Although my professional responsibilities no longer require me to be in the classroom, I still view my role as that as teacher first and supervisor/manager second. 
During a recent meeting, we (the management team of the college where I am chair of the Trades School) were asked who the college served. Most responded that the college served the student. However, I suggest that the role of the college is to serve the community as a whole- we serve the community, industry as well as the student. Colleges are governed by a board that is representative of the community, they consult with industry and business representatives annually, and ultimately gauge success by the success of their students. 
Satisfying the needs of diverse interests requires colleges to make difficult choices. If we responded solely to the needs of industry, colleges would focus on merely providing employees that would be useful to industry. However, colleges provide students with the skills that enable them to be productive employees but  also provides them with career mobility. Responding only to the  community would ignore the professional skills of the teachers and managers. We not only know are subject areas, we are also educators who understand curriculum and pedagogy. 
The  way best serve the community is to, therefore, serve the student. A well rounded student capable of reasonable and rational thinking is the strongest asset that we can provide.