New CEO
Marcus Garstecki will serve as Barton Community College’s sixth president as of July 1. He currently is the chief enrollment management officer at Northern State University (NSU) in South Dakota.
Trustees of the Kansas college cited Garstecki’s work at NSU, where he has led improvements in student recruitment efforts, implemented a comprehensive enrollment plan, and helped develop strategies to leverage scholarship funds.
“I am passionate about the role that rural community colleges play in providing higher education access to all students while helping our communities grow and thrive,” he said in a press release.
Prior to NSU, Garstecki was vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Dakota State University-Madison, where he led enrollment efforts that resulted in significant increases in freshmen, transfer and re-entry students, as well as increased retention percentages, according to a release. He also has served as vice president for the Mid-Plains Community College-North Platte campus, where he led strategic planning initiatives, including improvements in the arts, workforce training and high school partnerships.
Retirement announcement
Laura L. Douglas, president of Bristol Community College (BCC), has announced that she will retire in January 2025. She joined the Massachusetts college in 2017 as its fourth president.
Under Douglas’ leadership, BCC has made strides in its strategic priorities, equity initiatives and an overall commitment to reducing barriers for students who are the most in need through programs such as early college, dual enrollment and MassReconnect, the statewide free community college for adults 25 and older with no college degree — all of which have helped to increase enrollment. Overall enrollment from fall 2022 to fall 2023 has increased by 4.5%, with an increase of 3.6% of students who identify as Black, Indigenous and people of color, and a 5% increase in the percentage of adult learners, according to the college.
Douglas is also recognized for her efforts to support the region’s economic development. For example, she ushered in the National Offshore Wind Institute (NOWI), positioning the college as a leader in providing training solutions for the growing workforce demands of the offshore wind industry and related sectors.
Douglas also has received kudos for her leadership during the Covid pandemic, helping students navigate courses, supporting social justice initiatives and fostering strong community partnerships.
Among her accolades, Douglas recently received the Brayton Community Service Award from One SouthCoast Chamber, which also awarded Bristol Community College as the 2023 APEX Business of the Year.
Prior to BCC, Douglas was provost at Des Moines Area Community College for about 12 years. Over her career, she also served in the administration at Randolph Community College (North Carolina); worked abroad as an adjunct faculty member of Ottawa University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; was a planner for the Office of Planning and Governance at Washtenaw Community College (Michigan); and served as campus dean and head of campus at Sullivan County Community College in Toyama, Japan.
Appointments
Elizabeth Ollson is the new manager of alumni relations and annual giving at Holyoke Community College (HCC) in Massachusetts. The HCC alumna comes from Boston College, where she was the senior associate director of annual giving programs.
David Pittman, who has served as a dean at Guilford Technical Community College for the past 18 months, has been named the North Carolina college’s associate vice president for student retention and completion.
Gayle Tremble is now vice president of academic affairs at Georgia’s Savannah Technical College, where she previously was dean of public services. Most recently, she was the vice president of academic affairs for Williamsburg Technical College in South Carolina.
Angela Walters Eveillard is now executive director of marketing and public relations at Hillsborough Community College. She has been with the Florida college since 2011, serving in various leadership roles, including interim executive director.
At Harper College in Illinois, Heather Zoldak, formerly the associate executive director of the Harper College Educational Foundation, is the college’s new chief advancement officer, and Jeff Julian, Harper’s chief of staff, is now also the vice president of external affairs, a new division including the communications, community relations and marketing departments.
At Oakton College in Illinois, Johanna Fine is now chief human resources officer, and Michele Roberts is vice president for administrative affairs. Fine most recently was the chief human resources officer for JCC Chicago and an HR consultant for the Carolyn Brand Group. Roberts comes from the Ivy Tech Community College system in Indiana, where she was vice chancellor of administration and finance.
