Portland Community College Names Adrien Bennings as Their Next President

Adrien Bennings

Portland Community College’s Board of Directors selected Adrien Bennings as the college’s next president by unanimous vote, following a nine-month national search.

The news was made public at a PCC Board special session held Monday, April 4. Bennings will replace Mark Mitsui, who is retiring at the end of June after serving as PCC’s president since 2016. The search process relied on a 23-member committee, chaired by board directors Tiffani Penson (PCC Board vice chair) and Dan Saltzman, that advised the PCC Board on candidates and procedures. Feedback from the college community and external stakeholders, based on public forums with each of the finalists, was also considered before the PCC Board made its decision Monday night.

“We were tremendously impressed by Dr. Bennings’ passion for the transformative power of community colleges,” said Mohamed Alyajouri, chair of PCC’s Board of Directors.

“Dr. Bennings brings demonstrated strengths as a strategic thinker and transparent decision maker; as a skilled and collaborative communicator, relationship builder and fundraiser; and as a strong advocate for equitable student success.

“We believe that her special combination of strengths, skills and attributes will advance our college, enhance our culture, and benefit the students and communities we serve,” said Alyajouri.

Bennings is currently the president of Kellogg Community College, one of 28 community colleges in Michigan whose service region spans three counties. She is also the president of the Kellogg Community College Foundation, helping to lead the foundation’s strategic planning and fundraising activities, and advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Bennings has taught courses in human resources development, academic development and retention, and small business development. She has held progressively higher-level positions in higher education for more than 15 years. Before joining KCC, Bennings was the vice president of administration and finance and chief financial officer at Clovis Community College in New Mexico. Prior to this, she served as regional director of small business development at Texas Tech University where she advanced economic development initiatives spanning a 16-county area. Additionally, she serves as a certified peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission.

The PCC Board’s decision to select Bennings makes her PCC’s first female president, permanently selected for the role. Sylvia Kelley, formerly PCC’s executive vice president, served as PCC’s interim president from 2015 to 2016 before Mitsui’s arrival. Kelley retired from her executive vice president role in October 2021.

Alyajouri shared the PCC Board’s appreciation for the work of the presidential search advisory committee; for the leadership of Penson and Saltzman as search committee co-chairs; for the partnership of RH Perry & Associates, the search firm; and for the other finalists and candidates. He also thanked President Mitsui for nearly six years of exemplary work on behalf of the college.

Bennings’ educational background includes a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration from Texas Tech University; a Master of Science in Business Administration with a Human Resources concentration from Wayland Baptist University; and a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Development from Texas A&M University.

Saint Martin’s University Names Jennifer Bonds-Raacke as their Eleventh President

LACEY, Wash. — Saint Martin’s University announced today that Jennifer Bonds-Raacke, Ph.D., current provost and vice president for academic affairs of St. Norbert College, a top Catholic liberal arts college in Wisconsin, has been named the 11th president of Saint Martin’s University. Dr. Bonds-Raacke will become the first woman to serve as president of the 127-year Catholic Benedictine institution. Unanimously supported by the Saint Martin’s University Board of Trustees following a nationwide search, Dr. Bonds-Raacke will assume the role on July 1, upon the retirement of President Roy Heynderickx, Ph.D.

Abbot Marion Nguyen, O.S.B., chancellor of Saint Martin’s University, shares, “Inspired by the Catholic faith and Benedictine tradition, our founding monks made a home here not only for themselves, but also for the students they serve; 127 years later, these same principles continue to guide the daily life of the university and the abbey. Dr. Bonds-Raacke understands and shares this conviction. We see in Dr. Bonds-Raacke a person who listens attentively and respectfully, responds thoughtfully, and capable of unifying all in a common purpose. With joy, we welcome Dr. Bonds-Raacke to our home, soon to be her home.”

The Saint Martin’s Presidential Search Committee comprised 15 individuals representing the Saint Martin’s community, including members from the abbey, faculty, staff, students, alumni, the board of trustees, and the Archdiocese of Seattle. The search committee was tasked with looking for a president who will lead Saint Martin’s to its next level of financial security and academic prominence through strategic vision and transparent servant leadership, while supporting a caring, transformative educational experience in the Catholic Benedictine tradition. Through the extensive process, the search committee sought the input of stakeholders across the university including students, faculty, and staff, to inform the credentials needed in the university’s next president.

“I am grateful and appreciative for all the diligent work and discernment that went into the selection of our new president,” says Medrice Coluccio, chair of the Saint Martin’s University Board of Trustees.

Dr. Bonds-Raacke brings a wealth of experience in cultivating welcoming and inclusive campus communities, allowing all members of an institution to flourish and succeed. During her time as provost at St. Norbert College, she has worked with partners in academic affairs to create equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDIB) and mission cohort hires; sponsored anti-racism training for faculty, staff, and students; and partnered with human resources to revise policies and procedures, ensuring transparency and due process. At her prior institution, Fort Hayes State University in Kansas, she was the dean of the Graduate School and Office of Scholarship and Sponsored Projects, where she developed and supported programs to work closely with first generation, adult learners, military and veterans, and historically underrepresented groups to ensure a college education is achievable for all.

