CEOs on the move
Curt Oldfield is now the seventh president of Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) in Illinois. He previously was president of Spoon River College (SRC) for 14 years, where he championed student success, community engagement and economic development.
“Dr. Oldfield brings Illinois community college experience, thoughtful leadership and a clear commitment to student success,” said state Rep. Wayne Rosenthal, chair of the LLCC board of trustees.
As president at SRC, Oldfield has focused on improving graduation and retention rates of full-time and part-time students, increasing the number of relevant academic programs, strengthening internal communication, expanding external partnerships and community development, enhancing continuous improvement processes, and developing a sense of belonging for all students and employees, according to a release.
Oldfield joined SRC as a full-time agriculture faculty member and then advanced to dean of instruction. He served as vice president of instruction at Northeast Iowa Community College before returning to SRC — his alma mater — as president in July 2012.
Oldfield has received the Illinois Community College Trustees Association Advocacy Award, led SRC to become a Top 10 finalist in the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence and served as a former chair of the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents. At the national level, he brings a distinguished record of leadership, serving as a member of the Commission on Student Success for the American Association of Community Colleges.
Lennor M. Johnson will become the next superintendent/president of California’s MiraCosta Community College, effective August 3. He is currently superintendent/president of Imperial Valley Community College District (California), a position he has held for five years.
Johnson will also be the first African American CEO in the college’s 92-year history.
MiraCosta’s board of trustees noted that Johnson’s strategic focus on enrollment growth, fiscal health and curriculum alignment has consistently earned national recognition for institutional excellence and student retention. Under his leadership, Imperial Valley College (IVC) earned the 2023 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. Aspen noted that IVC serves large rural areas with high rates of poverty and low rates of educational attainment. But the college’s myriad efforts to support students have yielded amazing results in graduation rates and post-graduation success. For example, IVC saw a 12-percentage-point increase over the same period, from 2015 to 2019.
Over his 28 years in educational leadership, Johnson has served in several roles, including campus director, graduate curriculum chair and professor. Prior to becoming president, Johnson served as IVC’s vice president of student services and equity and also as dean of student services and special projects.
Johnson is also a Marine veteran, attaining the rank of corporal. In his personal life, Johnson advocates for educational reform and economic development in minoritized communities, earning the Stone of Hope Award for his efforts, according to a release. He is also a founding board member for several youth-focused non-profits and actively mentors individuals to help them realize their full potential.
Interim presidents
Karissa Marino Morehouse is now Yuba College’s interim president. She previously was the California college’s vice president of student services.
Morehouse brings 20 years of higher education leadership experience to the role, including vice president of instruction and assistant superintendent. For the past two years, she has served as Yuba College’s vice president of student services, overseeing student support services such as enrollment, financial aid, counseling, TRIO programs, veteran services and community outreach.
Michele Shirley is now interim president of North Georgia Technical College (NGTC), where she has served as executive vice president of administrative services since 2021.
Shirley has held several other posts at NGTC, including director of admissions and registrar, special populations and retention coordinator, career planner, marketing specialist and associate instructor of business management.
“Dr. Shirley is a respected leader who understands North Georgia Technical College, its students, employees and the communities it serves,” said Technical College System of Georgia Commissioner Greg Dozier. “Her extensive experience, collaborative leadership style, and unwavering commitment to student success make her exceptionally well-qualified to lead the college during this transition.”
Appointments
Mandie R. Pritchard is now associate vice president for student affairs at Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico. Most recently, she was dean of student supports at Lane Community College in Oregon.
At San José City College (SJCC) in California, Victoria Menzies joins as vice president of administrative services, and René Alvarez has been promoted to vice president of student services. Menzies brings more than 25 years of higher education and public sector experience, including a prior role as director of college fiscal services at SJCC. Alvarez was previously SJCC’s dean of student services.
