FVTC Board of Trustees Selects Next President

FVTC Board of Trustees Selects Next President

| By: Daley-Hinkens, Carmelyn M

At a special meeting of the Fox Valley Technical College Board of Trustees today, trustees acted to approve the selection of Dr. Chris Matheny as the next president of Fox Valley Technical College.

Currently the executive vice president for instruction and chief academic officer at FVTC, Dr. Matheny will assume his new role on August 1, 2021. He will serve as the seventh president of FVTC. He succeeds Dr. Susan May, who will retire on July 31 after providing innovative leadership in several roles during her 38-year tenure with the college, 13 of them as president.

“Our goal in this search was to find a dynamic leader who recognizes the importance of meeting the needs of our diverse student population, and can strategically collaborate with the business sector to serve the needs of our local workforce,” said Board Chair Patty Van Ryzin. “We are confident Dr. Matheny is that leader.”

Dr. Matheny brings more than 25 years of instructional and administrative experience in higher education to the position, with 17 of those years at Fox Valley Technical College. Throughout his tenure at FVTC, Dr. Matheny has taken on increasing levels of responsibility to execute strategic initiatives that advance the college’s mission.

“I am excited to continue to work with our talented faculty and staff as well as all of our community partners,” Dr. Matheny said. “Fox Valley Technical College will continue to provide our region with the talent necessary to keep our entire region a great place to work, live, and play.”

Dr.  Matheny earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI; a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Organization and Management from Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, IL; and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from DePaul University in Chicago, IL.

“I can’t imagine being anywhere else.  Fox Valley Technical College is such a critical part of the communities we serve,” Dr. Matheny said. “This is home, and for the past 17 years, I’ve witnessed the positive impact the college has across our region. It really is a privilege to continue this legacy of service through education as the college’s next President.”

“Throughout the search process, it was evident that Dr. Matheny has developed and demonstrated the ideal characteristics that the college required for the next president,” Van Ryzin said. “He has led increasingly complex operations during his career and is a leader who is dedicated to our mission, connected to our region, and able to sustain and reinforce a culture that fully utilizes the talents of our entire organization.”

The Board would like to thank the entire college community for their guidance and support in the process to identify FVTC’s next President. It would also like to extend its thanks and gratitude to each member of the Presidential Search Committee for their significant time and contributions to this process.