The first time we met Betty Youngblood, the executive director of a recently opened Mount Clemens facility, we expected good things ahead.

A native of Macomb County, Youngblood is an experienced and enthusiastic supporter of higher education.

But we never imagined that she and her Oakland University colleagues would move so quickly to initiate programs at the OU Anton-Frankel Center in downtown Mount Clemens.

The center began in the fall of 2011 with 35 classes and will expand to nearly 100 by next fall.

Since its start, the facility has added a full bachelor’s degree program in social work; a master’s in business administration and a full curriculum for a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice is in the planning stages.

And most impressive was the announcement this month that the site will offer a master of public administration starting in the fall.

Youngblood said that a primary goal of Oakland University President Gary Russi is to meet Macomb County’s needs for full academic programs.

The Anton-Frankel Center is certainly on a fast track toward that goal.