New CEOs
Annesa Cheek was named president of St. Cloud Technical & Community College in Minnesota, effective July 1. She has served as a vice president at Sinclair Community College in Ohio since 2012, and has earned her doctorate in community college leadership at the University of Texas at Austin. Before starting her academic career at Sinclair in 2006, she worked for the Dayton Chamber of Commerce and the United Way.
Jeffery Boyd will serve as president of Rochester Community and Technical College in Minnesota, effective July 1. A first-generation community college graduate, he currently serves Tidewater Community College (Virginia) as provost, chief operating officer and lead academic and student affairs administrator of its campus in Norfolk. Previously, Boyd served Elgin Community College from 2006 to 2014 in several capacities, including associate dean, interim dean, and dean of business and career technologies, and held roles in student services for Olivet Nazarene University from 2003 to 2004 and Waubonsee Community College from 2001 to 2003.
Ivan Harrell will serve as the 11th president of Tacoma Community College in Washington. He is currently executive vice president of academic and student affairs at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. Previously, he was vice president of student success at Lone Star College in Texas and dean of student services at Anne Arundel Community College in Maryland. Harrell has also served as student affairs coordinator at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Virginia and assistant to the vice president at Tallahassee Community College in Florida.
Marta Yera Cronin has been named president of Columbia Gorge Community College in Oregon, effective July 1. She is currently vice president of academic affairs at Indian River State College in Florida, where she helped to develop a teacher education bachelor’s degree program, reformed math instruction and convened 11 Florida colleges to collaborate on an $8.3 million federal grant. Previously, Cronin taught French, Spanish and reading in public high schools. She currently serves as president of the Florida Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, and was chosen as a leadership fellow to the American Association of Community Colleges National Community College Hispanic Council.
Kudos
Kate Hetherington, president of Howard Community College in Maryland, has been selected by The Daily Record for its 2018 Influential Maryland award. She is one of 57 Marylanders chosen by the newspaper’s editors for leadership and significant contributions in their respective fields: civic leadership, communications, education, finance, general business, health care, law, philanthropy, real estate and technology.
Beverly Walker-Griffea, president of Mott Community College in Michigan, was honored last month with the Lenore Croudy Distinguished Leadership Award by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Flint Chapter. “I am humbled and surprised to have been chosen by the Flint Chapter of the NAACP for this award, especially as it has been re-named in honor of my former board chair at Mott Community College, Lenore Croudy,” Walker-Griffea said. “For me, it represents the power of knowing our history and of working together for civil rights and equality.”
Michelle Ruble, College of Southern Maryland student life and athletics executive director, has been named the 2017-18 Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year for Junior and Community Colleges. Ruble will receive the award during the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Conference in June in Washington, D.C.
Josette Shaughnessy, vice president of financial and administrative operations at El Paso Community College in Texas, was inducted last month into the El Paso Commission for Women’s El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame. Shaughnessy was recognized in the business category for being an exceptional leader in the business sector having made an important and lasting contribution to the community.
