(OLNEY) The Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Board of Trustees had its monthly meeting for June this past Tuesday night in Olney. The Board : recognized Dr. Ryan Gower for his past ten years of service to the IECC District, including his roles as President at Lincoln Trail College and as District Chancellor, as he prepares for retirement : accepted the 2026-27 IECC academic catalog (available at iecc.edu/catalog) : approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Richland County Health Office and Olney Central College to use the OCC gym and parking lot in the event of an emergency : approved the purchase of desktop computers, laptops, monitors, and more to enhance the District’s technology infrastructure : agreed to move the Automotive Technology Associate in Applied Science program from Frontier Community College to Olney Central College for this fall 2026 : agreed to renew various lease agreements with the District : approved updated logos for the four colleges and major divisions of the IECC District : approved a new procedure to address athletic deficits and strengthen long-term financial accountability : and in personnel – accepted retirements from Chancellor Dr. Ryan Gower, effective June 30th, 2026 and from OCC President & Vice Chancellor of Business Operations Chris Simpson, effective May 17th, 2027 – accepted resignations from WVC Physical Therapist Instructor Lisa Hoipkemier, LTC Custodian Robin Zachary, and LTC TRIO Upward Bound Academic Counselor Adam McIntire – agreed to hire John Duty as Mining & Industry Instructor, McKenna Blevins as TRIO Student Support Services Academic Advisor at LTC, Kamille Johnson as Coordinator of Marketing & Communications at WVC, Rhoda Shugars as Coordinator of International Admissions & Compliance at LTC, and John Spruance as Head Men’s Basketball Coach at WVC – approved employment status changes for Dr. Cathy Robb as Interim IECC Chancellor, effective July 1st, 2026, for Ryan Hawkins from Chief Financial Officer to OCC President-Delegate and Vice Chancellor of Financial Operations, effective July 1st, 2026, and for Jamie Carman to Director of Advising Systems – approved a contract with Dr. Timothy Taylor as IECC Chancellor, effective August 15th, 2026 : next monthly meeting for the IECC Board of Trustees will be July 21st, 2026.
