KC President Evans confirmed by state Senate for Illinois Community College Board
George Evans
Kaskaskia College recently announced that President George Evans has been confirmed by the Illinois Senate to join the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) after being appointed by Governor JB Pritzker. Evans will now serve alongside 10 other education leaders throughout the state until the term ends in June of 2027. As the only college president on the board, Evans said he is looking forward to representing all community colleges and raising awareness about the valuable role they play in local communities across Illinois.
“I am truly honored to be appointed to the Illinois Community College Board,” Evans said. “Illinois community colleges have had a tremendous untold success story. They’ve seen the largest enrollment jump in 15 years and they play a major role in economic development and stability for local communities. A big reason for that is because we’re able to provide a high-quality degree or certificate and real-world job experience without a ton of costs. That is becoming increasingly appealing to families of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Part of my goal on the ICCB board will be to highlight these successes and look for new ways to help community colleges thrive.”
“President Evans will be a great addition to the Illinois Community College Board,” said Kaskaskia College Board Chairman Bill Hawley. “He has a pride and passion for the community college system that is unequaled. They could not have found a better advocate for Illinois Community College Colleges.”
Evans graduated from Kaskaskia College himself, before going on to earn a Bachelor of Science from Southern Illinois University and Master of Arts from Webster University. Evans was appointed interim KC President in November 2017 and became the college’s 11th President in June 2018. He first joined KC as an adjunct faculty member in 2008. He said his ongoing experience as KC’s President will be a valuable asset for helping him understand the challenges other community colleges face and offer solutions.
“We’ve worked hard at KC to help provide programs and opportunities that will help students achieve whatever their goals are in life,” said Evans. “Part of our success has been through creating programs that appeal to students who are looking to go directly into the workforce as well as those who want to continue pursuing higher educational degrees. Fostering strong connections with our local industry partners has also played a big role in our curriculum development and educational opportunities. Innovations like our Career Pathways tool, which gives students a clear roadmap of what classes they need to take and what their potential salary earnings can look like, has also been crucial. As part of the ICCB, we’ll be able to collaborate and share ideas that help move all community colleges in Illinois forward.”
The ICCB currently has board members from Chicago, Champaign, Karnak, Goreville and now Kaskaskia College. The ICCB meets five times a year in January, March, June, September and November.
Kaskaskia College is a public community college in Centralia, Ill., within South Central Illinois District 501, serving all or part of nine counties, including Bond, Clinton, Fayette, Marion, Washington, Jefferson, St. Clair, Madison, and Montgomery. Committed to making education accessible, they host the Centralia Crisp Technology Center and have education centers in Greenville, Nashville, Salem, Trenton, and Vandalia, Ill. The Higher Learning Commission accredits the college, which offers a broad spectrum of degrees, programs, and certification options, specializing in 2-year associate degrees and trade school programs. Founded in 1940, Kaskaskia College was the first Class I Community College established in Illinois.
