Dr. Wendy Miller retired in June 2024 from Elgin Community College (ECC) after 32 years. In her most recent position at ECC, she served as Dean of the Health Professions and Math, Science, and Engineering divisions. Under Dr. Miller’s leadership, the college opened a health and life science facility that is now home to 17 health professions degree and certificate programs. In addition to setting the strategic vision for the divisions, Dr. Miller was responsible for managing curricula, assessment, programmatic accreditations, and resources, as well as promoting faculty development.

Dr. Miller began her career in academia as the Director of the Clinical Laboratory Technology and Histotechnology programs at ECC. She is an innovative educator who challenged students to become critical thinkers and role-modeled what it meant to be a healthcare professional.

Dr. Miller is committed to helping didactic and clinical faculty engage in their instructional roles and embrace a sense of identity as educators. As part of Wendy’s retirement celebration, Elgin Community College established the Dr. Wendy Miller Be Inspired Scholarship as a tribute to her long career as a student advocate and motivational leader.

Dr. van Delden joined the Winthrop family in January 2024 as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and a Professor of Computer Science. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Dean of Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering at the College of Charleston. He also held Chairship positions at Southeastern Louisiana University and the University of South Carolina Upstate. Originally from a small Dutch island in the Caribbean called Saba, he came to America as an international student and, in 2003, earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Central Florida, where he met his wife, Elizabeth, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist. Sebastian and Elizabeth have two daughters, Ava and Bels.

Dr. van Delden has published 30 scholarly articles in the areas of artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and industrial robotics, many of which include undergraduate student co-authors. He has taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, including algorithms, data structures, robotics, computer vision, machine learning, artificial intelligence, parallel and distributed computing, web programming, software engineering, computer organization and digital logic, discrete structures, and natural language processing.

Dr. van Delden has been a Rotarian for almost 20 years and enjoys a great sense of fulfillment in giving back to the community in this capacity. He has held several leadership positions in Rotary, including being the President of the Rotary Club of Charleston Breakfast where he led meal packing events, community center restoration projects, clothing drives for those in need, and environmental clean-up and protection initiatives.

Dr. Ulrich earned his Associate of Arts degree from Iowa Central before pursing his Bachelor of Arts degree from Buena Vista University. He continued his education at Iowa State University (ISU) and obtained his Master’s of Education Degree in Educational Leadership.  He then earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at ISU. Additionally, Dr. Ulrich holds a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Educational Administration (Superintendent Licensure) from Iowa State University.

Dr. Ulrich has served as Superintendent of Schools for Fort Dodge, AHSTW (Avoca, IA), and Graettinger-Terril Community School Districts. His collaborative and relational leadership, along with his consensus-building skills, were the catalyst to leading over $20 million dollars of capital projects and three successful public referendums.  Thriving on innovation and a drive to elevate student academic excellence, Dr. Ulrich leveraged his ability to instill trust and worked with stakeholders and the Fort Dodge School Board to implement a grade realignment to improve the systematic approach to teaching and learning.  Through effective consensus building, communication and building a community coalition of support, he led the AHSTW district in developing a long-range facility plan to meet the growing population of students within the district as well as leading the districts through a whole-grade sharing agreement.  Prior to his Superintendent roles, he served as Principal at Graettinger-Terril Community School District from July 2009 through June 2013.  At Dallas Center-Grimes he held the positions of Student Services Coordinator, 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher, and High School Social Science Teacher.

Since August 2019, he has been an adjunct instructor at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA.  Dr. Ulrich inspires his passion for teaching, learning, and leadership into his students.  Being an instructor at a higher education institution provides him perspective on how decisions impact the classroom and to effectively educate students.

Passionate about community involvement, Dr. Ulrich is a member of Rotary International Club and a Board of Director for the NAACP in Fort Dodge. Dr. Ulrich also serves on Advisory Boards for both Buena Vista University and Iowa State University to provide feedback on the preparedness of their future teachers.  His work with the School Administrators of Iowa has been extensive including currently serving as a member of the Legislative Advocacy Committee, serving on their Executive Committee from 2016-2018, and serving as the District 3 President in 2011. Dr. Ulrich was selected for and recently completed the Iowa Association of Business and Industry’s yearlong  Leadership Iowa program and currently sits on the Statewide Advisory Board for SBDC.

Vern Lindquist is the fourth president of Johnston CC. Prior to coming to North Carolina, he served as the Vice President of Academic Services at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, the Dean of Faculty and Chief Academic Officer of Richard Bland College of William & Mary in Petersburg, Virginia and the dean of liberal arts and sciences at the State University of New York at Delhi. He also spent nearly 20 years at Sullivan County Community College as professor and chair of the Arts and Letters Division and Honors Program coordinator. Lindquist earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in English language and literature from Indiana University, Bloomington and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. In addition to his graduate degrees, he completed the Executive Leadership Institute through the League for Innovation in the Community College. He is the recipient of Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Scholarship and Excellence in Teaching from the State University of New York and a Digital Fellowship from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. 

