Mar 30, 2017 10:24 AM EDT By Anne Collins, UniversityHerald Reporter

On Tuesday, the Bellevue College Board of Trustees announced that they have voted to select Dr. Jerry Weber as the next president of Bellevue College. That will make Weber as the sixth president in the instituion's 50-year history.

Dr. Lisa Chin, chair of the board said that Dr. Weber's track record of exceptional leadership, deep commitment to values and passion for creating pathways to success for traditional and non-traditional learners will inspire students to reach new heights. The board went through a very thorough research from an exceptional pool of candidates. Chin said they knw they made the best choice.

Bellevue College is the third-largest institution of higher education. It is also the largest community college in the state with over 30,000 students enrolled annually. It offers a comprehensive array of programs that include 12 bachelor's degrees, four transfer associate degrees, 23 professional-technical degrees, 67 certificates, and 20 non-credit programs. They have also added Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Bachelor of Applied Science in Digital Marketing to the baccalaureate programs.

Dr. Weber said that the college's values resonate with his own core values such as the dedication to student success, equity, sustainability, diversity, and innovative approach to excellence. He looks forward to working towards the shared mission of helping students reach their academic and life goals.

He was selected as president of the College of Lake County in April 2009 and previously served as president of Kankakee Community College. Dr. Weber went to the University of Iowa and holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration and M.A. in Educational Measurement and Statistics.

The national search began last August after the resignation of Dr. David L. Rule, who served as president for five years. According to Chicago Tribune, Dr. Weber was chosen from three other finalists in February and is expected to start by July.

The search was coordinated by Presidential Search Advisory Committee comprised of representatives from Bellevue College students, trustees, faculty, staff, foundation, and community members, with the assistance of an executive search firm, Gold Hill Associates according to The Bellevue Reporter.

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