Hired
Ravi V. Bellamkonda – Ohio State University
Ohio State University appointed Ravi V. Bellamkonda as its 18th president, just three days after the resignation of Walter Carter Jr.
Bellamkonda joined Ohio State in January 2025 as executive vice president and provost, serving as the university’s chief academic officer. He was closely involved in the early development of the university’s Education for Citizenship 2035 framework and helped advance initiatives focused on student outcomes, faculty recruitment and emerging technologies.
During Bellamkonda’s tenure, Ohio State expanded undergraduate exposure to artificial intelligence, strengthened career preparation infrastructure and launched new faculty hiring efforts.
Prior to Ohio State, Bellamkonda served as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Emory University.
Jose Coll – Western New Mexico University
Western New Mexico University has named Jose Coll its next president, effective July 1, on a three-year contract.
Noted for his collaborative and advocacy-driven leadership philosophy, Coll, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, is currently provost at Western Oregon University and.
Western New Mexico has faced ongoing challenges since allegations in 2023 that former President Joseph Shepard and his wife used public funds for personal expenses. Shepard, who led the university from 2011, resigned in January 2025 and remains involved in multiple legal disputes, Santa Fe New Mexican reports.
John Paul Dowd III – Wofford College (S.C.)
Wofford College appointed John Paul Dowd III its 12th president, effective July 1.
Since 2013, Dowd has served as president and chief executive officer of The Citadel Foundation, where he was responsible for advancing the institution’s strategic priorities and long-term financial health. He has advised senior leadership across academics, operations, finance, enrollment, marketing, student services and athletics.
Dowd also served on committees that developed The Citadel’s most recent strategic plans and comprehensive fundraising campaigns. Since 2021, those efforts have generated at least $50 million annually in operational support, increased endowment assets by more than $300 million and launched a real estate holdings initiative to strengthen the foundation’s future.
Lori M. Gonko – Macomb Community College (Mich.)
Following more than a decade in senior leadership roles at Henry Ford College, Lori Gonko will become president of Macomb Community College on July 1.
Gonko joined Henry Ford College in Michigan in 2012 and advanced through several administrative positions before being named vice president of strategy and human resources in 2019. Her portfolio included strategic planning, human resources, institutional research, business intelligence, academic advising and accreditation.
Gonko was appointed interim president of Henry Ford College in July 2025 prior to her selection at Macomb.
Sally Coleman Selden – University of Lynchburg (Va.)
The University of Lynchburg has named Sally Coleman Selden its 12th president. She will assume the role following the retirement of President Dr. Alison Morrison-Shetlar on June 30.
Selden brings more than 25 years of academic leadership experience and currently serves as provost and dean at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, where she leads strategic planning and oversees academic programs across five schools.
During her tenure, The Citadel has achieved record enrollment growth, including a nearly 9% increase in residential undergraduate enrollment since Fall 2023, along with record retention rates of 88%.
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Before joining The Citadel, Selden spent 18 years at the University of Lynchburg, serving in numerous faculty and senior leadership roles, including provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Lori Suddick – Des Moines Area Community College (Iowa)
With more than two decades of community college leadership experience, Lori Suddick has been selected to lead Des Moines Area Community College, effective June 15, We Are Iowa reports.
Suddick has served as president and CEO of the College of Lake County in Illinois, since 2018. During her tenure, the institution implemented operational and academic changes that produced a 10-point increase in three-year graduation rates and a 272% increase in dual enrollment headcount, according to a release from the community college.
Corey Wiggins – Tougaloo College (Miss.)
Corey Wiggins, a longtime leader in public policy and economic development, will assume the presidency of Tougaloo College in July as the institution’s 15th president.
Wiggins currently serves as federal co-chairman of the Delta Regional Authority, an independent agency supporting economic development across 255 counties and parishes in eight states. He was nominated by President Joseph Biden in December 2021 and confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate in March 2022.
Retired
Dan Boone – Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.)
Dan Boone has announced plans to retire as president of Trevecca Nazarene University in 2027, after more than two decades at the helm.
Boone has led the university since 2005. Since then, Trevecca’s enrollment increased from about 2,000 students to nearly 4,000, and the institution expanded its academic portfolio to more than 100 programs, ranging from associate degrees to doctoral offerings.
The university also invested more than $250 million in campus construction and renovation while strengthening its focus on academic quality and student support.
Boone plans to remain in the role through the 2026–2027 academic year to support a smooth leadership transition.
Lisa Freeman – Northern Illinois University
Lisa Freeman will retire as president of Northern Illinois University on June 30, 2028, concluding 11 years in senior leadership at the institution, reports Northern Star, the school newspaper.
The university experienced notable enrollment gains this past fall, including a 4.3% increase in total enrollment. Northern Illinois welcomed 2,435 new freshmen, a 22% increase over the previous year and its second-largest freshman class since 2014.
During Freeman’s tenure, Northern Illinois also achieved federal designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, with Hispanic students accounting for more than one-quarter of the undergraduate full-time equivalent population for three consecutive years.
Sidney A. McPhee – Middle Tennessee State University
Sidney McPhee is set to retire from Middle Tennessee State University in December 2026, ending one of the longest presidential tenures in the institution’s history.
McPhee became president in January 2001 and oversaw a period of significant campus expansion and academic growth. During his tenure, the university completed or advanced more than $2 billion in construction, renovation and improvement projects, including the $147 million Science Corridor of Innovation anchored by a 250,000-square-foot science building that opened in 2014.
Under his leadership, the university also developed nearly 50 new undergraduate and graduate programs and added two colleges along with more than 20 institutes and centers.
Stepping down
John Cox – Cape Cod Community College (Mass.)
John Cox has retired as president of Cape Cod Community College, effective immediately, following 14 years in the role, CAI reports.
Cox was placed on paid administrative leave in October. At the time, the college said the decision was connected to an ongoing personnel matter, without providing further details.
Cox had led the college since 2011, overseeing academic and operational functions during a period of enrollment and workforce shifts across the region.
The college has not released additional information regarding interim leadership or next steps following Cox’s departure.
Jeff DeFranco – Lake Tahoe Community College (Calif.)
Jeff DeFranco will step down at the end of the 2025–26 academic year, after nine years at the helm of Lake Tahoe Community College. He will transition to Arizona State University, where he will serve as special advisor to the provost on academic alliance strategy.
DeFranco became Lake Tahoe’s fifth superintendent and president in January 2017. During his tenure, full-time equivalent enrollment grew by 40%, reaching a record 2,431 students, while degree completions increased by 112%. Annual institutional revenue rose from about $20 million to $48 million.
Jon C. Gering – Bethel College (Ks.)
Jon Gering will step down as president of Bethel College at the end of June 2026, concluding more than eight years in the role.
Under Gering’s leadership, the college doubled the size of its endowment and enrolled the three largest freshman classes in the past 30 years, strengthening both enrollment stability and long-term financial health.
Bethel has also completed several capital projects, including a new football locker room, softball clubhouse and campus Wellness Center.
