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Public Relations and Marketing | Published Nov 16, 2022
College of Lake County (CLC) introduces Dr. Kristen Jones as the next Vice President of Education and Chief Academic Officer. CLC’s Board of Trustees voted to approve her contract at the November board meeting. When she starts in January, Jones will be responsible for championing the culture of teaching and learning excellence, a strategic pillar of CLC’s mission. As an equity-minded, visionary leader committed to advancing student access to high-quality, active and collaborative learning experiences, she will help drive success outcomes for CLC’s diverse student body.
“I'm honored to have been chosen as the next VP of Education at CLC,” said Jones. “CLC's commitment to teaching and learning excellence and focus on equity and sustainability is remarkable. I'm excited about joining the collaborative, student-centered culture and working with faculty and staff to support students in achieving their goals.”
As the head of academic operations, Jones will lead the dedicated and high-quality faculty and staff who provide the education students need to find their next step in life. CLC delivers affordable education through nine fields of interest encompassing 52 associate degrees and 123 certificates.
Jones comes to CLC after serving as the provost at Bellevue College in Washington where she provided executive leadership for a broad range of divisions including academic affairs, student affairs, international education, institutional research, continuing education, accreditation and grants. In collaboration with a large team of campus stakeholders, she created and implemented a vision for the institution’s Achieving the Dream and Guided Pathways initiatives focused on improving student completion and reducing equity gaps, work that aligns with efforts currently underway at CLC.
Previously, Jones was the vice president of instruction at North Seattle College where she championed a 10-year instructional master plan, developed a faculty-led instructional program review process and institutionalized a strategic enrollment management action plan. She has also served as the vice president for instruction and student services at Flathead Valley Community College in Montana, and held several other positions, including faculty and dean at Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon.
Jones earned a doctorate of education in community college leadership and a master’s in counseling from Oregon State University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Oregon.
“My leadership is built on a foundation of empathy, collaboration, equity and belief in the power of community colleges, an excellent match for CLC’s institutional values,” said Jones. “I look forward to using my experience as a community college vice president to further CLC’s culture of academic excellence by being a strong communicator who is both genuine and results oriented and working with my team and the faculty to create an environment where all students can succeed.”
CLC President Dr. Lori Suddick said, “I am looking forward to building a collaborative partnership with Dr. Jones as a member of the college leadership team to support the entire CLC community in advancing equity in access and success to educational attainment through teaching and learning excellence for the diverse communities we serve.”
About College of Lake County
College of Lake County is a comprehensive community college committed to equitable high-quality education, cultural enrichment and partnerships to advance the diverse communities it serves in northeastern Illinois. Offered at three campuses in Grayslake, Vernon Hills and Waukegan or online, college classes are affordable and accessible to help each student achieve academic, career and personal goals. More than 70,000 students graduated with degrees and certificates since the college opened in 1969. College of Lake County is the only higher-education institution ranked among the top 15 best places to work in Illinois by Forbes in 2019 and is a national leader in many areas, including campus internationalization, sustainability and conservation.