President/Chancellors

The Seattle Colleges Board of Trustees has selected Dr. Rosie Rimando-Chareunsap as the District's Chancellor. Dr. Rimando-Chareunsap has dedicated much of her career to Seattle Colleges. She stepped in as Acting Chancellor in July 2022 while maintaining her role as President of South Seattle College. She previously served as Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the Seattle Colleges District, and she has held other important roles across the system for more than 20 years. Dr. Rimando-Chareunsap was recognized as a rising star in 2019 by the  Aspen Institute, which selected her for its prestigious Presidential Fellows Program. She holds a B.A. in English and Ethnic Studies from Washington State University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington, and a Doctorate of Education from Washington State University. Her permanent role as Chancellor becomes official on August 3, 2023. Read more.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has appointed Dr. Rodney D. Bennett as Chancellor beginning July 1, 2023. Dr. Bennett most recently served as President of the University of Southern Mississippi, a comprehensive public research institution that enrolls 14,000 students across multiple campuses. As President from 2013 to 2022, Dr. Bennett brought Southern Miss into the top tier of research institutions, delivered improved student outcomes, invested in faculty and high-growth academic programs, and stabilized the budget through fiscally conservative management. Prior to his role at Southern Miss, Dr. Bennett held various leadership roles at the University of Georgia, Winthrop University and his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University. Dr. Bennett holds a Doctor of Education in Educational Administration from Tennessee State University in Nashville and specialist, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. Read more.

The City Colleges of Chicago has appointed Dr. Katonja Webb-Walker as President of Kennedy-King College. She has served in the role in an interim capacity since July 2022. Previously, Dr. Webb-Walker was Senior Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at Malcolm X College. She also earlier served as a Kennedy-King College administrator from 2009 to 2012, including roles as Interim Vice President and Dean of Continuing Education. Dr. Webb-Walker earned an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University, an M.Ed. in Policy, Planning, and Administration from Boston University, and an A.B. in Psychology from Harvard University.

The Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary has announced that the Rev. Dr. Andrew David Pomerville will serve as Louisville Seminary's 11th president. Dr. Pomerville is the founding director of the Center for College and Community Engagement, assistant vice president for community engagement and senior chaplain at Alma College in Michigan. Dr. Pomerville was ordained in the Presbyterian Church USA in 2007. He is a graduate of three Presbyterian schools, earning a Bachelors of Arts in history and religious studies at Alma College, a Master of Divinity at Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Read more here.

Dr. J. Luke Wood has been appointed as the new president of California State University, Sacramento. He will begin his role on July 16, 2023. Dr. Wood joined San Diego State University (SDSU)  in 2011 as a professor and in 2012 was named co-director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab, a research and practice center focused on reducing equity gaps between students of color and their peers. In 2017, he became the first Black faculty member to be named Distinguished Professor.  He has served as SDSU’s chief diversity officer since 2018 and as vice president for Student Affairs and Campus Diversity since 2020. In 2023, Dr. Wood was appointed by the California State Senate to serve on the newly established California Racial Equity Commission. Dr. Wood earned his bachelor's and master's degree from Sacramento State, and also holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Arizona State University.  Read more here.

Dr. Stephen Perez has been appointed as the new president of California State University, Chico (Chico State). He will begin his role on July 1, 2023. Dr. Perez has spent most of his 30-year career in higher education with the CSU system, having served in academic and administrative roles at Sacramento State, including professor, department chair, interim dean, vice provost, and provost. In January 2022, Perez was appointed interim president at San José State. Dr. Perez has served as Chico State’s interim provost since January 2023, during which time he has led the university’s enrollment continuum effort and helped close a $20 million budget gap. Dr. Perez received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, San Diego and his master’s and doctorate in economics from the University of California, Davis. Read more here.

Foothill-De Anza Community College District has appointed Mr. Lee Lambert, J.D. as its new Chancellor. He will begin his new role on August 1, 2023. Mr. Lambert has more than two decades of experience in community colleges at the senior executive level and has led Pima Community College since 2013. Prior to that post, Mr. Lambert served nearly eight years as the president of Shoreline Community College (WA), helping to restore the college’s financial stability and turning the college into a national leader in offering 100 percent online degrees and certificates in business and health care programs. Mr. Lambert holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from The Evergreen State College and a juris doctor from Seattle University. Read more here.

The West Liberty University Board of Governors has named Dr. Tim Borchers as the university’s 38th president effective July 1, 2023. Dr. Borchers currently serves as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Peru State College and brings over 18 years of higher education administrative experience to the Presidency at West Liberty. Prior to his current position, Borchers served as the Dean of the College of Arts, Media, and Communication at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He holds a Ph.D. and MA in Communication from Wayne State University, and a BA in Speech Communication from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Read more here.

University of Minnesota Morris has appointed Dr. Janet Schrunk Ericksen as Chancellor as of May 15, 2023. Dr. Ericksen has been serving as the acting Chancellor of the Morris campus since July 2021 and brings deep experience and impressive accomplishments across her career and a passion for, UMN Morris and the Morris community. A professor of English, her tenure with UMN Morris spans over 20 years. She previously served as Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and Dean, and was responsible for college academic and administrative leadership, including the Education, Humanities, Math and Science, and Social Sciences academic divisions. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a B.A. in English and Art History from the University of Kansas. Read more here.

Wilberforce University has appointed Dr. Vann R. Newkirk to serve as its next president. Dr. Newkirk will be the 23rd president of the country's oldest private historically Black university beginning in July, 2023. Dr. Newkirk brings a wealth of experience in higher education, having served in various leadership roles at several institutions. He presently serves as an interim associate vice president at Alabama A & M University in Huntsville, and is a former president of the historic Fisk University in Nashville (TN) where he also served as provost and vice president of academic affairs. Dr. Newkirk holds a B.S. in sociology from Barber-Scotia College, an M.A. in history from Winthrop University, an M.S. from North Carolina Central University, and Ph.D. in history from Howard University. Read more here.