Appointments
Marcia J. Ballinger, president of Lorain County Community College (Ohio), is among the 18 inaugural members of the Natcast National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) Workforce Advisory Board (WFAB). The board includes leaders from higher education, industry, workforce organizations and government who will provide strategic guidance on workforce development initiatives to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor talent pipeline. NSTC was established by the CHIPS and Science Act.
“Community colleges have and will continue to play a vital role in training the next generation of semiconductor talent,” Ballinger said in a release. “From accessibility and affordability, to close ties to industry and programs that embed on-the-job training, community colleges level the playing field and provide opportunities for people to break into the semiconductor industry who might not otherwise.”
Christian Bednar has been appointed provost/chief academic officer at North Shore Community College. He joined the Massachusetts college in 2007, and has served in several roles, including faculty member, assistant dean, dean, and in the last nine months, interim assistant provost/CAO.
Kimberly Chavis will serve as interim provost at Waubonsee Community College (Illinois) through June 30. She previously was vice provost of academic programs and accreditation at National Louis University.
Tracy Donnelly is the new dean of allied health and professional technical programs at Washington’s Wenatchee Valley College. She previously was director of operations of workforce training and continuing education at the College of Eastern Idaho.
Chanel L. Fort has been appointed dean of academic programs and services at Gadsden State Community College (Alabama). She previously was director of outcomes assessment at Jefferson State Community College (Alabama).
Felicia Ganther is the new senior vice chancellor for academic and workforce services at the Virginia Community College System. Previously, she served as a presidential fellow with the League for Innovation in the Community College. Prior to that, she was president of Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania.
Nicole Jagusztyn has been promoted at Hillsborough Community College to vice president of strategic planning and analysis. She joined the Florida college in 2009, serving in various leadership roles, including interim vice president.
Scott J. Kalicki will become officer in charge at New York’s Rockland Community College, effective January 13. The appointment will pave the way for William Mullaney to assume the position as RCC’s president in June. Kalicki has more than 40 years of leadership experience in higher education, having served as president or interim president at three community colleges and in key administrative roles at two- and four-year institutions.
Obituary
Charles “Monty” Roessel, the dedicated leader and advocate for Navajo education who has led Arizona’s Diné College since 2017, passed away peacefully on January 6, according to the college. He was 63.
Under Roessel’s leadership, Diné College grew from a two-year to a four-year institution with a focus on creativity and innovation. He opened the School of Transformation, a non-degree-seeking certificate program that provides professional development, continuing education units, training programs and self-directed courses. Last year, the American Indian College Fund named Rossel its Tribal College President of the Year.
During the Covid pandemic, Roessel invested stimulus funds from the federal CARES Act to purchase rental laptops and internet access for students at Diné. Under his leadership, the college doled out $700 to full-time students and $475 to part-time students through its allotment from the CARES Act. The college used other funds for the 200 students who didn’t qualify for CARES money.
“Dr. Roessel’s leadership was transformative. He elevated opportunities for Diné College students while creating pathways that connected education to the broader goals of the Navajo Nation,” said Theresa Hatathlie, chair of the Diné College board of regents. “He left an indelible impact on our institution and on tribal colleges across the country.”
Roessel, a former director of the federal Bureau of Indian Education, came from a family of educators. His parents, Robert and Ruth Roessel, helped to establish the Rough Rock Community School on the Navajo Nation. They also played key roles in creating Navajo Community College (now Diné College), the first tribal college, in 1968. His father served as the institution’s first president.
