JJC Board Approves Extension of President Mitchell’s Retirement Date

The Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved an extension of President Dr. Judy Mitchell’s retirement date until Aug. 31, 2022 to allow more time to complete the search for the college’s next president. Mitchell had previously announced she would retire at the end of the calendar year.

“While I remain excited to start the next chapter of my life, I want you to know that I accepted this extension because it is important to me that there is a smooth transition of leadership in the President’s Office,” said Mitchell. “We have been through so much in the last year. Beyond the warm welcome I know you will provide, I want the 10th president of Joliet Junior College to have a solid foundation as they begin their JJC journey.”

The board has engaged with the Pauly Group, a national search firm with over 30 years in academic and executive leadership placement, to lead the process. The board has also established a cross-functional committee to support these efforts, comprised of community leaders and JJC employees representative of the campus community.

“On behalf of the board, I want to say thank you to Dr. Mitchell for agreeing to extend her retirement through August 2022,” Dan O’Connell, JJC board chairman, said. “Her last five years of leadership will provide the necessary guidance for the college to successfully navigate this transition.”

Mitchell has served as a symbol of success for many students through her own personal story, starting at JJC as a returning adult student in the 1990s. In 1996, she became an administrative assistant in the Computer Information Office Systems Department. After serving as a program management specialist in Adult and Family Services, and then assistant to the director of administrative services, she became director of business and auxiliary services in 2005. In 2012, Mitchell was appointed vice president of administrative services, and in September 2016 was unanimously approved as the college’s president by the JJC Board of Trustees.

For media inquiries, contact Communications and Media Coordinator Scott Harvey at sharvey@jjc.edu.