Board finalizes appointment of new MCC president

MACOMB COUNTY — Macomb Community College’s new leader, Lori M. Gonko, is expected to assume the college presidency on July 1.

On May 20, college officials issued a press release stating the Macomb Community College Board of Trustees has finalized the appointment of Gonko, approving a two-year employment contract that provides for an annual salary of $315,000.

Current President James O. Sawyer IV, who has been president since July 1, 2017, will retire June 30. He announced his retirement last fall. A national search began in November to find the next president to lead Macomb.

Gonko is the first female president-designate for Macomb.

“It is an honor and a privilege to return to Macomb and serve the institution that provided the foundation for my own education and my professional career,” Gonko said in a prepared statement. “Thanks to the dedicated leadership of President Sawyer, the board and the leadership team, we have a solid foundation and path upon which to begin Macomb’s next chapter.  I am excited for the journey.”

Gonko’s community college experience spans 25 years. She worked at Macomb from 2001-12. She started at Macomb in an administrative assistant position before becoming a coordinator and then manager in career and technical education.

Gonko joined Henry Ford College in 2012 as coordinator of Perkins Act career technical education and grants before becoming coordinator of program improvement and effectiveness. She was named vice president of strategy and human resources in 2018 and has served as Henry Ford College’s interim president since July 2025.

According to Katherine Bracey Lorenzo, chair, Macomb Community College Board of Trustees, Gonko brings a visionary approach to education, and the trustees “are confident that with her leadership the college will continue to thrive, reach new heights and faithfully serve the citizens of Macomb County.”

Gonko holds a doctorate of education in community college leadership from Ferris State University. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Oakland University and is a graduate of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program’s Rising Presidents Fellowship.