership Alabama and a Paul Harris Fellow, further reflecting her commitment to service and community leadership.
President Funderburk, thank you for believing in our students, investing in their futures, and championing the idea that education changes lives—for individuals, families, and entire communities. While we will miss your daily presence on our campuses, we are proud that your next chapter will continue to advance correctional and community college education across Alabama.
Please join us in thanking President Annette Funderburk for her outstanding leadership at J.F. Ingram State Technical College and in congratulating her on this well-earned opportunity with the Alabama Community College System.