McHenry County Blog

There are two candidates to be elected to the McHenry County College Board next month. Here is a press released from one of them, Bob DeWitt. He was appointed to replace Scott Summers.

Bob DeWitt is running for a six-year term as Trustee of McHenry County College

Bob DeWitt has over thirty years of experience of working in higher education, having served as an adjunct and a tenured faculty member, an academic department head, and a university administrator at the vice presidential level. He has also spent a number of years leading information technology initiatives for international businesses.

“I grew up in a military family that moved periodically within the United States, which has given me an appreciation for the viewpoints of people from many different parts of the country. I also lived and worked in Europe for nearly 12 years. I believe that my international experience informs my understanding of the skills that MCC students need in order to prosper in the current global economy.”

DeWitt was awarded a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, after which he taught physics and computer science at Southern Arkansas University. He was then invited to join the La Jolla Institute in San Diego, California, to perform scientific research for such agencies as DARPA [Defense Advance Research Projects Agency] and the Office of Naval Research.

In 1990, DeWitt left the United States to teach U.S. service members and their family members stationed in the “European command”, which at the time stretched from Iceland to the Middle East.“

Bob DeWitt

“This was my first experience of teaching exclusively adult students, and I came to appreciate that these students were making great sacrifices in order to further their educations. They were the best and most motivated students that I have had the pleasure of teaching. That experience gave me a passion for furthering the education of adult students, and in our country I believe that the community college is the primary higher education institution with that mission.”

After a few years of teaching for the European Division of University of Maryland (UMED), DeWitt was made a department head and eventually became the Director of Information Technology for the European Division.

Under his leadership, UMED made the Internet universally available to its students. This initiative made it possible to deliver courses to service members stationed at remote locations throughout the European Command.

After several more years of leadership in information technology at a British university based in London, and the European Division of an American manufacturing company also based in London, DeWitt returned to the United States as a higher education consultant.

Since 2002 he has worked for a Fortune 500 company (SunGard), applying his expertise to help colleges and universities become more effective and efficient by improving the availability of the information required for sound business decisions.

DeWitt was appointed to the MCC Board in 2009.

“I wanted to become a Trustee of MCC in order to contribute my expertise to our local community college and to further the mission of preparing local students for jobs within McHenry County.

“In the past 18 months that I’ve been on the MCC Board, I have had the privilege to lead the Presidential Search Committee that selected Dr. Vicki Smith as President.

“Since June 2010, I have also served as Vice-Chair of the Board, and have worked with Chair Miller to encourage more transparency and integrity in the way in which the Board conducts its business.

I would very much like the opportunity to continue contributing to the success of MCC and its students.”

In two senses.

If they were an animal, their necks on on the chopping block.

In economic terms, there are for sale.

The Chicago Tribune reports the Joliet JackHammers minor league baseball team is about to be sold.

That’s what the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday.

Why do I keep bringing up a Will County minor league baseball team?

Just to remind you that most of the current McHenry County College Board members were avid supporters of putting us district taxpayers in debt for 25 years to build a minor league baseball stadium.

There is an election next spring when one of them are up for re-election: George Lowe of Cary.

Appointed to fill out the term of Harvard’s Scott Summers was Bob DeWitt of Crystal Lake.

Both have six-year terms.

Only 50 signatures are needed to get on the ballot. I’d advise getting 100.

Any folks out there willing to run for the board?

Here’s McHenry County College’s official take on the selection of Vicky Smith as its new president:

MCC BOARD ANNOUNCES NEW PERMANENT PRESIDENT

Vicky Smith

[July 2, 2010.Crystal Lake, IL]  At a special meeting on July 2, 2010, the McHenry County College (MCC) Board of Trustees voted to take action on finalizing the contract of a new college president. The Board approved hiring Dr. Vicky Smith as MCC’s new, permanent president for a 3-year contract and at a salary of $195,000 per year. Dr. Smith has agreed to this final salary, and the contract is in the process of being finalized.

Her most recent role has been as the president of Neosho County Community College, a two-campus, comprehensive community college in eastern Kansas.

Before going to Neosho County Community College, Dr. Smith served as the vice president for Academic Services at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York, where she oversaw the Damon Center urban campus and the suburban Applied Technology Center, as well as the academic and student services operations on the main campus.

Her prior experience includes her role as president Austin Community College, a small community college in the Minnesota State Colleges and University System.

She received an Educational Specialist (Ed. Spec.) and B.S. degree from Eastern Illinois University, an M.S. from the University of Illinois, and an Ed.D. from Northern Illinois University.

Dr. Smith was one of three final presidential candidates selected by MCC’s presidential search committee, facilitated by national executive search firm, Isaacson, Miller.

Trustee Dr. Bob DeWitt has acted as the presidential search committee chair since its inception.

