McHenry County College Interim President Larry Tyree Arrives

Larry Tyree, the interim president to replace $200,000 a year not quite retiree Walt Packard, was introduced to college employees today.

Presumably, he will be at the concluding meeting of the MAP (probably short for something, but it hasn’t reached my consciousness) process designed to get a tax hike committee together.

The following press release was received from McHenry County College:

MCC WELCOMES NEW INTERIM PRESIDENT

[August 18, 2009.Crystal Lake, IL] McHenry County College welcomed interim President Lawrence (Larry) W. Tyree, Ed.D. to his first day on the job Monday. His term will run through the end of June 2010, at which time the college hopes to have completed its search for a permanent president.

Tyree was appointed as interim president at a special board meeting in June and comes to MCC with an extensive background in higher education and leadership. Prior to serving at MCC, he was interim president at three separate community colleges, including his most recent appointment at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York.

According to MCC Board of Trustees chairperson, George Lowe,

“Both the board and college employees are excited to bring Dr. Tyree on board. The college has been going through a good deal of change these past few months, so a new president will help support the college’s focus and keep us all on track.”

Tyree had an opportunity to meet many MCC staff members at an informal reception on Monday, and he’ll be addressing college employees Thursday in a more formal setting at MCC’s Faculty Development Day, a day of workshops and meetings designed to prepare faculty and staff for the start of a new semester. Fall classes at MCC start August 21.

“This is certainly an exciting time at MCC, as we are expecting record enrollment this fall,” Tyree said. “We’re working on final preparations for the semester to ensure that we provide outstanding learning opportunities for our students and community.”

Prior to filling presidential seats, Tyree was a full professor at the University of Florida and served there as the director of the Institute of Higher Education and the executive director of the National Alliance of Community and Technical Colleges.

Tyree was also a community college CEO for 26 years at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Florida, the Dallas County Community College District in Dallas, Texas, and Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida.

He earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from Indiana University, Bloomington and both his Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Bachelor of Arts in Education (B.A.E.) from University of Florida, Gainesville.

Tyree said his passion for community colleges started through his own experience receiving an Associate in Arts (A.A.) from Pensacola Junior College in Pensacola, FL.

In addition to overseeing the operations of MCC, Tyree will provide additional support and expertise on college programs, including the MCC Promise and the college’s AQIP continuous improvement efforts and Systems Portfolio.

In addition to the community college environment, Tyree’s other passion is his family.

He is married with three grown children and four grandchildren. A native of Pensacola, Florida, he enjoys boating, golfing, and alternating visits between the mountains of North Carolina and the southwest coast of Florida.


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