​New CEOs

Michael Anthony Elam has been named interim chancellor of Sowela Technical Community College in Louisiana. Elam previously served as president of the College of the Mainland in Texas. Prior to that appointment, he held numerous leadership positions at universities and community colleges, including Daytona State College, Florida State College at Jacksonville and the University of Houston.

Maureen Murphy has been named president of Brookdale Community College (New Jersey), effective July 1. Murphy is currently president of San Jacinto College South in Texas, which she has lead for five years. Previously, Murphy was chief academic and student services officer of Rappahannock Community College and Wytheville Community College, both in Virginia. Prior to these administrative positions, she rose through the academic ranks as an instructor, assistant professor, associate professor and later dean of mathematics and communications at St. Louis Community College–Meramec in Missouri.

Returning CEOs

Barbara Woodlee, who retired in 2010 as president of Kennebec Valley Community College in Maine, will return as the college’s CEO after two national searches have not yielded viable candidates. Woodlee, 65, joined the college in 1976 as director of adult education at then-Kennebec Valley Vocational Technical Institute. She was named president of the college in 1984. Woodlee started her higher education with a two-year degree from Cazenovia College in New York.

Appointments

J. David Armstrong, Jr., president of Broward College in Florida, has been named to the Council on Competitiveness. The group comprises CEOs of major U.S. corporations, presidents of the nation’s top colleges and universities, and leaders of national labor unions.

Terri Day has been appointed executive director of institutional research and planning for Tarrant County College in Texas. Day previously was associate director of institutional research, planning and effectiveness at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Gale Gibson is now senior vice president of academic affairs at Essex County College (New Jersey). She previously served as dean and professor of freshman studies at Medgar Evers College. She has more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration and teaching at both Medgar Evers and North Carolina State University.

Al Moran, vice president of marketing and communications at Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio, has been appointed to serve a two-year term on the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s newly created Center for Community College Advancement Advisory Committee.

Jerry Steward, executive vice president at Oklahoma City Community College, was recently named vice chair of the board of trustees for Langston University-Oklahoma City and Langston University-Tulsa. The former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is a member of the university’s inaugural board of trustees.

Carol Summers is now vice president of college relations and advancement at Edmonds Community College in Washington. She previously served as director of marketing and public relations at North Seattle Community College. Prior to that, Summers was executive director of marketing and communications at Bastyr University.