Courses have been jointly developed and will be taught by community college practitioners and Ferris faculty with special areas of expertise.
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Catherine B. Ahles, MBA, APR, Fellow PRSA Cathy Ahles is a practitioner, consultant, and educator in public relations and integrated marketing communications. Her areas of expertise include public opinion research, strategic positioning, branding, community involvement, student recruitment, media training and crisis communications. During her 16-year career as Vice President of College Relations at Macomb Community College, she conducted three countywide ballot proposals that netted $90 million to establish and operate the first University Center in the nation. She has also enjoyed an eight-year appointment as Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Florida International University. Ms. Ahles has consulted with numerous community colleges, including River Parishes, Broward County, Northwestern Michigan, Henry Ford, and Oakland community colleges. She is currently pursuing her lifelong passion for aviation as Senior Vice President for Marketing and Business Development at Premier Aircraft Sales, where she is responsible for global brand management and competitive strategy. She holds an MBA in Advanced Management from Michigan State University. |
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Sandra J. (Sandy) Balkema, Ph.D. Dr. Balkema teaches writing at all levels, from developmental and freshman composition to advanced technical writing. She is the coordinator of the Technical and Professional Communication (B.S.) program and teaches rhetorical analysis, publication design, editing, and project management courses for the program. Dr. Balkema has received several teaching awards, including the Teaching Excellence Award and Michigan Association of Governing Boards (MAGB) Award, and she has been a writer/editor for the last four of Ferris' NCA/HLC accreditation reports. Her degrees include a Ph.D. in English & Education and an M.A. in Language and Literature from the University of Michigan, and a B.A. in English Language & Literature from Calvin College. |
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Dr. Jack Becherer has served as president of Rock Valley College since November 2004. During his tenure, the college has implemented a Facilities Master Plan that resulted in the construction of the Jacobs Center for Science and Mathematics and the restoration of the Educational Resource Center and the Physical Education Center. The college has also received a $36 million allocation, one of the largest capital allocations to a community college in the state of Illinois, to build an Arts Instructional Center and to restore the two existing original classroom buildings. Dr. Becherer has more than 30 years of experience in community colleges, including faculty positions in Virginia and Missouri, and student development administrative positions in Missouri and Illinois. Prior to becoming Rock Valley College’s fifth president, he served as president of Wenatchee Valley College in the state of Washington and as executive assistant to the president at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois. |
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Daniel Burcham, Ph.D. Dr. Burcham is currently the Vice President for Student Affairs at Ferris State University, has wide work experience in education. His early work was in the academic area as a tenured English Professor, Department Head of Developmental Education, and Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences. Later, he served as Dean of Enrollment Services. On two occasions, he served as Interim Provost/ Vice President for Academic Affairs. During this time, he has consistently worked with workforce development and has participated in workforce consortia. Dr. Burcham has written and presented extensively on student development and most recently, enrollment management. His other notable work was often grant-generated such as “Farming with Nature” sponsored by the Michigan Council for the Humanities and “Support Services for Women” supported by the Michigan Department of Social Services. His present interests include the co-curricular transcript and out-of-class learning. |
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Donald Burns, Ph.D. Dr. Burns is president emeritus of Montcalm Community College. Prior to his 25 years as president he served as dean of student and community services and as executive vice-president. He earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. He also serves on the advisory board for the Ferris State University Community College Leadership Program. Although his wife Maureen claims that his favorite hobby has always been serving on boards (some of his current boards include a private college, bank, and foundation), Don enjoys reading, movies, hiking and travel. His most recent venture was to hike the Inca Trail and visit Machu Picchu. He is excited to be part of the DCCL program. |
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Diane Chaddock, Ed.D. Dr. Chaddock serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Southwestern Michigan College. As Chief Operating Officer, she is directly responsible for all of the internal operations of the College and provides leadership and coordination for all cross divisional activities. In this role she also serves as the chief academic officer. Under her leadership, Southwestern Michigan College has implemented a culture of continuous quality improvement anchored in the College goals of quality, student success, and service to the community. The success of this culture change is evidenced by the current ranking of the College in the top 10% of the nation in student course success and the top 1% of the nation in student transfer success. Dr. Chaddock has a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Western Michigan University, a Master of Arts in Science Education from Western Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of the State of New York. She has published numerous articles on outcomes assessment and is also a frequent presenter on issues in higher education. Her book, “Wildflowers of the Dunes” was written out of a personal interest in plant life and the environment. |
