New CEO
Samuel Todd Brand, who has served as interim president of Big Sandy Community and Technical College for the past year, has been named the Kentucky college’s new president.
During his interim leadership, the college increased the number of graduates and added two new programs — an EKG certificate and a dual-credit practical nursing program to meet critical workforce needs. The college also revamped its strategic plan and the onboarding program for new employees.
“Dr. Brand has proven to be an exceptional leader for Big Sandy Community and Technical College over the past year,” Ryan Quarles, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, said in a release. “His commitment to student success and career-focused programming has strengthened the college’s impact in the region. We are excited to see him continue building on that momentum as president.”
Brand has more than 20 years of experience with community colleges. He previously was chief academic officer at Ashland Community and Technical College (Kentucky). Earlier, he held several leadership positions at Meridian Community College in Mississippi.
Interim CEO
Ike Wheeler is now as interim chancellor at Arkansas State University-Newport. He previously was the college’s vice chancellor for leadership and community engagement.
Wheeler has been associated with ASU-Newport for more than 30 years and served briefly as ASU-Newport’s interim chancellor in 2021. He has witnessed ASU-Newport grow from a small technical college with 600 students to a three-campus institution with enrollment of more than 2,400 students.
“We want to ensure we put leaders in place who understand the constituents they are serving and maximize opportunities for the success of others. Ike will certainly fulfill this role during the interim period,” said Arkansas State University System President Brendan Kelly.
Wheeler is a member of Arkansas Community Colleges, the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships, Jackson County Historical Society and Iron Mountain Regional Arts.
Retirement
David Hellmich, who has served as president of Sauk Valley Community College (SVCC) in Illinois since 2015, has announced that he will retire in May 2026.
Under Hellmich’s leadership, SVCC has expanded academic programs, modernized campus facilities and launched initiatives, including the Impact Program that allows area high school students to earn up to three years of tuition and fees in exchange for volunteer service, according to a release. He steered the college during challenges such as the state budget crisis and the Covid pandemic.
Under Hellmich’s leadership, SVCC added several new programs in nursing, sonography and emergency medical technician certification and expanded the college’s agriculture curriculum in collaboration with the University of Illinois Extension.
In honor of his service, SVCC has launched the Hellmich Leadership Legacy Campaign to support the Impact Program.
This year, Hellmich received the Gary W. Davis Ethical Leadership Award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association. The award honors individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the pursuit and support of ethical leadership and decision-making in their fields of work and volunteer service.
Prior to SVCC, Hellmich was vice president of academics at Bluegrass Community and Technical College (Kentucky) for nine years, and also served as dean of instruction at South Central Technical College in Minnesota from 2000 to 2006.
Over his nearly 30-year career, Hellmich has also served on the faculties of Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Santa Fe Community College, Indiana University, St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and the University of Kentucky.
Jeff Cox, president of the North Carolina Community College System, has announced plans to retire at the end of the fiscal year in June 2026. He has led the 58-college system since 2023.
Under Cox’s leadership, the system developed a new vision statement focused on improving the economic mobility of students while aligning the colleges’ programs to meet the labor market demands in high-wage, high-demand jobs, according to the system. He also oversaw the development and early implementation of Propel NC, a business model for the community college system focusing more attention on building sustainable funding for high-demand workforce sectors. Cox also helped drive a statewide enrollment recovery, strengthened partnerships with K-12 schools and universities, and with business and industry partners, according to a release.
“As a first-generation college student from rural Alleghany County, I could never have imagined that one day I would lead the state’s community college system,” Cox said. “Our colleges play a pivotal role in changing the lives of 600,000+ students every year. I’m so proud of the impact our colleges make every day, and I am honored to be a part of this system. I look forward to continuing this important work over the next year.”
Previously, Cox was president of Wilkes Community College for nine years. Prior to that, he led Alleghany County Schools as superintendent from 2005 to 2014. He also served as assistant superintendent for Lee County Schools and principal of Benton Heights Year-Round School in Union County.
Appointments
Theresa Felder, president of Harford Community College, has been appointed by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore as a hospital affiliate member of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) Corporation board of directors to serve for a term of five years. UMMS is a nationally recognized academic health system dedicated to delivering comprehensive healthcare services, advancing medical education and conducting groundbreaking research to enhance health outcomes throughout Maryland and beyond.
Valerie Dent is now vice chancellor for community colleges at the State University of New York (SUNY) System Administration after serving in an interim role since September 2024. Dent previously was SUNY’s associate vice chancellor and chief deputy for student success.
Brian Kraus is the new chief information officer at Maryland’s Harford Community College. He previously was director of campus applications at West Virginia University and also served as the university’s director of academic systems.
Savannah Michaels is now campus director of Bluegrass Community and Technical College‘s Lawrenceburg Campus in Kentucky. She had served as acting campus director since March and also held the position of associate dean of student success/academic advising.
