The board of governors of Northeast Community College in Norfolk, Nebraska, has chosen Leah Barrett as the ninth president of the college. When she takes office in January, she will be the first woman to lead the college in its 91-year history.
The college enrolls just over 5,000 students, according to the latest information supplied to the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 47 percent of the student body.
“I am looking forward to taking on this leadership role as we begin to talk about the future for Northeast,” Dr. Barrett said when her selection was announced. “So what I share with you today is what I think is the foundation and the priorities for our institution. And that surrounds the empowerment of our faculty and staff and our students to listen and to learn from each other and create a vision together of where we see Northeast Community College going toward 2025 and beyond.”
Since 2016 Dr. Barrett has been serving as vice president for student affairs for the Northern Wyoming Community College District in Sheridan. Earlier, she was associate vice president for enrollment management and student affairs for the College at Brockport of the State University of New York System.
Dr. Barrett holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA from the University of Wyoming. She earned an educational doctorate at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York.