Interim CEOs
Lori Kloos has been named to serve as interim president of St. Cloud Technical and Community College (SCTCC), effective on July 1. She has been with the Minnesota college since 1998 and currently serves as vice president of administration and chief financial officer, a role she has held since 2000. Kloos also was SCTCC’s interim president from 2017 to 2018 and acting president in 2005.
Telly Sellars will serve as interim president at Big Sandy Community and Technical College in Kentucky, effective April 11. He is currently associate vice president of technical education at Jefferson Community and Technical College (Kentucky). Over his 19 years at the college, Sellars has also was dean of technical education and interim vice president of academic affairs/chief academic officer. He also has served as an adjunct faculty member at Spalding University and Lindsey Wilson College.
Kudos
Steven R. Gonzales, interim chancellor of Arizona’s Maricopa County Community College District, has been honored by the Phoenix Business Journal as one of its Most Admired Leaders of 2022. Gonzales, who also serves on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) board of directors, noted the award is a reflection of the dedication of the system’s employees.
“Over the last two years, our employees showed up day in and day out during some trying times with a laser focus on the students and communities we serve,” he said in a release. “Their unwavering commitment and the support of our governing board are what make the Maricopa Community Colleges special, and I look forward to our continued impact on those we serve.”
Gonzales is among 25 honorees–community and industry leaders who champion innovation through corporate-giving programs, board service and volunteerism. The awards, sponsored by Arizona Bank and Trust, celebrate Valley leaders for community leadership, professional accomplishments and personal achievements.
Casey Lunceford, campus president of Indian River State College‘s (IRSC) Mueller Campus, was recently honored with the Indian River Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Award, which recognizes board members who represent their organization’s support and involvement in the community without asking or drawing attention to their efforts. The chamber noted that the accolade is not presented every year; instead, it is awarded when a board member stands out for their service above and beyond the obligations of the chamber’s board.
“As the designated board member for IRSC, Casey has always been generous with his time to the Chamber to sit on or chair various committees,” said Chamber President Dori Stone in a release. “Casey has actively participated in the Chamber’s policy development, lending his talent to our strategic planning efforts and our government issues committee.”
Lunceford, who will retire this year, has led IRSC’s Mueller Campus in Vero Beach since 2014. During his more than 25-year career with IRSC, Lunceford held roles ranging from assistant professor to dean to campus president.
Roger Ramsammy, president of Hudson Valley Community College in New York, has been selected as a recipient of the Empire Whole Health Heroes Awards. The awards were created through a partnership between the Times Union and Anthem/Empire BlueCross to honor 25 Capital Region individuals and companies who are helping to improve the health, socio-economic levels and overall quality of life in the area, and who “reflect the dedication of Empire BlueCross to improving the health of every single New Yorker and maintaining the vitality of our great state.”
“We design our programs and services with the needs of the entire community in mind, from students to employers,” Ramsammy said in a Times Union article about the award recipients. “Our goal is to ensure that everyone in the region has the ability to pursue higher education, at a cost they can afford, and that our workforce and economy remains strong and growing through the creation of new programs and facilities that allow us to address the needs of employers while providing well-paid jobs for our graduates.”
Appointments
Michael A. Baston, president of Rockland Community College in New York, has been elected to the board of trustees at Columbia University’s Teachers College for a three-year term. The Teachers College is the first and largest graduate school of education in the U.S., and offers over 150 programs for students to earn graduate degrees conferred by Columbia University.
“Their mission to create a more equitable and peaceful world aligns with my goals of ensuring that everyone has the same opportunities to define their own success and become the best version of themselves,” said Baston, who also serves on the AACC board of directors.
Stephen J. Ampersand is now dean of student services at Salem Community College in New Jersey. He most recently was vice president of student affairs and enrollment management at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College. Ampersand also has served in leadership positions at Cecil College in Maryland and Delaware State University.
