By: Maria Allard | C&G Newspapers | Published December 5, 2025
MACOMB COUNTY — A national search to find the next president of Macomb Community College has begun.
On Dec. 1, college officials issued a press release to announce that current President James O. Sawyer IV will retire June 30, 2026, which marks the conclusion of the college’s fiscal year. Sawyer has been president since July 1, 2017.
Sawyer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Lawrence Technological University, and a master’s degree in administration and a doctorate in education from Central Michigan University.
“I know I speak for the entire board of trustees when I say that it has been gratifying to work with Dr. Sawyer in so many meaningful ways,” Macomb Community College Board of Trustees Chair Katherine Bracey Lorenzo said in a prepared statement. “The board of trustees looks forward to identifying a visionary candidate who will take Dr. Sawyer’s good work to the next level.”
The executive search profile, which outlines qualifications and information about the application process, is available at macomb.edu/presidential-search. The deadline for applications is Jan. 9, 2026, through RH Perry & Associates. The Washington D.C.-based search firm, which specializes in assisting higher education institutions identify and select leadership, is working with the board on the national search.
RH Perry & Associates put together an executive search profile for the new president. According to the profile, the president of Macomb Community College serves as the chief executive officer of the college and oversees the daily administration and operation of the school. The president reports to the Board of Trustees. The RH Perry & Associates profile states the president is responsible for supporting the philosophical tenets reflected in the institution’s vision statement, mission statement, strategic goals and values.
Per the profile, the college president advances the college’s strategic agenda by providing a strategic focus for every aspect of the operation of the institution, including academic excellence in teaching and learning, student success, program delivery and expansion to meet the needs of the region, accountability, shared governance and collaboration, financial responsibility, continuous improvement and more.
As part of the process to find Sawyer’s successor, the Macomb Community College Board of Trustees appointed a 14-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee. The committee’s role is to review and evaluate applications based on the criteria outlined in the executive search profile, recommending finalists for consideration by Macomb’s full Board of Trustees.
The committee members are: Lorenzo who is the chair, Presidential Search Advisory Committee; Board of Trustees Vice Chair Shelley Vitale; Mark Jansen, president and chief executive officer, First State Bank; Michael DeVault, Macomb Intermediate School District superintendent; Stacy Ziarko, president and chief executive officer, Connect Macomb; and Macomb Community College student Dillon Hardeman.
The other committee members include the following faculty staff: John Bowman, Apple support specialist, information technology at Macomb Community College; math professor Lori Chapman; Anthony Green, lieutenant, Macomb Community College Police Department; Lisa Johnston, administrative assistant, marketing; Anthony Hackett, grounds foreman, facilities and maintenance; Leslie Kellogg, provost and vice president, academic and workforce education; Marie Pritchett, dean, arts and science; and Edward Rickard, adjunct instructor, math.