Kudos
Tom Huebner, president of Meridian Community College (Mississippi), and Christopher Reber, president of Hudson County Community College (New Jersey), are among this year’s recipients of the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction from Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international community college honor society. The award recognizes college presidents who have shown support of student success initiatives leading to stronger pathways to completion, transfer and employment. Recipients are nominated by students from their colleges and must have served in their role for at least five years. The awards will be presented at PTK’s annual convention in April.
Retirement announcement
Keith Miller, the long-time president of South Carolina’s Greenville Technical College (GTC), has announced that he plans to retire in July 2025. He is the college’s second president and has served in that role since 2008. He previously was president for a total of 12 years at two Illinois colleges, first for Spoon River College and later for Black Hawk College.
Miller’s own college education started at a community college, where he earned an associate degree in radiologic technology. That experience informed his approach as a two-year college leader to be student-focused. For example, GTC created innovative efforts such as the African American Male Scholars Initiative, the state’s only Collegiate Recovery Program at the two-year college level, and a Student Assistance and Resources Center to serve those facing hunger and emergency financial barriers.
Miller is particularly known for his keenness in cultivating business and industry partnerships, working with small and large companies such as BMW, Michelin, Lockheed Martin, Bosch Rexroth and more. For example, he worked with the Prisma Health hospital system on the Prisma Health Center for Health & Life Sciences, which will open this fall. The college’s Center for Workforce Development is expected to open in 2026 to help address the local need for skilled welders. Under his leadership, GTC has applied Baldrige quality practices, which resulted in the college being named a South Carolina Governors Quality Award Gold Achiever, the only technical college in the state to ever win at any level.
Miller is a renowned leader on the state and national levels. He serves on the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education Presidents Council, is a past board chair of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), served on the White House/AACC National Apprenticeship Advisory Panel, and was a board member of the American Council on Education. Last year, Miller received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest civilian honor.
Obituary
Milton Jones, the founding president of Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC), passed away on January 28. He was 90.
Jones took the helm of the Florida college in 1972 after serving as dean at St. Petersburg Junior College, also in Florida. He was its president for 22 years until his retirement in 1994.
PHSC started in rented facilities — from schools and storefronts, to churches and libraries — opening with 712 students. In 1974, Dade City residents and businesses helped raise more than $100,000 to buy 100 acres where the first campus was established in 1974. It then grew to three campuses and two satellite locations during Jones’ tenure, according to his obituary.
“Dr. Jones had superhuman qualities — without his tireless efforts to establish the college in 1972, PHSC, quite literally, might not exist today,” Timothy Beard, who retired last month as PHSC president, said in a release. “His influence on PHSC and our district is immeasurable, and his incredible contributions to the college and community will never be forgotten.”
Appointments
Michael J. McDonough, president of Raritan Valley Community College (New Jersey), will serve on the Presidents’ Council of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. The council will lead more than 625 college and university presidents, provosts and chancellors who have committed to full student voter registration and participation in the 2024 elections through the ALL IN Presidents’ Commitment. In November, McDonough was recognized nationally as the “Standout President” by the 2023 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
Hillary Folsom is the new director of advancement and alumni relations at Alabama’s Gadsden State Community College. She previously was financial director of Interfaith Ministries, a regional non-profit focused on the homeless and unsuitably housed, before transitioning to marketing liaison for the organization.
At the Community College of Rhode Island, James Bradley is the new chief information officer (CIO) and Rajeev Jayadeva is director of enterprise applications. Bradley most recently was CIO at Sam Houston State University in Texas. Jayadeva comes from Touro University in New York City, where he was information technology director of enterprise applications.
