Newsmakers

“CEOs on the move Hara Charlier has been named the next president of Berkshire Community College in Massachusetts. She is currently president of Central Lakes College (CLC) in Minnesota, a position he has held since 2016. Under Charlier’s leadership, CLC has transformed the student experience to advance equitable success, growing enrollment, modernizing facilities and launching more than 20 new academic programs, while prioritizing partnerships, expanding resources and reinforcing fiscal sustainability, according to a release from the college. Her leadership philosophy centers on voice, relationships and belonging. Before becoming president, Charlier was vice president for instruction and student services at Virginia Highlands Community College for four years. Earlier, she was at Blue Ridge Community College (Virginia) for nearly six years, serving as dean and interim vice president and also teaching biology. Luca E. Lewis will become the next president of California’s Ventura College , pending board approval on May 12. He currently serves as the college’s interim president, a position he has held since September. “Dr. Lewis has consistently demonstrated strong leadership, a clear dedication to student success and social justice, and a commitment to ensuring Ventura College remains aligned with the needs of its community. We look forward to building on that momentum in the years ahead,” said Ventura board chair Gabriela Torres. Lewis brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in higher education, with a record of advancing access, enrollment growth and student achievement across diverse college environments, according to the college. Prior to his interim presidency, Lewis was vice president of student affairs at Ventura College. Previously, he was associate vice chancellor of education and student services at the West Hills Community College District. Earlier in his career, Lewis served as vice president for student services at Whatcom Community College in Washington. He also has held leadership roles at Edmonds Community College, Bellevue College and the University of Washington, Tacoma. Pakou Yang will serve as president of Normandale Community College in Minnesota effective immediately. She has served as the college’s interim president for 10 months. In the interim role, Yang has provided strategic and operational leadership while engaging faculty, staff, students and community partners to advance the college’s mission and strategic objectives, the college said in a release. With this appointment, Yang is the first Hmong American college or university president in the U.S. Yang “excels at cultivating coalitions and consensus around what needs to be done and will no doubt continue to build upon Normandale’s solid foundation to position it well for the future,” said Scott Olson, chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Yang previously was provost and vice president of academic affairs at Century College (Minnesota) from 2021 to 2025. Prior to that, she was the college’s vice president of student affairs and enrollment management for three years. Earlier, she was academic dean for the division of behavioral and social science, communication, physical education and health, humanities, and the translation and interpreting program. Yang began her academic career as a communication instructor at Century in 2003. From 2014 to 2018, Yang was system director for P-20 and college readiness at the Minnesota State system office, where she guided statewide policy and legislative efforts on dual enrollment, course placement, developmental education and K-12/higher education alignment. New CEOs Jason Abreu will serve as the next president of Atlantic Cape Community College in New Jersey. He currently is vice president of student affairs at Tarrant County College’s Trinity River Campus (Texas). Previously, Abreu was associate vice president of enrollment services and university registrar at Furman University (South Carolina) and held several leadership roles at Miami Dade College in Florida, including director of admissions, registration and financial aid, and director of veteran and military services. Abreu has leadership experience across the K-20 education sector and has worked with non-profit, private and public partners to support student success, workforce readiness and community engagement, according to a press release. He is recognized for cultivating collaborative, data-informed cultures that strengthen institutional effectiveness and improve the student experience. “Dr. Abreu brings more than 20 years of higher education leadership experience, with a strong focus on student success, access and institutional effectiveness,” said Daniel Money, chair of the college’s board of trustees. John M. Davis will become the next president of Cleveland State Community College (Tennessee) in June. He currently is vice president of administrative services at Germanna Community College in Virginia, a position he has held since 2017. Davis, a community college alumnus, has served for 28 years in higher education in a variety of settings, including both public and private as well as two-year and four-year institutions. His role at Germanna includes serving as the institutional accreditation liaison for the college’s regional accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. He joined Germanna in 2008 as executive director of planning and assessment. Previously, he was director of institutional research and strategic planning at Thomas Nelson Community College in Virginia. Davis also has previous administrative experience at Regent University and the University of Michigan and teaching experience at Regent. Kudos Sunita “Sunny” Cooke , president of MiraCosta College in California, has been named CEO of the Year in the public service (education) category by the San Diego Business Journal. The honor recognizes Cooke’s exceptional leadership, regional impact and commitment to expanding opportunity through higher education. Cooke, who is a past chair of the American Association of Community Colleges board of trustees, is known regionally and nationally for her efforts to strengthen workforce pathways, improve student outcomes and align education with regional economic needs. Retirement announcement Marilyn “Murph” Fore , who has served as president of South Carolina’s Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) since 2017, has announced that she plans to retire on July 31. She has served at the college for 51 years. Fore has led HGTC through significant growth, expanded academic programs and strengthened partnerships across Horry and Georgetown counties, according to a release from the college. Her leadership has helped advance student success and workforce development throughout the region. Fore started at HGTC as an adjunct faculty member in adult education and served in other part-time and full-time positions before becoming department chair of social sciences. She was then promoted to director of international education and dean of arts and sciences, computer, business education, and allied health. Fore then moved in executive leadership positions, including vice president of academic affairs and provost of the Grant Strand Campus, and then senior vice president. In March, Fore received the 2026 Martha Kime Piper Award, presented at the Annual Conference of South Carolina Women in Higher Education. She was recognized for her visionary leadership, unwavering advocacy for student success and intentional mentorship of emerging female leaders throughout the South Carolina Technical College System and beyond. Appointments Jermaine Ford , president of Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) in South Carolina, has been appointed to the board of trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, which serves as the accrediting body for more than 780 institutions across the U.S. and internationally. “Dr. Ford’s nomination to the SACSCOC Board reflects the tremendous progress our college has made and is a testament to the hard work that he and all the Florence-Darlington Technical College staff have put towards the advancement of our programs and offerings to our students,” said FDTC Area Commission Chairman Clint Moore. Donna L. Adair will become provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Hudson Valley Community College in New York on July 1. She is currently interim provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at New Jersey City University. Kylon Alford-Windfield is now vice president of enrollment management at Mississippi Delta Community College . He previously served as a higher education consultant and prior to that was vice president for enrollment management at Jackson State University. Arlene M. Howell Garrick will become director of hospitality, culinary and lodge operations at Ohio’s Hocking College . She is the founder of Bridging the Gap, an initiative that connects employers with a diverse group of job candidates before positions are formally posted. The post Newsmakers first appeared on Community College Daily .

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