“We started this process in November. The committee put in many hours in order to finalize a list of strong finalists. Such an inclusive process is what led us to an impressive list of finalists. I am so pleased that after a lengthy deliberation, we chose an excellent candidate in Vicky Smith.”

Also effective at today’s meeting, the Board reorganized its leadership. Mary Miller was appointed Board Chair [replacing in mid-term George Lowe, who replaced Scott Summers in mid-term], and [newly-appointed] Dr. Bob DeWitt was appointed Vice Chair. The Board believes that this structure will allow them to work both efficiently and collaboratively with the new College President.

Upon Dr. Smith’s arrival at the College, a formal welcome reception will be scheduled. For a complete overview on Dr. Smith, please visit this web site.

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That web site provides the following information:

Dr. Vicky R. Smith is currently the President of Neosho County Community College, a two-campus, comprehensive community college in eastern Kansas. While at NCCC, she has initiated new academic programs in health care, “green” construction, computer science, and sustainable energy, as well as developed collaborative partnerships with K-12, business and industry, four-year colleges and universities, and other community colleges.

Under her leadership, NCCC has been the fastest growing community college in Kansas for the last seven years, rising from 18th out of 19th in size to 12th in size through increasing student retention, expanding on-line education, and implementing successful student support services and programs.

Before coming to Neosho County Community College, Dr. Smith served as the Vice-president for Academic Services at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY, where she oversaw the Damon Center urban campus and the suburban Applied Technology Center as well as the academic and student services operations on the main campus.

Under her leadership the enrollment grew by 17% to a total of 25,000 student headcount; the college became the leader in on-line, asynchronous learning in SUNY LearnNET with 21% or 3000 of all New York State students enrolled in the program; and a $26 million Public Safety Training Facility was constructed in partnership with the City of Rochester and the County of Monroe.

Prior to Monroe Community College, Dr. Smith was the president of a small community college in the Minnesota State Colleges and University System—Austin Community College.

While there she developed the first new degree programs the College had initiated in 10 years, oversaw the renovation of the campus and construction of a new library/LRC, computer classrooms, a Center for Student Success, fitness lab, dance studio, and general classrooms. In addition, she was instrumental in the successful merger of her institution with the adjacent technical college campus to become Riverland Community College.

Dr. Smith is passionate about community colleges and their role in changing peoples’ lives. She has devoted her career to ensuring that students are learning and that an environment is created where they can succeed at whatever they choose. Her favorite time of the year is graduation, where she has the honor of shaking the hand of each graduate as they cross the stage after receive their degree or certificate.

A native of Illinois, Dr. Smith was raised on a grain farm outside Decatur, Illinois. She received her Doctorate in Education (Ed. D.) from Northern Illinois University, her Educational Specialist (Ed. Spec.) and Bachelor in Education (BS. in Ed) degrees from Eastern Illinois University, and her Master in Science (MS) from the University of Illinois.

A press release and photo from McHenry County College:

At a special board meeting on August 4, 2009, the McHenry County College Board of Trustees voted to appoint Bob DeWitt to fill the position vacated by Scott Summers, who resigned in June.

With nearly 20 years of experience in higher education service development and delivery, DeWitt will bring his passion for learning and research to the table as he works closely with other trustees to fulfill a strong vision of success at the college.

DeWitt currently works for SunGard Higher Education, where his focus is on research and technology. He has served in various high-level positions at SunGard, including Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO) at several community colleges and universities.

Previously, he was CIO at National-Louis University for three years. He has also served as both a consultant and educator for numerous corporations and institutions, both in the United States and internationally.

DeWitt earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), as well as a Master of Science (M.S.) degree, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned his Baccalaureate Degree (B.S.) from University of Missouri at Rolla.

After DeWitt’s appointment, MCC Board of Trustees chairperson, George Lowe, stated,

“On behalf of the board, we are just thrilled that Trustee DeWitt is going to be working with us.

“He is very enthusiastic about both the college and its programs, especially the new ERP system, and his fresh viewpoint will be an added benefit as we plan for MCC’s future.”

After his appointment, DeWitt stated,

“MCC is a great institution which benefits a great deal from the strong support of the community. MCC’s continued strong enrollment growth demonstrates that local students recognize the quality of its academic programs.

“I am honored to have been chosen by the board to contribute to the further success of the college.”

A resident of Crystal Lake, DeWitt is also committed to the community. He volunteers his time as a member of the Voices in Harmony (formerly the Crystal Lake Community Chorus). His wife, Sharon, is a leader in information technology in the area, and volunteers her time to coach people who have lost their jobs in the current economic crisis.

DeWitt was chosen from 23 eligible candidates to serve as the newest trustee through the April, 2011 election.