RH Perry & Associates Tapped by Holyoke Community College for Provost Search
December 3, 2025 – RH Perry & Associates has been selected by Holyoke Community College (HCC) to lead in its search for a new provost and vice president for academic affairs. Senior consultants Jessie Thompson and Levy Brown are leading the assignment.
This is an exceptional opportunity for a visionary, compassionate, and innovative leader to advance equitable student success and academic excellence at Massachusetts’ first two-year public institution. The successful candidate will be a transformative, student-centered leader who fosters collaboration and creativity in shaping the academic and student experience at a college deeply committed to access, achievement, and meaningful community impact.
Reporting to the president, the provost serves as chief academic and student affairs officer. This executive provides strategic leadership in the planning, development, implementation, and assessment of educational offerings, academic programs, student learning outcomes, enrollment management and student support services. The provost works closely with the president and the college community to implement the college strategic vision using evidence-based data for student success and retention.
Candidates should have an earned terminal degree from an accredited university. They must have demonstrated effective leadership in areas such as academic planning, program development, advising, student orientation, student mental health and behavioral support, disability services, first-year experience, veterans’ services, and student life/government, preferably at a community college.
Experience collaborating with workforce development programs and an understanding of the intersection of workforce and academic programs and initiatives, such as the non-credit to-credit pipeline is also preferred.
Holyoke Community College is a public community college in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and the state’s first community college, founded in 1946 as Holyoke Junior College. It offers associate degrees and certificate programs designed for both career entry and transfer to four-year institutions, with a wide mix of academic and workforce-focused pathways and strong transfer agreements across Massachusetts.
Established in 1974, RH Perry & Associates offers strong credentials and experience in academic executive search, having completed well over 1,000 searches in its history. Serving both two-year and four-year institutions, the firm’s higher education practice consists of senior-level executives with a well-balanced mix of college and university presidential and senior administrative experience and executive search expertise. Headquartered in Ashville, NC, RH Perry’s consultants maintain offices in Washington, D.C., Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
Mr. Thompson, director of community college searches, has led, or participated in, a wide range of presidential and senior administrative higher education searches. His experience spans large and small, urban, suburban and rural institutions nationwide. Mr. Thompson has provided services to both single and multi-campus institutions. His experience in higher education includes a combination of more than 40 years in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Michigan of senior-level administration, community college trustee service, and college teaching experience.
Related: RH Perry & Associates Recruits 13th President for Briar Cliff University
Dr. Brown is a strategic, intentional, highly collaborative, visionary, and inclusive leader with nearly 24 years of experience in higher education. He has worked to impact student experiences within the community college and university environments. Dr. Brown is a leader who has a track record of partnering with students, faculty, staff, senior administration, business and industry partners, local and state government officials to ensure positive outcomes for students, institutions, and communities. He has served in multiple senior executive roles and is the incoming VP of academic and student affairs at Halifax Community College, a member institution of the North Carolina Community College System.
Illinois Central College Search
RH Perry & Associates was also retained by Illinois Central College (ICC) to lead in its search for a new president. The Illinois Central College board of trustees seeks an accomplished, collaborative, engaging, transparent, visionary leader with a proven record of fostering student success, driving strategic initiatives, and advancing institutional innovation.
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Ideal candidates will have a proven record of transformational leadership and a strong commitment to student-centered outcomes. They will bring expertise in workforce development, regional economic partnerships, and credentialing, along with skill in building collaborative relationships with employers, community organizations, and educational partners.
Illinois Central College is a comprehensive community college located in East Peoria, Illinois, serving the greater Peoria region through campuses in East Peoria, Peoria, and Pekin. Established in 1967, ICC provides accessible, affordable education and workforce training to more than 8,000 students annually.
Related: RH Perry & Associates Recruits President for Onondaga Community College
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
