Connie Stewart, MBA, SPHR, is Montcalm Community College’s interim president.

Connie Stewart, MBA, SPHR, is Montcalm Community College’s interim president.

Stewart previously served as MCC’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and assumed the presidency July 1, after being appointed by members of the college’s Board of Trustees during their May 9 Board meeting.

Stewart succeeds the college’s sixth president, Stacy H. Young, Ph.D., who is now president of her alma mater, Manchester University in Indiana. Her last day at MCC was June 30.

“I am appreciative that the Board of Trustees selected me to assist with this transition,” Stewart said. “I am deeply committed to serving the community and continuing to uphold MCC’s mission of transforming lives through quality education.

“MCC has an exceptional team of faculty and staff, and I look forward to supporting them as they continue their good work,” Stewart said.

“As we move forward, we will continue to follow the guidelines set forth in our strategic plan,” Stewart said. “Many of our initiatives provide overall support for increasing enrollment, which continues to be a high priority.”

Other items on the horizon include the continued exploration of student housing, funding through capital outlay for building projects and general upgrades to facilities on both the Sidney and Greenville campuses.

“We are aware of the need to continue making improvements to both our facilities and our programs and curriculum to stay relevant and provide inviting spaces to better serve our students, business partners and the community,” Stewart said.

MCC Board of Trustees Chairperson Karen Carbonelli said appointing Stewart as the interim president provides consistent leadership while the college seeks a new top leader.

“One of the things I like about Connie is that she has been in leadership positions at the college for 12 years and has experience in many areas of the college’s operations,” Carbonelli said. “She has always done a top-notch job. As vice president, Connie helped build and implement the college’s strategic plan and under her leadership, the college will continue to work to achieve the goals set forth in this plan.

“Connie has been a resident of Montcalm County for most of her life and is an MCC alumna. She has deep knowledge of the college and our community,” Carbonelli said. “She worked closely with our previous president as well as our current president and is very knowledgeable about the business of operating the college.

“We feel like it’s a natural fit for Connie to provide leadership at the presidential level as we navigate this transition,” Carbonelli said.

Stewart has 36 years’ experience working in accounting, human resources and high-level executive positions. She joined MCC in 2011 after working at Hitachi Magnetics Corporation for 16 years and eight years at Morbark Industries.

As Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, she led five divisions of the college: business office, facilities (recreation and athletics), financial aid, human resources and information technology services, which she continues as Interim President. She has been involved in small renovations at the college as well as the recent renovation of the Kenneth J. Smith Building on the college’s Sidney campus.

In addition, she has been involved in strategic planning, facilities master planning, and previously served as MCC’s Title IX and FOIA Coordinator, co-chair of the college’s Emergency Management Leadership Team and as assistant treasurer on the college’s Board of Trustees as well as the MCC Foundation board.

Stewart is an MCC alumna, earning her Associate Degree in Business Administration in 1993. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development from Spring Arbor University in 2002 and her MBA from Western Governors University in 2013.  She maintains an SPHR, (Senior Professional in Human resources) certificate.

Follow her on Facebook at MontcalmCCPresident.

Media contact:
Shelly Springborn
Director of Communications and Public Relations
shellys@montcalm.edu
989-560-0833