Dr. Nicholas Vick is the current Dean of Applied Sciences and Technology at Tallahassee State College. A seasoned administrator dedicated to student success, Nick has demonstrated impactful leadership and achieved several milestones throughout his career. As the former Director of the Honors Program, he increased enrollment by an impressive 301%, showcasing his ability to drive institutional growth. In his current role, he has led the launch of several new AS and bachelor's degree programs, significantly enhancing the college's academic offerings. His strategic initiatives have earned him numerous accolades, including the North Carolina Tutoring and Learning Association Center of the Year, the Frank L. Christ Outstanding Learning Center recognition from the National College Learning Center Association at two different institutions, and the Association of Florida Colleges’ Technology Commission Award. Additionally, he has published several articles related to community college leadership and instruction, contributing to the academic discourse in his field. Nick holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English, a master’s in English Education, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University. He is also a graduate of the American Association of Community Colleges Future Leaders Institute and the Pitt County Chamber Leadership Institute. In 2018, he completed the Global Education Leaders Program through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and in 2020, he participated in the President’s Leadership Institute at Tallahassee State College. Nick has also been instrumental in securing significant grants and developing partnerships with local industries, further demonstrating his commitment to advancing the mission of community colleges and improving student outcomes.

Jessica Howard is the president and CEO of Chemeketa Community College. She holds a Ph.D. from New York University and a master’s and two bachelor’s degrees from Rice University.

Prior to joining Chemeketa in 2019, Dr. Howard served as a campus president at Portland Community College Southeast Campus. Before coming to Oregon, Dr. Howard enjoyed a long tenure at San Antonio College in Texas. There she served as an assistant and associate professor, a faculty department chair, and the vice president for academic affairs. During her time in the VP role, and in order to emphasize the importance of student completion and community college credentials, Dr. Howard earned her associate of arts degree.

Dr. Howard is an Aspen Fellow and has held positions on multiple boards, including Campus Compact, the Oregon Workforce Investment Board, SEDCOR, Willamette Workforce Partnership, the Latino Network, and the American Association of Women in Community Colleges. She serves on the Student Success Commission of the American Association of Community Colleges and represents community colleges on the Oregon STEM Investment Council. Throughout her career and in a variety of contexts, Dr. Howard’s commitment to equitable student success, community- and future-focused workforce development, and innovative and collaborative solutions has shaped and driven her work.

Originally from Liberia, Dr. Matthew Waritay Guah is professor of Management and Dean of the College of Business & Information Systems at South Carolina State University.  He heads a college that is accredited by AACSB International—being one of only 5% of the top business schools in the world. Previous roles Dr. Guah has held at SC State University include Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, Department Chair for the Business Administration, MBA Program Director, and Faculty Athletic Representative for NCAA (Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference)

Matthew Guah earned a PhD in Information Systems and Management Controls from Warwick University (2006), Masters in Technology Management from Manchester University (1998) and Bachelors in Information Technology from Salford University (1996).  He brings into academia industry experience from British Airways, Merrill Lynch, British Standards Institute, and UNICEF. Before joining SC State University ten years ago, Dr. Guah worked at Claflin University (SC), Erasmus School of Economics (Rotterdam), University of Hawaii (Honolulu), Warwick University (UK) and Brunel University (London).

As an academic researcher, his primary focus is business systems in healthcare organizations—reforming healthcare delivery process and performance evaluation.  His research work also involves Big Data—considered the next frontier for innovation, competition, and productivity. He has written six books and around 90 journal articles, book chapters and international conference papers, mostly in healthcare management, project management and business accountability.  Dr. Guah has served on editorial boards for several academic journals as well as track chair, session chair and panelist for many international conferences.

This proud son of Liberia, West Africa, has been married to Evelyn Morgan Guah since 1995, with two grown children, Within the past year, Dean Guah has spearheaded a team of American academics to tour universities in Ghana (West Africa) and Kenya (East Africa) for the purpose of establishing collaborations that will bring developments and improved facilities for the benefits of African youth in preparation for more ethical leadership on the motherland. He even met with a few officials at UL and CUC in Monrovia.

Dean Guah is Lector, Eucharistic Minister, and a Parish Council member at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Orangeburg, SC.  He has served on the African American board at the Commission of Minority Affairs since 2015. He strongly believes in the power of minority voice in America and persistently promotes the Ethos for Black People in America.

