President/Chancellors

Mr. Timothy Minor has been appointed as the new Vice Chancellor for Advancement and President and CEO at the University System of Maryland Foundation. Mr. Minor will also serve as the Vice President for Advancement of the University System of Maryland. He will begin his duties on September 22nd. A nationally recognized and results-driven higher education leader, Mr. Minor brings over 30 years of strategic experience in advancement, fundraising, and industry and government partnerships. In his most recent position as Vice Chancellor for Strategic Partnerships at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, Mr. Minor secured transformational private support across higher education, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, leading initiatives generating more than $1 billion annually. Previously, Mr. Minor served as the Chief Development Officer and Senior Vice President for the V Foundation for Cancer Research. Prior, he was the Vice President for University Advancement for the University of North Carolina System, where he served as the Chief Advancement Officer for the UNC multi-campus university composed of all 16 of North Carolina's public universities, as well as the NC School of Science and Mathematics. Earlier, he served as Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement for North Carolina A & T State University and held several fundraising roles at UNC Chapel Hill. He started his advancement career at Emory University. Mr. Minor holds a B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Public Affairs in nonprofit management from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Read more.

Dr. Jim Burkee has been appointed as the new President at Saint Leo University. Dr. Burkee will officially begin his new role on September 1, 2025. Dr. Burkee currently serves as the 15th President and Chief Executive Officer of Avila University, a Catholic university founded and supported by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSI), in Kansas City, MO. As President, Dr. Burkee achieved three-fold expansion of the institution in two and a half years, from just over 1,100 students to more than 3,100 (January 2025). He also developed major partnerships with organizations in the US and abroad to drive expansion in domestic undergraduate, graduate, online, and international programs. Under Burkee's leadership, over $34 million in fundraising commitments were made in three short years. Prior to Avila, Dr. Burkee served as the Vice President for Enterprise Programs and Dean of the School of Professional and Graduate Studies at College of Mount Saint Vincent in Bronx, New York. He also served as the Executive Vice President/Executive Dean of Concordia College New York in Bronxville. Dr. Burkee holds two bachelor's degrees from Concordia University in Wisconsin, as well as a doctoral and master's degree from Northwestern University in Illinois. Dr. Burkee feels strongly that his experience working in and leading mission-aligned institutions, building high-impact partnerships, and fostering communities of belonging is uniquely suited to Saint Leo needs right now and he is energized by the opportunity to walk this path forward with the Saint Leo family. Read more.

Dr. Kimberlee Messina has been appointed as the new Chancellor at City College of San Francisco. Dr. Messina will begin her new role on July 1, 2025. Dr. Messina currently serves as President of Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC) in Spokane, Washington. SFCC is a comprehensive community college in the Community Colleges of Spokane District with an annual headcount of 7,220 students, 151 full-time faculty, 115 part-time faculty, 15 administrators, and an annual general fund budget of $26 million. As President, Dr. Messina provides strategic leadership for the college’s vision and mission. She also provides oversight of the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of the educational and fiscal programs of the college to achieve the goals defined by the Board of Trustees. Dr. Messina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Master of Arts in Spanish from California State University, Sacramento. She also holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from University of California, Davis. Read more.

Rosemary Costigan, Ph.D., R.N. has been appointed as the new President at Community College of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education has announced the appointment of who has been serving as the Interim President since May 2023. Dr. Costigan is a distinguished higher education leader with over 25 years of experience in teaching, community college administration, and academic leadership, dedicated to fostering student success and institutional growth. Prior to her appointment as interim president, Dr. Costigan, a nurse by education and training, worked in Rhode Island’s postsecondary education ecosystem for decades at the nursing schools of CCRI and University of Rhode Island. She has progressively advanced from associate professor of nursing, to nursing department chairperson, to interim assistant dean of nursing, and as vice president of academic affairs. In addition to her postsecondary education experiences, she was a full-time nurse for 21 years at Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island. Dr. Costigan holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Nursing from Community College of Rhode Island, a B.S. in Nursing from Rhode Island College, and an A.S. in Nursing from Community College of Rhode Island. Read more.

