Academic Career & Executive Search Assists Washtenaw Community College with the Recruitment of Chief Public Affairs Officer
September 10, 2025 – Academic Career & Executive Search (ACES) has assisted in the recruitment of Amanda Holdsworth as chief public affairs officer of Washtenaw Community College (WCC) in Ann Arbor, MI. Jennifer Muller, managing partner, led the search. “Congratulations to Washtenaw Community College and Dr. Amanda Holdsworth on being chosen as the chief public affairs officer,” ACES said in a LinkedIn post. “Wishing Dr. Holdsworth and the WCC community continued success in this exciting new chapter together.”
Dr. Holdsworth was recently senior director of external communications at Risepoint, an education technology company providing services for colleges and universities. She founded the award-winning consulting practice, Cultivate & Engage, and served as executive director of the Michigan Association for Career and Technical Education, guiding state and federal advocacy. Dr. Holdsworth has also served as director of communications and marketing for Oakland School District, University of Michigan and Cleary University.
In her new position, Dr. Holdsworth will be responsible for positioning the president and the college as an educational leader and shaping public engagement, communications and the institution’s overall brand and reputation.
“My career has been shaped by a deep commitment to education, community impact, and workforce alignment,” Dr. Holdsworth said in a LinkedIn post. “From leading communications efforts at multiple institutions over the last 25 years, to supporting a research team at the University of Michigan studying community colleges and adult learners, to advocating for funding at the state and national levels, this new role feels like a full-circle moment. I’m especially excited to collaborate with WCC’s talented and mission-driven team – leaders, faculty, staff, students, and alumni alike – who are working every day to create opportunity, drive innovation, and empower learners of all backgrounds.”
Washtenaw Community College, established in 1965, has grown into one of the nation’s premier community colleges with an annual enrollment of more than 18,000 students in credit classes each year, and thousands more in Economic and College Development classes. The diverse student body includes more than 1,000 students from 100+ foreign countries.
Based in West Hartford, CT, Academic Career & Executive Search focuses on executive search services, career planning, and candidate coaching. Specializing in challenging faculty to senior administrative positions, the firm offers six a la carte services spanning full search, candidate generation, interim, multi-hire, and contingency search. Candidate support services include webinars, career planning, and candidate coaching. Its team has served in virtually every capacity in higher education including president, vice president, provost, dean, chief human resources officer, and faculty members across all types and sizes of institutions.
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Ms. Muller has more than 20 years of research and development experience in higher education and Fortune 500 companies. She has led over 70 higher education searches both domestically and internationally spanning presidents, vice presidents, associate chancellors, deans, directors, chairs, and faculty level positions. Ms. Muller is former vice chair of the American Council on Education (ACE) Executive Search Roundtable and serves as an advisor in the numerous ACE leadership development forums.
Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services Search
ACES recently placed Shaun McAlmont as CEO of CHESS (Collaborative for Higher Education Shared Services). He succeeds founding CEO Kathy Ulibarri, who will retire after guiding CHESS from its formation in 2021 to its emergence as a national model for shared services in higher education. Jennifer Muller, managing partner, led the search. CHESS board chair and president of Santa Fe Community College, Dr. Becky Rowley, praised Ms. Ulibarri’s tenure and welcomed Dr. McAlmont to the role. “Kathy Ulibarri led CHESS from concept to implementation with deep commitment, foresight, and skill,” she said. “She established a culture of trust, equity, and innovation that sets the stage for our next chapter. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. McAlmont, whose experience and passion for student success will strengthen and expand CHESS’s impact across New Mexico and beyond.”
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“From day one, our mission was to prove that higher education institutions could work together in bold new ways to improve the student experience,” said Ms. Ulibarri. “I’m proud of the culture we’ve built, the systems we’ve launched, and most of all, the collaborative spirit that drives our member colleges. I’m confident that Dr. McAlmont will take CHESS to the next level.”
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