“Dr. Bonds-Raacke has dedicated her academic career to removing barriers and creating opportunities for individuals to benefit from the experiences received from attaining a college education,” says Coluccio. “With this commitment to student success and devotion to a mission-focused university, she positions Saint Martin’s for continued excellence.”

In the last decade, Saint Martin’s has been recognized for its efforts to support an increasingly diverse student body and for being a leader in transformational change to its surrounding community, including being named a top 50 “Most Transformative College” by MONEY magazine, the first Purple Heart University in Washington state, and Thurston Green Business’ 2021 Large Business of the Year.

“I am honored to have been selected as the next president of Saint Martin’s University. As a first-generation college student, I know how a college education can transform your entire life,” shares Dr. Bonds-Raacke. “I look forward to joining and leading Saint Martin’s University, a community dedicated to its Catholic Benedictine values, including hospitality, listening, justice, respect for persons and stewardship. Thanks to President Heynderickx, I step into this new position inheriting an outstanding foundation upon which to continue leading the Saint Martin’s University community with a heart for diversity and equity and an eye for continued academic excellence – to lead with heart.”

Bonds-Raacke obtained her Ph.D. and M.S. from Kansas State University in experimental psychology and her B.A. from Christian Brothers University. Dr. Bonds-Raacke will be joined by her husband, Dr. John Raacke, their two daughters, Callie and Brooke, and their dog, Doc.

American International College Names Hubert Benitez as the Institution’s Twelfth President

SPRINGFIELD, MA – The American International College (AIC) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that Hubert Benitez, DDS, PhD, has been unanimously selected as the twelfth president of the 137-year-old institution. Benitez will succeed President Vince Maniaci who is retiring after seventeen years of service.

“We believe Dr. Benitez is a leader who embraces the mission and strategic vision of American International College. Although these are challenging times for higher education, in the institution where Dr. Benitez previously served as president, he successfully expanded enrollment and developed new programs, while he increased the financial health and sustainability of the institution. He did this in a spirit of teamwork, ownership, and accountability, along with dedicated community outreach and engagement. As evidenced by his own career path, Dr. Benitez is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is committed to providing access, opportunity, and pathways for student success,” said Board of Trustees Chair Frank Colaccino.

“I am extremely humbled to have been selected as AIC’s new president and cannot be more excited to join an institution with such a rich history and strong commitment to access and opportunity. I am looking forward to working with the AIC faculty, staff, and students, as we, together, envision how to further impact the communities we serve. I am grateful for this opportunity and consider it the honor and privilege of my lifetime,” said Benitez.

In his most recent position, Benitez served as vice president for Strategic Initiatives and Academic Innovation, and as acting chief inclusion officer at Rockhurst University (RU) in Kansas City, Missouri. RU is a comprehensive institution of higher learning, offering educational programs to a diverse student population in business, communications, education, engineering, healthcare, humanities, performing and visual arts, science, and mathematics. Among his responsibilities, Benitez had direct oversight of strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, accreditation and assessment, distance education/eLearning and the Prosperity Center for Financial Opportunity.

Prior to Rockhurst, Benitez served as president and chief executive officer for Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences for almost five years, where he provided visionary and strategic leadership that included growing and diversifying the college’s academic portfolio; promoting a culture of assessment; increasing the visibility of the institution through community presence, engagement, and outreach efforts; engaging in recruitment and enrollment management practices that increased the college’s population while meeting the needs of a new and diverse demographic of students; and implementing a financial strategy that increased the institution’s fiscal stability and outlook.

Benitez received his first doctoral degree in dentistry from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Latin America. He subsequently completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Connecticut Health Sciences Center, later earning a PhD in higher education administration from Saint Louis University’s College of Education and Public Service. Benitez is a graduate of the Institute for Educational Management (IEM) at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, and he completed the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Benitez has dedicated the last two decades to higher education as an academic and administrator, and fifteen years prior as a clinician.

A member of numerous academic organizations, boards and advisory committees past and present, Benitez currently serves on the board of directors for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City; the board of trustees for Cristo Rey Kansas City, a Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth High School; is a peer reviewer for Middle States Commission on Higher Education; is a member the Hispanic Advisory Committee for the Kansas City Public Schools; and is a member of the KC Rising Steering Committee, a body of the KC Rising initiative, composed of business and community volunteers from across the Kansas City metropolitan area who are committed to regional collaboration.  Benitez’s professional associations include the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, American Dental Association, and Golden Key International Honor Society among others.

In addition to an extensive selection of published works, Benitez has been a guest lecturer in the US and abroad and has been the recipient of federally and privately funded research grants. His work ethic and commitment has been recognized by Univision-Kansas City for his ongoing support for Hispanic heritage and by Universidad Piloto of Colombia for forging international and interdisciplinary exchange programs. He has been a recipient of the Hispanic Heritage Award and received special recognition for service to the community through Excellence in Education. His contributions to Suffolk County from the Office of Minority Affairs have been praised in addition to being selected as one of the Top 25 Advocates for Latino Empowerment in Long Island, New York.

Benitez will join American International College on April 11, 2022.

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