New CEO
Layla Merrifield has been named the next president of the Wisconsin Technical College System, effective September 9. Since 2015, she has served as executive director of the Wisconsin Technical College District Boards Association.
Prior to her current position, Merrifield was a Wisconsin Technical College System policy advisor and also served for 13 years as a fiscal analyst for the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau, focusing on K-12 and postsecondary education funding. Merrifield also currently chairs the Community College Association Executives, which comprises the executive directors of community and technical college state associations and includes approximately 25 active members.
Merrifield has an extensive background in system-wide leadership and advocacy, and in-depth knowledge of local colleges’ operations, student success goals and challenges, according to a release.
“Layla has been a fierce advocate for Wisconsin’s technical colleges for many years, and her knowledge of WTCS, our colleges and Wisconsin’s legislature makes her the perfect candidate to fill this role,” said Mark Tyler, chair of the Wisconsin system.
