Interim CEO
Debbie Cheek is now interim president of Florence-Darlington Technical College.
Cheek joined the South Carolina college in 2019 as its associate vice president for finance, before becoming vice president of finance and administration in 2022.
Presidents emeritus
Annette Parker, who served as president of Minnesota’s South Central College from 2013 to 2025, has received the title of president emeritus from the board of trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.
As president, Parker built key grant and fundraising partnerships that yielded $36 million for the college, including a $15 million statewide Department of Labor and Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant, according to a release from the state system. One of the college’s greatest achievements under her leadership was being selected in 2018 to participate in Achieving the Dream, a national organization dedicated to helping college students succeed with data-informed change, and being named an ATD Leader College in 2022.
Patricia Rogers, president of Lake Superior College (LSC) from 2019 until her retirement in 2025, has also received the title of president emeritus from the board of trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities.
During Rogers’ presidency, LSC refined its mission, vision and values statements, completed its Higher Learning Commission re-accreditation, and advanced several major campus projects focused on student success and workforce needs, according to a release. Under her leadership, LSC created Hawks Landing, opened a new Center for Equity and Inclusion, remodeled the main campus library to better serve students, and brought manufacturing programs back to the main campus as part of a major addition and remodel.
Betsy Oudenhoven has been named president emeritus at the Community College of Aurora (CCA) in Colorado, which she led from 2013 to 2021. The new title is in recognition of her lasting impact on the college’s growth, equity initiatives and long-term investments in its campuses
Oudenhoven is credited with advancing equity-centered practices and securing critical investments that continue to benefit students and the broader community. She joined CCA in 2011 as vice president of student affairs, before becoming president in 2013. During her tenure, the college acquired ownership of the CentreTech campus, helping the institution access new state funding opportunities and strengthening its long-term financial position, according to the college. She also led efforts that positioned CCA as a Hispanic-serving institution in 2016 and advanced workforce diversity initiatives. These efforts earned CCA the American Association of Community Colleges Advancing Diversity Award in 2019.
Kudos
Avis Proctor, president of Harper College (Illinois), has received the 2026 Advocacy Award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA), recognizing her leadership and advocacy on behalf of students, Harper College and the Illinois community college system.
The award honors Proctor’s work to advance student success, strengthen collaboration across the state’s community colleges and support policies that expand access, affordability and opportunity for Illinois students, according to a release.
Proctor “lives and breathes advocacy for student success,” said Patricia Murphy, ICCTA president and trustee at Moraine Valley Community College. “She has been a tireless and visionary advocate for expanding educational opportunities in Illinois. Through her leadership and the theme of ‘working together,’ she has united educators, employers, trustees and policymakers around a shared goal of creating affordable pathways to bachelor’s degrees in high-demand fields.”
Appointments
Kerrie Cavaness will become vice president for academic affairs at Yakima Valley College (Washington) on July 1. She currently is interim vice president for instruction at the college, and previously held progressively responsible leadership roles, including dean of college and career readiness and dean of arts and sciences.
Lathon Clark is now dean of capital projects, maintenance and operations at Wallace Community College-Dothan in Alabama. He previously was at the Social Security Administration in lease management and project execution.
Agnes Drupka has been appointed the inaugural dean of AI innovation at UCNJ Union College of Union County, NJ. She previously served as the college’s assistant director of institutional research and research analyst.
LaTasha Hamlett-Carver will serve as SUNY Westchester Community College‘s interim vice president for workforce development and community education, effective June 23. She is currently assistant dean of workforce development, a position she has held since May 2023.
