Contact INFO Update
Officers
Incoming Past President
Matthew Donovan
Morehead State University
Morehead, KY
Matthew Donovan, President of NEOCA is an EOC alum as he received his GED in 2001 thanks to Morehead State University’s EOC program. He is the Director of the same program that helped him with his GED at Morehead State. Matthew is also the President of KYTRIO and a national EOC trainer for both COE and SAEOPP organizations. Matthew has a strong passion for EOC and strives every day to make sure that the EOC community is well represented on the state, regional, and national levels.
Incoming President
Melissa Rosa-Alvarez
Seminole State College
Sanford, FL
Melissa Rosa-Alvarez, the Treasurer of NEOCA, is an alum of Penn State University and Nova Southeastern University. She is the Program Manager of TRIO Connections for Central Florida – EOC, which serves three countries. Melissa is also the state Treasurer of Florida. As a licensed mental health clinician, Melissa has combined her passion for educating the community about mental health and inspiring individuals to control their lives to create a legacy through post-secondary educational options.
Incoming Vice-President
Heather LaRue
Southcentral Kentucky Community & Technical College
Bowling Green, KY
Heather LaRue, Vice President of NEOCA, is one of the Retention & Resource Coordinators at Southcentral Kentucky Community & Technical College, where she applies 19 years of leadership experience to support student success. Her background includes management roles at McDonald’s, AT&T, Lowe’s, and Holley Performance Parts, where she consistently built self-directed high-performing teams and achieved top rankings in sales, service, and retention. At SKYCTC, Heather facilitates and expanded the SKYRISE EOC Road to Reentry program into three counties, offering online career readiness courses to incarcerated individuals. She secured a $2,500 COE grant to support the development of first-generation college students, who make up over 40% of the student body. Heather uses her extensive workforce network to bring real-world skill-building workshops to campus, focusing on financial literacy, mental health, and time management. She also collaborates with community partners to provide students with access to basic needs, removing non-academic barriers to education and empowering students to thrive.
Incoming Treasurer
Tarra Carson
Grand Valley State University
Ottawa County, MI
Tarra Carson is a dedicated advocate for education, leadership, and community impact. As the Assistant Director of the Laker Educational Opportunity Center (LEOC) at Grand Valley State University and the President/Founder of the HBCU Club of Muskegon, Inc., she is committed to helping students achieve academic and career success.
A proud second-generation HBCU graduate, Tarra earned degrees from Grambling State University, Northeastern Illinois University, and Western Michigan University. Her passion for higher education, youth empowerment, and equity has led her to serve on numerous local, state, and regional advisory boards. Through her leadership, Tarra continues to develop initiatives that expand access to college and career opportunities for students across West Michigan.
Tarra believes that true leadership is measured not by titles, but by how many lives you help transform. She strives to inspire the next generation to dream boldly, serve their communities, and pursue purpose with passion.