Dr. Marielena DeSanctis has been appointed as the new Chancellor at Colorado Community College System. Dr. DeSanctis will officially assume her new role on October 1, 2025. Dr. DeSanctis currently serves as President of the Community College of Denver (CCD), where she has championed student success, expanded workforce-driven innovation, and strengthened strategic partnerships across the Denver metro region. Prior to joining CCD, Dr. DeSanctis served as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Broward College, a nationally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution in Florida. Dr. DeSanctis is the first Latina to lead the Colorado Community College System. With more than 26 years of cross-sector leadership spanning K–12 education, higher education, and workforce development, Dr. DeSanctis brings a unique and comprehensive perspective that aligns closely with CCCS’s 2030 Strategic Plan. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University, a Master of Math Education from Nova Southeastern University, and a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. Read more.
Mr. Brian Gagnon has been appointed as the new Executive Director for Board Relations and Volunteer Engagement at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation. He will officially begin his new role on September 22, 2025. Mr. Gagnon is a mission-driven advancement professional with over 15 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit leadership. He currently serves as the Director of Board and Leadership Volunteer Relations at the University of Vermont Foundation, where he leads operational support for Foundation board members, leadership, and staff, advancing governance practices, committee effectiveness, and engagement strategies aligned with institutional priorities. His previous roles include Assistant Director of Alumni Relations at Plymouth State University and Volunteer and Communications Coordinator for Squam Lakes Association. Mr. Gagnon holds a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy from Plymouth State University‘s Center for the Environment and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Plymouth State University.
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. Michelle Nelson has been appointed as the new Director of the DeWitt School of Nursing at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA). Dr. Nelson will officially begin her new role on September 1, 2025. Dr. Nelson currently serves as the Interim Director of the DeWitt School of Nursing at SFA as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Tyler School of Nursing. Since she has served as the Interim Director of the DeWitt School of Nursing since late October 2024, she is confident in her ability to see strengths and opportunities in the DeWitt School of Nursing and advance SFA’s vision for nursing excellence. Dr. Nelson holds a bachelor of science in nursing from Montana State University and a master of science in nursing education from Clarkson College in Nebraska. She also holds a Ph.D. in nursing from Texas Women's University. With nearly 30 years of experience in nursing and over 15 years as an educator in multiple institutions, Dr. Nelson brings a demonstrated passion for serving the profession and helping to shape the next generation of nursing professionals.
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. Michelle Solensky has been appointed as the new Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Undergraduate Faculty at the University of Jamestown. She began her role on July 7. Dr. Solensky most recently served as Chair of the Department of Natural Science at the University of Johnstown from 2024 to 2025 and was Director of the Honors Program from 2017 to 2024. Solensky has been a member of the University’s biology faculty for 16 years, earning promotion to professor in 2014. She previously served as an assistant professor at the College of Wooster in Ohio from 2004 to 2009. Dr. Solensky holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and earned a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior from the University of Minnesota. Read more.
Dr. Reginald Ellis has been appointed as the new Dean of Graduate Education at Clark Atlanta University. Dr. Ellis will begin his new role as Dean on July 1, 2025. Dr. Ellis currently serves as the Provost Professor of Community Outreach, Engagement and Research at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. As Provost Professor, Ellis serves as the liaison to connect university researchers with community partners and also partner with external stakeholders on mutually beneficial research projects. One of Dr. Ellis' major accomplishments while at Florida A&M was establishing the FAMU Research Hub Working Group to develop Research-Practice Partnerships (RPP) Grants. Dr. Ellis holds a Bachelor of Science in African American Studies and a Master of Applied Social Sciences from Florida A&M University. Dr. Ellis earned his Ph.D. in United States History Since 1875 in 2011 from The University of Memphis.
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.