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.
Mr. Moe Rahman has been appointed as the new Associate Vice President, Information Technology/Chief Information Officer at the Community College of Philadelphia. Mr. Rahman will officially assume his new role on May 19, 2025. Currently serving as Chief Information Officer at Rider University, Mr. Rahman has consistently delivered transformative results by modernizing IT operations, strengthening cybersecurity and driving enterprise-wide initiatives. He has overseen institutional IT budgets, rebuilt IT teams to enhance agility and efficiency and led cost-saving measures that have saved institutions over $1 million. His leadership in IT governance, cloud migration (Azure/O365) and ERP modernization has helped institutions align technology strategy with academic and operational goals. Over the past decade, Mr. Rahman has held multiple leadership roles with Ellucian, partnering with colleges and universities to implement high-impact digital transformation strategies. His career includes key roles at Yeshiva University and Brookdale Community College, where he led the IT division through major system overhauls, consolidated infrastructure and implemented integrated SaaS and ERP solutions to streamline operations and reduce costs. Mr. Rahman holds a master's degree in Computer Science from NJIT and is PMP and ITIL certified.
Dr. Steven Hardy has been appointed as the new Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration at The University of South Carolina Upstate. Dr. Hardy will officially assume his new role on June 1, 2025. Dr. Hardy joined Passaic County Community College in 2014 as vice president for finance and administration. Since 2016 he has been vice president for finance and administrative services, with responsibility for budgeting, procurement, regulatory compliance, and institutional planning. Prior to Passaic, Dr. Hardy served as assistant vice president for financial affairs and university controller at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he was responsible for financial reporting of approximately $1.2 billion in assets. He oversaw accounting, payroll, grants, and disbursements. He also was vice president of administration and finance at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In that role, he directed financial operations, campus safety, strategic planning, and capital project financing, and successfully led the college through multiple clean audits and major compliance initiatives. Hardy holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Rowan University, a Master’s in Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor of Administration from Eastern Michigan University. He is a certified treasury professional (CTP) and a graduate of the AGB Institute for Leadership & Governance in Higher Education.
Dr. Sean Lane has been appointed as the new Senior Vice President and Provost at Farmingdale State College. Dr. Lane will begin his new role June 16th, 2025. Dr. Lane joins FSC from the University of Alabama in Huntsville where he served as dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences since 2018. As dean, he revamped the college's recruitment, retention, and graduation efforts, led strategic planning, helped develop numerous new degree programs at both undergraduate and graduate levels, created new research support programs, engaged deeply with industry, and led significant fundraising activities. He also served concurrently as interim dean of the Honors College and acting associate provost for International Services, Academic Integrity, and dean of the Graduate School. Dr. Lane previously served as associate dean of The Graduate School at Louisiana State University, where he was also on the faculty and served as director of research in the Department of Psychology. Read more.
Mr. Qadim Ghani has been appointed as the new Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at The College of New Jersey. Mr. Ghani will begin his new role on June 16, 2025. Mr. Ghani currently serves as Vice President of Finance at Montgomery County Community College (PA). He is the principal advisor to the President and Board of Trustees on the fiscal health of the organization. His experience in higher education has included comprehensive oversight of financial operations, including managing a ~$300M balance sheet. He has extensive experience in managing critical areas such as human resources, enterprise risk management, facilities and grant administration. Prior to his time at Montgomery County Community College, Mr. Ghani served as the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Associate Dean at Rutgers Law School, and the Director of Finance at Villanova School of Engineering, and in several positions at Drexel. In these various roles he has managed teams in budget planning and analysis, HR, grant development and administration, procurement/disbursements, payroll, accounting, facilities and events, contract management and compliance, administrative support, and general business services. Mr. Ghani holds a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Criminal Justice and a double minor in English and Political Science. He also holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Development with a concentration in Business Administration. He is currently completing an Executive MBA with a specialization in Applied Investment Management. Read more.
Ms. Sukhie Bal has been appointed as the new Senior Director of Development, Lam Family College of Business at San Francisco State University. She began her duties on April 28. Ms. Bal comes to SFSU from the Sequoia Hospital Foundation, where she served as the Director of Development for two years. Prior to Sequoia, Ms. Bal served for 3 years as the Senior Director of Development at the Sol Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California. Ms. Bal holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California-Santa Cruz, an M.A. in Education Administration from California State University Northridge, and an M.S. in Supply Chain Management from the University of Southern California.
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.