President on the move
Dennis Rittle was named president of Northwest Arkansas Community College, effective July 11. He has served as president of Cowley College in Kansas since 2015. Rittle, an alumnus of the Community College of the Air Force, previously was provost and executive vice president of learning at Ozarka College in Arkansas. He also has served as associate director of technical programs and curriculum at the Kansas Board of Regents and technical advancement director at Butler Community College in Kansas.
Rittle began serving as a full-time faculty member in higher education in 1995 and has since provided educational leadership for government, for-profit and public educational sectors in both two-year and four-year institutions. In addition, he has served on numerous state and national boards, councils and committees, including as president of the Kansas Community College Council of Presidents and as a board member of the Arkansas Association of Two-Year Colleges.
New CEOs
Virginia L. Guleff will become the eighth superintendent/president of Butte College in California, as of July 1. Since 2017, she has served as the college’s vice president of instruction and accreditation liaison officer. Guleff began her career in the California community college system in 1986 as a tutor at De Anza College and later served as a faculty member, dean and vice president at several community colleges in the state.
“Her efforts have been instrumental in helping lead the college through the Camp Fire and the pandemic, and her work to pivot the district to online instruction was a challenge she met with great success,” said Julie Boss, board president of the Butte-Glenn Community College District. “She is committed to equity, diversity and inclusiveness and is very much at home with rural communities. She is a visionary with a passion for education and is dedicated to offering opportunities that will enrich the lives of our students.”
Laura L. McCullough will become president/CEO of Maysville Community and Technical College (MCTC) in Kentucky, effective June 1. She most recently was vice president of workforce, community and corporate education at BridgeValley Community and Technical College in West Virginia. Prior to that, McCullough held leadership positions at other West Virginia community colleges.
“Dr. McCullough’s extensive experience in workforce education has prepared her well to lead MCTC,” Paul Czarapata, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), said in a release. “She has a good understanding of our students and their needs. I welcome her to the KCTCS family of colleges.”
Kudos
Vicki Karolewics, president of Wallace State Community College in Alabama, has been named the 2022-2023 Emma Marie Eddleman Citizen of the Year by the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce. She was recognized for transforming the rural college that she has led since 2003 by creating programs to meet business and industry demand, and to support economic development and community growth. Karolewics also serves as a board member of the American Association of Community Colleges.
Appointments
Xeturah Woodley is the new vice president for academic affairs at Doña Ana Community College in New Mexico. She previously was associate vice president of instruction at North Carolina’s Guilford Technical Community College, and prior to that served as an associate professor at New Mexico State University.
