CEO on the move
Lisa Rhine has been named the 10th president of Central Arizona College. She most recently was president of Yavapai College (Arizona).
Rhine brings more than 37 years of leadership experience in higher education and has built a career focused on student success, workforce development and institutional innovation, according to a release. Prior to Yavapai, she was provost and chief operating officer of the Chesapeake Campus of Tidewater Community College in Virginia and held faculty and leadership positions at colleges and universities in Ohio and Kentucky.
Rhine has earned numerous national and regional honors, including the Association of Community College Trustees’ Pacific Region CEO of the Year Award (2021), Phi Theta Kappa’s Paragon President’s Award (2021) and a nomination for the American Association of Community Colleges CEO of the Year (2023). In 2025, she was named Business Leader of the Year by the Prescott Valley Chamber of Commerce and Business Woman of the Year by the Prescott Chamber of Commerce.
Rhine also serves on several local, regional, and national boards and committees. She is a member of the board of directors for the Community College Baccalaureate Association, serves on the executive committee of the Alliance for Innovation and Transformation, the executive board of Arizona Women in Higher Education, and is Arizona’s presidential liaison to the American Council on Education Women’s Network. She also serves on the Arizona Commerce authority Board of directors.
Interim campus president
Patrick Mallory, dean of education, public service and social sciences at St. Louis Community College, is now interim campus president at STLCC-Florissant Valley. He brings over two decades of higher education leadership experience at STLCC. The college noted Mallory’s commitment to student success and institutional excellence.
“Throughout his career at STLCC, Mallory has consistently championed equity, access and student achievement, making him uniquely qualified to lead Florissant Valley toward greater student success and community impact,” according to the college.
Kudos
Leah L. Bornstein, president of Aims Community College (ACC) in Colorado, has been recognized as a 2026 Community Health Champion by Sunrise Community Health. The honor recognizes individuals and organizations that have contributed to Sunrise through their actions, advocacy and financial support.
In 2024, ACC and Sunrise Community Health formed a partnership to provide on-campus medical and dental care to Aims students. The Student Health and Wellness Center is set to open next month.
“The Aims Student Health and Wellness Center is a symbol of our commitment to support students holistically, recognizing that educational success relies on overall well-being,” Bornstein said. “I cannot wait to see it open its doors and begin serving our students and their families.”
Leigh B. Goodson, president of Tulsa Community College, is among the inductees into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame as a member of its 2026 class.
The Oklahoma Higher Education Heritage Society recognizes individuals whose leadership and achievements in areas such as teaching, administration, scholarship, outreach and public service have brought distinction to higher education in Oklahoma. Among Goodson’s accomplishments cited by the society include TCC completing a $20 million fundraising campaign, developing Oklahoma’s first early college high school program and strengthened university transfer opportunities through partnerships with institutions across the region. The college has also received national recognition for its work in student success, safety and planning.
“President Goodson’s impact extends well beyond Tulsa Community College. She has been a strong advocate for students and for the role community colleges play in higher education, while leading TCC through significant growth and progress,” said Jennifer Jezek, TCC board of regents chair. “Her induction into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame is a fitting recognition of her leadership and commitment to higher education across our state.”
Goodson has served as president and CEO of TCC since 2014 and is the immediate past-chair onfthe American Association of Community Colleges board of directors.
Anthony J. Iacono, president of County College of Morris (CCM) in New Jersey, has been named the 2026 Chief Executive Officer for the Northeast Region by the Association of Community College Trustees. The award recognizes the extraordinary contributions of community colleges and their leaders in advancing student success and meeting the evolving needs of their communities.
Under Iacono’s leadership, CCM has expanded its partnerships and invested in innovative facilities with programs designed to meet the evolving needs of students and employers. The college has also boosted graduation and transfer rates, among other achievements.
“Dr. Iacono’s visionary leadership has elevated County College of Morris to new heights while ensuring students remain at the center of every decision,” said Paul R. Licitra, chair of CCM’s board of trustees. “His ability to expand academic opportunities and respond to the changing needs of our community, while building meaningful partnerships, has strengthened the college’s impact throughout Morris County and beyond. This recognition is a testament to his exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to student success.”
Regional award winners automatically become nominees and finalists for the national-level ACCT Association Awards.
Sandra L. Kurtinitis, president of the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), is the inaugural recipient of the NCHC Distinguished Leadership Award, which honors individuals whose sustained leadership has strengthened honors education and whose commitment to scholarship, innovation and student success reflects the mission and values of the National Collegiate Honors Council.
The council noted Kurtinitis’ leadership in transforming CCBC’s Honors Program into a comprehensive Honors College designed to provide rigorous academics, undergraduate research, leadership development, experiential learning and transfer opportunities while remaining firmly grounded in the mission of an open-access community college, according to a release.
“By elevating honors education to a strategic institutional priority at CCBC, she has expanded access to high-impact learning experiences and created meaningful pathways to student success. Her leadership has strengthened not only CCBC, but also the broader higher education community in Maryland and across the nation,” said NCHC President Daniel Roberts.