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Laurie Chesley, Ph.D. Dr. Chesley brings ten years of administrative leadership experience to this role, having served in a variety of positions, including Dean of Humanities at Montgomery County Community College, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Ferris State University, and Interim Dean for Learning at Northwestern Michigan College. Dr. Chesley earned her doctorate in English from the University of Notre Dame. She is active with the Higher Learning Commission's Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) as a systems portfolio appraiser, an annual update reviewer, and a quality check-up consultant. |
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Beverly DeMarr, Ph.D. Dr. DeMarr holds a doctorate in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, with cognates in Management and Industrial/Organizational Psychology. She currently teaches courses in Negotiation, Compensation, and Human Resource Management, and has been recognized for excellence in teaching. She has also taught courses in Organizational Behavior, Diversity in the Workplace, Labor and Employment Law, Selection and Training, and Business Policy and Strategy. Dr. DeMarr authored the textbook Negotiation and Dispute Resolution with Dr. Suzanne de Janasz, which has been published by Pearson. She has also published articles in Personnel Psychology, Journal of Business Ethics, Human Relations, Public Personnel Management, and International Journal of Conflict Management, and has presented at the Academy of Management, Organizational Behavior Teaching Conference, Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychologists, and Industrial Relations Research Association national conferences and the Lilly (North) Teaching Conference. She has been a member of the Academy of Management since 1995 and is currently a member of the Management Education, Gender and Diversity in Organizations, Conflict Management and Careers divisions, and is an invited member of the all-academy Teaching Theme Committee. She is also a member of the Organizational Behavior Teaching Society. |
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Daniel DeMarte, Ed.D. Dr. DeMarte has more than 17 years experience in community colleges; ten years in leadership roles. He earned a doctorate degree in higher education administration from North Carolina State University. He has written articles and book chapters in various publications, and presents at regional and national conferences on leadership and organizational development topics as they are applied in the community college setting. |
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Dr. Dassance served as President of the College of Central Florida from 1996 to 2011 and was named President Emeritus upon his retirement. He previously served community colleges in New York, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and Florida. Dr. Dassance holds a Bachelor's Degree in biology from Grove City College, a Master of Arts Degree from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Virginia. Dr. Dassance has served as President of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities, Chair of the Florida College System's Council of Presidents on two occasions, and the Board of Directors of the Commission of Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. |
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Dr. Ennis earned his Ph.D. at Ohio State University. He has extensive experience in research including a previous position as a curriculum research specialist at Mott Community College. |
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Kathleen Guy, Ph.D., CFRE Kathleen Guy has 34 years' experience in community colleges in the areas of strategic planning, fundraising and public/media relations as an executive-level institutional advancement professional, including serving as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Northwestern Michigan College. Dr. Guy is an Athena Award Recipient, Outstanding Alumnae of West Shore Community College, and a Certified Fund Raising Executive. She is a graduate of Alma College and holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Michigan State University. |
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Margaret (Mickey) Hay, Ph.D. Dr. Hay has worked in community colleges for 25 years, filling roles such as advisor/counselor, director of Student Support Services, Dean of Students and Academic Support, and Vice President of Academic Support. Mickey served as Vice President of the National Association for Developmental Education, an organization committed to student success and retention. She also served on the board of directors for the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, a group that writes and promulgates standards and assessment tools for professionals working in student affairs. She is currently pursuing a career in consulting, public speaking, personal coaching, and writing. Dr. Hay earned a masters degree in counseling from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in Leadership from Andrews University. Her research focus was the experiences of students transitioning from high school to community college. |
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Maureen Heaphy, Ph.D. Dr. Heaphy is a Fellow of the American Society for Quality, and a faculty member in Ferris' College of Business Graduate Program teaching online classes for the Master of Business Administration degree. She has been an accreditation (ACBSP) volunteer evaluator since 2007. She has extensive experience with the Baldrige Performance Excellence process. Her publications include the book Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award: A Yardstick for Quality Growth, Addison-Wesley. |
