Montcalm Community College Board of Trustees selects Connie Stewart as interim president

On May 9, at a regular board meeting,the Montcalm Community College Board of Trustees approved a motion which led to the appointment of a new interim president in MCC’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Connie Stewart. She will begin her work in that position starting this July 1. 

The previous president, Stacy H. Young, Ph.D., is leaving Montcalm Community College to serve as the president of her alma mater, Indiana’s Manchester University. 

In an article on Montcalm Community College’s website, Stewart was quoted on the appointment, saying, “I am appreciative that the Board of Trustees selected me to assist with this transition. I am deeply committed to serving the community and continuing to uphold MCC’s mission of transforming lives through quality education. MCC has an exceptional team of faculty and staff, and I look forward to supporting them as they continue their good work.”

Montcalm Community College Board of Trustees Chairperson Karen Carbonelli talked about the benefits of appointing Stewart to the interim president position, especially as it will provide the college with consistent leadership until a full time president is found: “One of the things I like about Connie is that she has been in leadership positions at the college for 12 years and has experience in many areas of the college’s operations. She has always done a top-notch job. As vice president, Connie helped build and implement the college’s strategic plan and under her leadership, the college will continue to work to achieve the goals set forth in this plan. Connie has been a resident of Montcalm County for most of her life and is an MCC alumna. She has deep knowledge of the college and our community. She worked closely with our previous president as well as our current president and is very knowledgeable about the business of operating the college. We feel like it’s a natural fit for Connie to provide leadership at the presidential level as we navigate this transition.”

Stewart has spent almost four decades in the workforce, filling a variety of positions such as human resources, accounting, and high level executive positions. She started at Montcalm Community College back in 2011 after leaving her position of 16 years at Hitachi Magnetics Corporation. Previous to that position, Stewart worked for eight years at Morbark Industries.

In her current role as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Stewart leads five divisions of the college: information technology services, human resources, financial aid, facilities, and the business office. She has also been involved in a number of small renovations at the school such as the recent renovation of the Kenneth J. Smith Building on the school’s Sidney Campus.

Stewart has also taken part in facilities master planning, strategic planning, and also serves as the assistant treasurer on the Board of Trustees and the Montcalm Community College Foundation Board. She is the FOIA and Title IX Coordinator for the school, and takes part in the school’s Emergency Management Leadership team as co-chair.

She is a graduate of Montcalm Community College, where she earned her Associate Degree in Business Administration back in 1993. She then went on to Spring Arbor where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Development in 2002. She earned her MBA in 2013 from Western Governors University. She also has a Senior Professional in Human Resources certificate.

More information about Montcalm Community College can be found on the school’s website.