Terri Winfree
Local News

PSC president steps down after 7 years at helm

The Prairie State College board of trustees and President Terri L. Winfree parted ways at Tuesday’s District 515 board meeting. She has been president since 2013 and has worked at the college for 25 years.

The Prairie State College board of trustees and President Terri L. Winfree parted ways at Tuesday’s District 515 board meeting. She has been president since 2013 and has worked at the college for 25 years.

Terri Winfree

After voting unanimously for Winfree’s departure, trustees voted 5-2 to appoint Thomas Saban, vice president of finance and administration, to succeed Winfree on an interim basis, effective immediately.

The PSC statement said Winfree is leaving the community college “to explore new and exciting career opportunities.”

“On behalf of the board, I want to thank Dr. Winfree for her many years of service to Prairie State College, its students, faculty, staff and board members, as well as the college community,” said PSC Board Chair Marc Wiley. “I wish her the best in her future endeavors.”

Tom Saban

The faculty at the Chicago Heights-based college questioned the decision saying the board failed to give any reason for the move. In a prepared statement, Thomas Nicholas, president Illinois Federation of Teachers Local 3816 which represents the full-time faculty, said he and others “Wanted to know: Why? Especially, why now?”

“We are barely entering the third week of being a ‘virtual college’ (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), barely into the second week of all-online classes, still reeling from the many, many changes to our working lives and our personal lives. 

“Why is this a good time for a leadership change at the college? It seems to us to be a terrible time to change presidents. Why could the board not reach an agreement with President Winfree so that she could at least remain until the end of the semester?” Nicholas wondered.

“We might not be back on campus even then, but at least it would be one less distraction to all of the students and employees in the midst of this turmoil. What is going on here?” Nicholas asked.

The teachers union president acknowledged the board has a right to make administrative changes, adding the faculty appreciated that “Dr. Winfree has a been a force of stability.” 

“We suppose it may be time for a change, and we recognize that the board may very well have concerns with her leadership, but without a clearer explanation, we simply do not understand why now,” Nicholas said.

Winfree started her PSC career in 1995 as a part-time employee teaching non-credit computer classes and serving as the coordinator of career training programs. She then became the manager of the Matteson Area Center from 1998 to 2000; was named associate dean of continuing professional education from 2000-2004; and then served as dean of continuing professional education from 2004 to 2007. 

She was named vice president of community and economic development in 2007, and served in that capacity until she was selected as president in 2013. Winfree also has been an adjunct faculty member at Governors State University and St. Francis University.

She has been referred to as a true example of success for PSC. She enrolled as a part-time returning adult student completing an associate’s degree in 1996 before earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Governors State University. She went on to earn a doctorate degree in education and human resources from Colorado State University in 2012.

Winfree has received numerous honors, including the Women in Leadership Award from Link & Option Center in 2015, and the 2016 Giving Back Award presented by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. In 2018, she was named to the Bloom Trail High School Hall of Fame. 

She has served in leadership positions with the Illinois Council of Community College Administrators, Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Southland Convention and Visitors Bureau, and has served as a member of the Chicago Southland Economic Development Committee. She also is an active member of the Professional Women’s Network.

News by email

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name

Free weekly newsletter

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name
Most read stories this week