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Darby Hiller, Ph.D. Dr. Hiller earned her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee in Political Science in 2002. She also holds a Master's degree from Troy State University – European Region in International Relations, which she earned in Germany while stationed with the US Air Force in 1997. She has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder, which she earned in 1990. The linchpin linking these experiences is her expertise in quantitative research methodology, which led her to her current role as Director of the Office of Research & Effectiveness at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC). She has also taught research methods courses for Western Michigan University, and international politics and applied social research methods courses for Ferris State University. |
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Leonard Johnson, Ph.D. Dr. Johnson is a professor in the College of Education and Human Services and completed his doctorate in Cultural Foundations of Education at Kent State University in Ohio. Prior to earning his Ph.D., he served in a variety of administrative roles in student affairs for fifteen years. As a faculty member working in Teacher Education in Kentucky, Wisconsin and Michigan he has worked on major grants designed to develop programs in collaboration with Native American Community Colleges created to help their students achieve Teacher Certification. Dr. Johnson is an avid reader and professional disc golfer. A closet introvert, he |
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Cameron Koch, Ph.D. Dr. Koch is president of North Central Michigan College serving in this capacity since 2001. Previously, Dr. Brunet-Koch was dean of student services at North Central and, prior to that, dean of student personnel services at West Shore Community College. She was assistant dean of students and director of campus information programs and organizations at Oakland University before moving to West Shore. Dr. Brunet-Koch is a graduate of Oakland University, where she majored in English and social science. She earned her master’s degree in higher education and administration at Michigan State University and her doctorate in guidance and counseling at The University of Michigan. Dr. Brunet-Koch currently serves as the Secretary on the Executive Board of the Michigan Community College Association. In 2000, she was the recipient of the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Athena Award. Also, Cameron served the Past President of Petoskey Kiwanis Club, served on the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce Board for the past six years, and is currently the Secretary/Vice Chair of the Chamber Board. |
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Dr. Marr holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from The Ohio State University, as well as a master’s degree in Business and Industrial Counseling from Wright State University and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wittenberg University. Dr. Marr has also completed a certificate in financial management from Cornell University. Dr. Marr’s almost 30 years in college administration includes mid- and senior-level experience in small, medium, large, urban, and suburban two-year colleges. Dr. Marr has led critical college operations in both student and academic affairs and has consulted nationally and internationally in the areas of assessment and accreditation. Prior to joining Cuyahoga Community College in 2010, Dr. Marr served as the Secretary of the University and Executive Assistant to the President at Wittenberg University where he oversaw the implementation of the University’s strategic plan. John has also worked closely with the staff of the Higher Learning Commission for many years in training peer reviewers and conducting accreditation visits. Dr. Marr resides in the greater Cleveland area with his wife and two sons. |
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Dr. Myran is known as a promoter of community college leadership development. He is president emeritus of Washtenaw Community College and currently the senior consultant to the chancellor of Wayne County Community College District. Dr. Myran is one of the first recipients of an Ed.D. in community college leadership from Michigan State University. He is a renowned expert in the field, considered one of the architects of the comprehensive community college, and is a recognized author of several books on community college leadership. He was inducted in 2009 to the Hall of Fame of the International Adult and Continuing Education Association. |
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Dr. Nicol is Dean of the College of Business at Ferris State University. During the ten years that he has served in this capacity, the college has grown significantly, achieved substantial improvement in retention and graduation rates (increased by almost 50%), and enhanced its productivity to a level far beyond the rest of the university. In conjunction with other achievements (e.g., enhanced faculty credentialing), these accomplishments have contributed to the college earning national accreditation, designation as a Center of Excellence, and program-level certifications for a half dozen of its programs. Dr. Nicol earned his Ph.D. in Management (International Business concentration; dissertation in the field of cross-cultural psychology) from the University of Houston. His MBA was earned at Arizona State University, and his B.A. in Economics came from Beloit College in Wisconsin. Dave is particularly interested in efforts to enhance strategic thinking, and in how to facilitate better understanding of the impact of cultural differences on organizational effectiveness. This leads to activities such as his service as a reviewer for the national and regional Academies of Management, primarily for the international business and business policy and strategy tracks. |