Dr. Christine Mangino serves as the sixth president of Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY). Before this role, she served in various faculty positions, including, department chair, Dean for Faculty and Curriculum, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Hostos Community College. Earlier in her career, President Mangino was a pre-school and elementary school teacher. The first person in her family to attend college, Dr. Mangino earned an Associate of Applied Arts at Nassau Community College, a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Elementary Education at Hofstra University, and a doctoral degree in Instructional Leadership at St. John’s University.

Since starting her tenure at Queensborough Community College, she has led the college in the creation of its first Five-Year Strategic Plan, established a Truth, Transformation and Racial Healing Center, a Men’s Resource Center, and an equity dashboard for the campus to follow its progress in eliminating equity gaps for faculty, staff, and students.

Dr. Mangino serves as a Middle States Commission on Higher Education peer evaluator, on the Commission on Research and Community College Trends and Issues for the American Association for Community Colleges, as a board member for the Higher Education Research and Development Institute, on the Steering Committee for the Research Alliance for NYC Schools, and as an alum of the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Excellence, a leadership program that prepares community college presidents to transform institutions to achieve high and equitable levels of student success.

Dr. Harold E. Nolte has 44 years of distinguished service in executive leader roles, including presidencies at Dodge City Community College (KS) for the past nine years, Blinn (TX), and Navarro (TX), and vice presidencies in student services and athletics at Kilgore (TX) and Edison Community College (FL).

His achievements include the development and successful implementation of institutional strategic and master plans, forging transfer pathways with Baylor, Texas A&M, and regent universities throughout Kansas that has resulted in significant increases in enrollment (including workforce and concurrent/dual), transfers and degree completions. He has championed successful institutional and programmatic accreditation with SAC, HLC and various state and industry entities. Athletic teams at each of his colleges have garnered national athletic championships.

Throughout his career, his fundraising efforts have resulted in millions to support scholarships and facility improvements. He is widely renowned for his support of student learning and activities, most recently recognized by the international honor society of Phi Theta Kappa with their Shirley B. Gordon award for community college presidents who support student leadership, scholarship, fellowship and community service. He is actively involved in many civic and community organizations.

Dr. Nolte began his educational path obtaining an Associate of Arts Degree at McLennan Community College; his Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science degrees from Baylor University. He obtained his Doctorate from Mississippi State University and his Postdoctoral Leadership Certification from Harvard University. Dr. Nolte is married to Dr. Lynn Nolte and they dote upon two daughters, two granddaughters and two dogs.

Douglas Palmer, the 11th President of Siena Heights University began his term on July 1, 2023. He comes to Siena Heights from Culver-Stockton College in Missouri, where he served as President. As president of Culver-Stockton, Palmer guided the college through the COVID pandemic while adding a number of high-demand programs designed to meet the needs of the local workforce. He secured a gift of more than $1 million to make Culver-Stockton the permanent home of the Tri-State Development Summit, an economic development organization covering 36 counties and three states. He expanded programs to meet local workforce needs, including establishing new majors in agricultural business and data analytics.

Palmer has a strong belief that a high-quality private education should be accessible for all students. He was a non-traditional student himself, earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville following an enlistment as an active-duty soldier and paratrooper in the U.S. Army. He used the G.I. Bill to fund his undergraduate education and subsequently earned full tuition scholarships to pursue graduate work. He completed his Ph.D. in history at The Ohio State University where he won a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to study in the Netherlands. He was also awarded the Presidential Fellowship given to the 25 top dissertation writers in the university.

Palmer started his career at Walsh University, a Catholic university in North Canton, Ohio teaching world history where he became chair of the Humanities Division. His interest in helping students prepare for an interconnected world and global economy through the lens of Catholic social teaching led him to establish Walsh’s global learning program. Founder of Walsh’s campus in Rome, Italy, Palmer oversaw programs in Europe, Latin America and Africa. He worked with students to lead Walsh’s efforts in Universities Fighting World Hunger and attended a United Nations charter signing event in which higher education leaders from around the world pledged to direct the teaching and research efforts of modern colleges and universities to solve global hunger. In addition, he worked with local leaders and healthcare institutions as Provost to create programs which served the needs of the local community. He led the efforts to create a fully online nurse practitioner program in mental health and addictions treatment and a Master’s in Occupational Health to better serve Ohio’s healthcare needs.

As a researcher, Palmer has published and spoken often about law, politics and religion, particularly in the context of the American and French Revolutions. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at Emory University School of Law. He is also recognized as a leader in the field of international education where he served as the Chair of the Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship committee for NAFSA: the Association of International Educators. He has worked with higher education leaders around the world, having led workshops and training on global learning to national and international audiences.

Palmer and his wife (Cathy) are both natives of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and they have three boys. Palmer has completed a full marathon and five half-marathons and is an avid fly fisherman.