With Community College Consolidation One Year Away, Governor Appoints Joann Ryan as Regents Chair, Names New Board Members

 As the Connecticut Board of Regents (BOR) for Higher Education moves forward with the consolidation of Connecticut’s 12 community colleges into one college with 12 campuses, anticipated in July 2023, there will be new leadership atop the Board.

Governor Ned Lamont has announced he is appointing JoAnn Ryan to serve as chair of the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR), and Juanita T. James and James McCarthy to serve as board members. The BOR is the governing body for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system, which currently consists of four state universities, 12 community colleges, and Charter Oak State College.

Ryan has served as BOR vice chair since February 2022, and has been a member of the board since 2018. In addition to her service on the board, she is president and CEO of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce.  She will succeed Matt Fleury as BOR chair. Fleury, the CEO of the Connecticut Science Center, has served as chair since 2016 and has been a member of the BOR since 2011. His tenure ends on June 30, 2022. 

“As leader of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, JoAnn has a tremendous amount of experience and strong connections to the business and education communities,” Governor Lamont said. “As vice chair of the Board of Regents, she has consistently demonstrated her support of higher education in the state of Connecticut and commitment to the 17 Connecticut State Colleges and Universities. In her new role as chair, she will be an asset to the board and CSCU system.”

“It is an honor to receive this appointment and a privilege to serve as Board of Regents chair,” Ryan said. “I look forward to working with Governor Lamont and President (Terrence) Cheng to ensure the CSCU system maintains its core mission of access, equity, and affordability for Connecticut’s students so they may succeed and graduate in a timely manner.”

As new board chair, Ryan also serves on the BOR’s Finance and Infrastructure Committee and Human Resources and Administration Committee. She has been president and CEO of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce since 2002 and is first woman to hold that title since the Chamber’s inception in 1901. She was previously regional manager of Kelly Services, Inc., an adjunct faculty member of Naugatuck Valley and Northwestern Connecticut Community Colleges, a high school history and English teacher, and Torrington City Councilwoman. Since leading the Chamber, Ryan initiated numerous programs and serves on many boards and steering committees that touch health and human services, education, recreation, philanthropy, historic preservation, the arts, and business. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Albertus Magnus College and an Master of Arts in education from Trinity College.

Earlier this year, the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) accepted the CSCU “substantive change proposal,” providing the green light to proceed with plans to merge the 12 community colleges into Connecticut State Community College (CT State). NECHE, in a comprehensive 14-page letter, pointed out that “Despite the many accomplishments achieved to date … substantial work remains to be done between now and July 1, 2023 to assure Connecticut State Community College will be in compliance with the Standards for Accreditation by that date.” 

Three progress reports due to NECHE between now and July 1, 2023. “The September 2022 report will enable CT State to provide evidence of its success in accomplishing the goals and tasks it has specified for Spring and Summer 2022; accomplishments for Fall 2022 will be discussed in the February 2023 report; and Spring 2023 accomplishments, in the June 2023 report.”  Each report must “include an update on enrollment and budget projections, with attention to the institution’s success in addressing the operating deficit” that is projected in the initial years of the merger.  NECHE indicated that “the proposal also notes that CSCU anticipates ‘many upcoming retirements,’ including retirements of full-time faculty, as a result of changes being made to state retirement benefits” that were to take place as of July 1, and they anticipate receiving an analysis of the impact of the retirements. 

“Assuming the plans outlined in the substantive change proposal are successfully implemented and CT State becomes operational as an accredited college on July 1, 2023,” NECHE explained, “the accreditations of the 12 now-separate community colleges will be relinquished. The effective date of those relinquishments will be determined following the Commission’s review of the June 2023 progress report.”

In announcing the changes at the Board of Regents heading into the consequential next 12 months, Lamont praised the leadership of long-time Board member Fleury, and the credentials of the new BOR members.

“Matt Fleury has led with integrity, compassion, and responsibility, always prioritizing the fiscal and community health of the CSCU system and its constituent units,” Governor Lamont added. “As a graduate of a community college, Charter Oak State College, and the University of Connecticut School of Business, Matt understands that transformational power of public higher education, and has put the needs of students at the center of his work. His leadership, intelligence, and dedication will be missed on the board.”

“It has been a tremendous honor to serve as both a member and chair of the Board of Regents,” Fleury said. “I have had the opportunity to work with outstanding faculty, staff and students with the goal of making CSCU colleges and universities accessible and affordable to all students, regardless of their life experiences or background. I am proud of what we have accomplished in maintaining the highest quality educational options for our students.”

Also being appointed to the board are Juanita T. James, president and CEO of Fairfield County’s Community Foundation and James McCarthy, former interim provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Baruch College, The City University of New York. James’s term begins July 1, 2022, and McCarthy’s term begins immediately.

Juanita T. James was previously chief marketing and communications office for Pitney Bowes and a member of the Chairman’s Council. She also spent a 20-year career with Time Warner and five years at Bertelsmann, holding several senior executive positions, including president of Time-Life Libraries. She is vice chair of the Board of Trustees of Lesley University, trustee emerita of Princeton University, and a former trustee of the University of Connecticut. She has received many honors including the League of Women Voters “Outstanding Women in Philanthropy Award,” NAACP “100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut” award, and “Stamford Citizen of the Year.”

Prior to his most recent appointment at Baruch, McCarthy also served as president of Suffolk University from 2012 to 2014. At Baruch, he was provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs and professor of public affairs (2007-2012) and also served as dean, School of Health and Human Services and professor of Health Management and Policy, University of New Hampshire; and as director of the Heilbrunn Center for Population and Family Health, and Heilbrunn Professor of Public Health at Columbia University. Earlier, he was a faculty member at The Johns Hopkins University, and a member of the research faculty at Princeton.  He was born and raised in Waterbury, and has lived in Clinton for the past 15 years.

“I am happy to welcome these new Regents to the CSCU system,” President Cheng said. “Their professional backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives will be an asset to the important work the board does in support of CSCU’s 17 colleges and universities.”

If all proceeds as planned, a year from now 17 will become 6 – Connecticut State Community College (CT State), Charter Oak State College, Central Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, Eastern Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University.