Retirement announcements
Henry D. Shannon, who has served as superintendent/president of Chaffey College for 19 years and previously led the St. Louis Community College system for seven years, has announced that he will retire on September 24.
Since Shannon became its president in 2007, Chaffey College has seen its retention and completion rates increase, thanks to increased student supports and opportunities developed by faculty and staff. Under his leadership, the college passed Measure P in 2018, providing Chaffey with $700 million in funding to modernize and expand its campuses for its growing student body. His dedication to student equity helped Chaffey capture the attention of philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, who donated $25 million to the college in 2021.
Shannon has received multiple honors throughout his career, most recently being named President/Superintendent/CEO of the Year by the African American California Community College Trustees and Administrators caucus in January. In 2018, he received the Marie Y. Martin Chief Executive Officer Award from the Association of Community College Trustees. Shannon has also led on the state and national levels, serving as chair of the American Association of Community Colleges board of directors in 2004 and on the Community College Research Center Advisory Board and California Community College Commission on the Future.
Prior to joining Chaffey, Shannon was chancellor of St. Louis Community College. He started there in 1983 as dean of student services at the Forest Park campus, becoming president of the campus in 1992. He became chancellor of the system in 2000.
Johnette McKown, president of McLennan Community College (MCC), has announced her plans to retire on May 31, 2027. She has served at the Texas college for 37 years, including as its CEO since 2009.
Throughout her tenure, McKown has focused on expanding opportunities and support for students while strengthening the college’s academic programs, facilities and partnerships, MCC said. Initiatives established during her leadership include the Honors College, success coaching services and support services, free transportation for students and a student emergency fund. She also led efforts to develop and expand programs to serve in-demad fields, such as dental assistance, fiber optics, certified nursing assistance and more. McKown also expanded dual-credit opportunities and strengthened relationships with area schools, universities and industry partners.
In addition to her leadership duties, McKown has served for 10 years as an adjunct professor in Baylor University’s Scholars of Practice program and taught developmental English and success courses at MCC.
“Dr. McKown has provided exceptional leadership marked by unwavering integrity, a deep commitment to our students and a clear strategic vision,” said Earl Stinnett, chair of the MCC board of trustees. “She is a true servant leader, and her legacy will be defined by her tireless advocacy for students and their success.”
McKown joined MCC in 1989 as vice president of business services and later became executive vice president before becoming president. Prior to MCC, McKown served at Paris Junior College, Vernon College and the University of North Texas in a variety of roles, including institutional researcher, human resources director, business officer, educator and grants leader, according to a release.
McKown has also served on state and national higher education organizations, including the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Association of Community College Trustees and is a past chair of the Texas Association of Community Colleges.
Obituary
Paul A. Elsner, a nationally renowned community college leader who for 22 years was at the helm of the Maricopa Community College System — growing it from five colleges to 10 upon his retirement in 1999 — passed away on August 14. He was 92.
Elser served as Maricopa’s second chancellor from 1977 to 1999, during which he spearheaded innovation and emerging educational models, growing the district into one of the largest in the country. But the expansion would face political and racial challenges, including opposition to the opening of the district’s South Mountain Community College and raids by the former Immigration and Naturalization Service in the early 1980s.
Elsner was also a nationally recognized community college leader whose career included significant roles with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and whose work helped shape student development policy in the sector. He wrote extensively on community college leadership, civic engagement and the role of colleges in community development, including his 2002 book Community Building: The Community College as Catalyst.
Elsner’s AACC connection is also reflected in his role as a collaborator in the 1984 Traverse City Statement on the “Future Vitality of Student Development Services,” a landmark document in community college student development that was later celebrated by the National Center for Student Development.
Elsner also spread the word about community colleges internationally, including London, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Italy, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Tibet, South Africa, Brazil and Cambodia, as well as at least five trips to China.
“Dr. Elsner was an extraordinary leader and a tremendous influence on my own career. I originally came to Maricopa because I wanted the opportunity to work for him, and it was truly a privilege,” said Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board President Linda Thor, who served as president of three different community colleges between 1986 and 2015. “He helped build Maricopa into the nationally recognized system it is today, and his influence on community college education goes far beyond Arizona.”
Among his many awards, Elsner was named “one of the most influential college leaders of our time” by the Chronicle of Higher Education and received the prestigious Anderson Medal from the Business-Higher Education Forum in 1995 and the AACC Leadership Award in 1996.
Prior to Maricopa, Elsner served as state director of the Colorado Community Colleges and later as vice chancellor of the Peralta Community Colleges in California. He also served as president of the testing services ACT and ETS, and as president of the League for Innovation in Community Colleges. Upon retirement, he continued to work as a consultant in the sector.
Appointments
Jennifer Cumpston is the new vice president for academic affairs at Trident Technical College in South Carolina. She most recently was dean of science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the College of DuPage in Illinois.
At St. Louis Community College (STLCC), Faith Barnes is the new executive director of the STLCC Foundation and Andrew “AJ” Soll is now director of the college’s public safety and emergency management. Gerald Myers, professor of music at STLCC-Meramec, was appointed interim dean and director of STLCC-South County.
