New CEOs
Kristin L. Mallory will become president of Pennsylvania’s Westmoreland County Community College, effective July 1. She is currently vice president for academic affairs at Wor-Wic Community College (Maryland), a position she has held since 2017.
Mallory was cited by college leaders for her commitment to improving educational outcomes and growing workforce development opportunities in the community. She has led successful initiatives to increase enrollment, retention and graduation rates, while promoting access to higher education for all students, according to a release.
“Her experience in academic affairs and workforce development will be a tremendous asset as Westmoreland continues to adapt and evolve to meet the needs of our students and community. Her advocacy efforts show her leadership is not limited to inside the college,” said Bridget Johnston, who chairs the college’s board.
Mallory has been working in higher education since 1987, when she first held a part-time faculty position at Wor-Wic. She has steadily advanced through various leadership roles in both academic and student affairs. Previously, she was provost and senior vice president at BridgeValley Community and Technical College in West Virginia. Earlier, she was vice president for academic and student affairs at Bridgemont Community and Technical College, and vice president of academic affairs at the Community and Technical College at WVU Tech.
Mallory has also served on multiple state committees and worked extensively with two institutional accreditors.
Greg Pereira will serve as the seventh president of Central Oregon Community College (COCC), effective in July. He comes from Rio Salado College in Arizona, where he is vice president for student affairs, a position he has held for seven years.
Pereira is noted for his leadership in strategic enrollment management, workforce development and student success initiatives, which have resulted in gains in retention and degree completion. He has been key in expanding access to educational opportunities and strengthening partnerships with local employers to align workforce training with industry needs, according to a release.
“Not only is Dr. Pereira well-qualified, but he is also an ambitious and innovative thinker,” said Laura Craska Cooper, chair of COCC’s board of directors. “The board was also impressed by his personal journey – having grown up in a low-income family, he saw firsthand how community colleges transform lives. Dr. Pereira’s own parents both built careers through community college education and as a result, he understands at a personal level the challenges faced by many of our students.”
Pereira has been at Rio Salado College for 13 years, previously serving as dean of academic affairs and associate dean for instruction and community development, and other positions. Earlier, he was director of programs and shelters at Central Arizona Shelter Services and program manager at the Salvation Army in Los Angeles.
CEO retirement announcements
Carlee Drummer, who has served as the sixth president of Columbia-Greene Community College (C-GCC) in New York since 2019, plans to retire on June 30.
Under Drummer’s leadership, C-GCC has advanced student success, increased enrollment, expanded course offerings to meet employers’ needs and more. During the Covid pandemic, when operations were upended, the college inaugurated significant changes to its information technology system; rebranded with a redesigned logo and easy-to-navigate website; opened the Building Construction Technology Center; launched a Center for Innovation, Teaching, and Learning; and brought in more than $5 million in grants and donations for student support and operations.
Previously, Drummer served for five years as president of Quinebaug Valley Community College (Connecticut). Prior to that, she was executive director of college advancement and executive director of the educational foundation at Oakton Community College (Illinois) from 2001 to 2014. Before working in the higher education sector, Drummer served in the marketing and public relations field.
Drummer has also served in leadership roles on the state and national levels. She served on the American Association of Community Colleges’ Commission on Small and Rural Colleges from 2021 to 2024), and on AACC’s Commission on Public Relations, Advocacy and Advancement from 2017 to 2020.
Joe Garcia, chancellor of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), has announced his plans to retire, effective June 30. The former Colorado lieutenant governor has led the state’s largest system of higher education since 2018.
Gov. Jared Polis gave kudos to Garcia’s work in Colorado, especially in leading the state’s community college system, where he focused on student success. He also cited his role in helping to expand students’ access to career paths that lead to good-paying jobs and careers.
“Thanks to Chancellor Garcia’s leadership, the Colorado Community College system plays a critical role in ensuring that students have access to educational paths that fit their needs and provide the skills and experience to join Colorado’s strong workforce,” Polis said in a release.
Prior to CCCS, Garcia served for two years as president of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, an interstate compact, created to provide access to higher education opportunities for residents of the western U.S. He was Colorado’s lieutenant governor and executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education from 2011 to 2016. Prior to that, he was president of Colorado State University-Pueblo from 2006 to 2010 and president of Pikes Peak Community College from 2001 to 2006.
Garcia’s previous public service positions included serving as a member of the cabinet of Gov. Roy Romer and as a White House appointee under President Bill Clinton.
Appointments
Peter Provenzano, Jr., who has served as chancellor of Oakland Community College in Michigan since 2018, has been appointed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to serve on the Michigan Education Trust’s (MET) board of directors. MET is the state’s 529 prepaid tuition savings program. His term began February 10 and expires December 31, 2027.
Catherine Butler has joined Central Piedmont Community College in North Carolina as vice president of communications, marketing and public relations. She most recently was senior director of communications and engagement at Highline Warren.
Susan Evans is now with Fayetteville Technical Community College (North Carolina) as its associate vice president for instructional programs. She comes from Wytheville Community College (Virginia), where she most recently was dean of transfer and educational partnerships.
Thea Sweo Alvarado has been named interim assistant superintendent/vice president of instruction at College of the Canyons in California. She previously was dean of instruction at Pasadena City College.