Dr. Paul Burkhardt has been appointed as the new President of Naropa University. His first day will be August 1, 2025. Dr. Burkhardt most recently served as the Provost and Chief Academic Officer at The University of Olivet. Prior to that, he was the Executive Vice President & Provost, Chief Academic Officer, and Chief Operating Officer at Prescott College. Dr. Burkhardt has dedicated himself to servant leadership at intentional and mission-driven universities.Dr. Burkhardt holds a PhD with honors in Comparative Cultural & Literary Studies from the University of Arizona. He also earned an MA in Comparative Literature and Literary Theory and a BA from the same institution. Read more.

Mr. Val Martinez Garcia has been appointed as the new superintendent/president at College of the Desert. Mr. Martinez Garcia has served as the acting superintendent/president of College of the Desert (COD) since December of 2024. Since February of 2023, Mr. Martinez Garcia has served in two other roles at COD including vice president of student services and vice president of instruction. Prior to his time at COD, Mr. Martinez Garcia was the vice president of student services at West Hills College Lemoore in Lemoore, California. Mr. Martinez Garcia holds a bachelor's degree in sociology and a master's in school counseling from University of La Verne where he is also pursuing his doctorate degree in organizational leadership. Read more.

Dr. Michael H. Mittelman has been appointed as the new president at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, effective August 1, 2025. A nationally respected leader in health care and higher education, Dr. Mittelman brings a distinguished career in military medicine, academic leadership, and health system innovation to PNWU. After earning his Doctor of Optometry from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 1980, Mittelman was commissioned into the U.S. Navy Medical Service Corps. He retired as a Rear Admiral following a 33-year military career, culminating in his service as Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy. His leadership roles spanned the globe, including Command Surgeon for U.S. Joint Forces Command, Commanding Officer at U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa, Japan, and U.S. Pacific Command Surgeon, where he directed the Department of Defense’s medical response to the 2011 Fukushima disaster. In 2013, Dr. Mittelman became the sixth president of Salus University, leading the institution through a decade of academic growth and interdisciplinary collaboration. Most recently, he guided the successful merger of Salus University with Drexel University in Philadelphia. A Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the American Academy of Optometry, Dr. Mittelman holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and an MBA from Temple University’s Fox Business School. His honors include the Legion of Merit, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Distinguished Service Medal, and induction into the National Optometric Hall of Fame. Read more.

Dr. Joyce C. Ester has been appointed as the new President at Governors State University effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Ester is an accomplished educational leader with extensive experience in higher education administration, currently serving as President of Normandale Community College in Minnesota since 2014. Under her leadership, the college has successfully reaffirmed its accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission and has seen significant growth in enrollment, particularly among students of color. Dr. Ester has spearheaded strategic initiatives that enhance student success, equity, and employee development, while also establishing a robust Advancement Division that has increased grant revenue and secured substantial philanthropic support. Her previous roles include President of Kennedy King College, one of seven schools that comprise City Colleges of Chicago, and Associate Vice President for Student Services at Bakersfield College, where she implemented innovative programs and improved student services. Dr. Ester holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a B.S. in Sociology from Northern Illinois University. Read more.

Dr. John C. Volin has been appointed as the new president at Gustavus Adolphus College, effective August 15, 2025. Currently, Dr. Volin serves as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at the University of Maine, where his portfolio includes oversight of more than 1,000 faculty and staff and a budget of over $250 million. Prior, Dr. Volin served as head of the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, and then as Vice Provost of Academic Affairs, at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Volin is recognized as a national leader in using evidence-based practices to support holistic student wellbeing. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Coalition for Transformational Education and is co-founder and senior advisor of LearningWell magazine. Dr. Volin holds a BS in botany and biology and an MS in agronomy from the South Dakota State University, and a PhD in forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Read more.

Dr. Christopher Fiorentino has been appointed as the new Chancellor at Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Dr. Fiorentino is the current interim chancellor at PASSHE and former president of West Chester University. Dr. Fiorentino’s career at PASSHE spans 42 years. He began as an assistant professor of economics at West Chester University in 1983, the year the State System was established. Dr. Fiorentino held many positions at the university, including department chair, dean, vice president and president. He retired from West Chester University in June 2024 and returned to serve as interim chancellor in October 2024. Dr. Fiorentino earned his baccalaureate, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in economics from Temple University. He and his wife, Sue, reside in Chester County. Read more.