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Dr. Shaink has a Ph.D. from Michigan State University. Before joining Mott, he worked in business and has experience in commercial development. He is the former president of the National Council for Workforce Education and was appointed by Governor Granholm as a representative to the Michigan Higher Education Assistance Authority. He also served as the president of Central Community College – Platte Campus in Nebraska. He currently serves on AACC's National Council of Instructional Administrators. |
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Dr. Shehouwer has held several previous positions in Michigan community colleges including serving as the vice provost for arts and sciences and executive director of research and planning at Macomb Community College. Her Ph.D. is from Northwestern University. |
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Roberta (Robbie) Teahen, Ph.D. Dr. Teahen is responsible for accreditation, assessment, online learning, and faculty development, among other responsibilities. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education at Michigan State University in 2000. She served in faculty and administrative roles at Northwestern Michigan College before joining Ferris in 2002 as the Dean of the University Center for Extended Learning. Dr. Teahen's NMC roles included Business faculty, Business division chair, Dean of Occupational Studies, and Director of Student Development and Learning Services. She has also taught as an adjunct for Michigan State University, Western Michigan University, and Eastern Michigan University. |
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Dr. Thalner holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University (2005), a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Michigan (1993) and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Industrial Management from Michigan Technological University (1983). Dr. Thalner’s dissertation was on the use of continuous improvement methods in higher education, and was a natural extension of her interest in continuous improvement. Dr. Thalner’s background includes 17 years in the automotive industry in a variety of leadership positions, including Information Technologies Manager, Factory Manager, and Manager for Training and Development. In her role as Training Manager, she actively worked with area community colleges on development and implementation of grant funded and corporate funded training programs. She was also an active leader in the development and use of continuous improvement methods, leading many teams on value stream mapping and ‘5s’ continuous improvement projects. Dr. Thalner joined Ferris State University in 2000 as Assistant Dean for Extended Learning, and Executive Director for Ferris’ non-credit operations, working directly with business and industry to provide employee training and development opportunities. From 2005 through 2012 Dr. Thalner was the Executive Director for Ferris’ programs located in southeast Michigan. In this role she collaborates with a variety of community colleges to provide local BS degree completion programs. She also continues to be active in continuous improvement, leading teams in the analysis and streamlining of processes. In 2012 she took on the role of Executive Director for Online Learning. |
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Dr. Thomas devoted 23 years to Schoolcraft College where she worked in offices ranging from the bursar to marketing and development. She next served as Provost and Chief Learning Officer at Macomb Community College from 2001 to 2006, where in collaboration with faculty and staff, she developed the web-based Degree Connections service for students to facilitate their ability to plan and analyze their transfer options to four-year universities. Dr. Thomas then served as Vice President of Edison State College and engineered a three year enrollment growth of 53.2% while guiding the transition from a community college to a four-year baccalaureate degree granting institution. She is actively involved in several college committees and personally serves on boards representing health care and religious organizations. |
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Gary Wheeler, Ph.D. Dr. Wheeler began his higher education career as a faculty member at Miami University where he also served as a department chair, and chief academic officer of the Miami Middletown regional campus. Currently president of Glen Oaks Community College, he also has served as president of Gogebic Community College in Michigan's upper peninsula. He is active in higher education accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association where he serves as a member of the HLC Board. He also has been active as a consultant for strategic planning, change management, and the effective uses of technology in higher learning. Dr. Wheeler received his undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut, master's degree from Arizona State University, and doctoral degree from the Union Institute and University. He also serves on the leadership team of the Michigan Community College Association. |
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Dr. Young has more than 35 years of professional administrative experience working in a variety of higher education institutions from regional state colleges to multi-campus community college systems. Currently he serves as vice president for student affairs at Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana providing statewide coordination and support for admissions and enrollment management, registration and academic records, student life, retention, and student development programs. Prior to coming to Ivy Tech he served as the vice chancellor for enrollment services/dean of students at Indiana University East. He is a member of NASPA, ACPA, and an active member of The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools as a consultant evaluator, team chair, and former member of the Institutional Actions Council and Accreditation Review Committee. |
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Jack Becherer, Ed.D.
John Marr, Ph.D.
Deborah Thalner, Ph.D.
