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Mid Plains president takes Northeast post
NORTH PLATTE, Nebraska -- Mid Plains Community College is expected to begin the search process soon to replace Dr. Michael R. Chipps, who has accepted the position of president of Northeast Community College.
Chipps, who has been president of the Mid-Plains area for nearly nine years, will become the eighth president to lead NCC and its predecessor institutions no later than July 1.
"We are extremely fortunate to bring Dr. Chipps to the helm at Northeast Community College," said Steve Anderson, Board of Governors chairperson. "With his vast experience in the Nebraska community college system and his love of Nebraska, we feel he will be a perfect fit for our students, faculty and staff."
"We have great confidence that he will take Northeast Community College to the next level of excellence," Anderson continued. "We welcome him and look forward to watching him lead and succeed."
Chipps has served as president and chief executive officer of the 18-county Mid-Plains Community College since May of 2003. Mid-Plains has three major campuses in McCook and North Platte, extended campuses in Broken Bow, Imperial, Ogallala, and Valentine, and 35 learning sites.
Chipps will be paid $197,500 in his new position.
Before being named to his current position, he served as chief executive officer of North Platte Community College's two campuses. He also held several instructional, student affairs, and administrative positions for 23 years at Central Community College in Hastings and Grand Island.
Since 1994, Chipps has worked as an international higher education consultant for over 60 colleges and universities and continues as a team chair for accreditation visits. He has served on the American Association of Community Colleges Commission for Academic, Student, and Community Development in Washington, D.C., for several years. He has also served on the Institutional Actions Council for the Higher Learning Commission in Chicago over five years.
Dr. Chipps is also Education Council co-chair for the Nebraska Information Technology Commission and a member of the AACC/Association of Community College Trustees Joint Commission on Federal Relations.
In 2007, Dr. Chipps received the Outstanding Administrator Award from the Nebraska Community College Association. A year later, he received the Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction for his leadership and support of the Phi Theta Kappa academic honor society. In 2009, he received the District V National Council for Marketing and Public Relations Pacesetter Award.
A published author, Dr. Chipps writes and presents articles and essays for the higher education community. His latest, a collection of essays presented to national policy makers and President Barack Obama, represents the reflections of college presidents. He also provided leadership for college presidents to write a collective response to President Obama regarding the current condition and value of higher education. In 2010, Dr. Chipps was elected to the AACC Board of Directors in Washington, D.C. and currently serves on the AACC Executive Committee. Last year, he was elected to serve on the Board of Trustees for the Higher Learning Commission in Chicago.
Dr. Chipps holds a doctorate of philosophy degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in educational administration, curriculum and instruction with a specialization in management of colleges and universities. He completed a counseling internship at the Nebraska Psychiatric Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, and has a master of science in education degree with a specialization in counseling from the University of Nebraska-Kearney. He also holds a bachelor of science in education degree with a major in sociology and minor in psychology from the University of Nebraska-Kearney.
He also served 21 years in the U.S. Army Reserve and retired as a major. He and his wife, Suzi, have four children and six grandchildren.