The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By Becky Smith, The Quill
The Quill recently caught up with Michael Glen Boyd, a 1992 La Harpe High School graduate.
Michael is the son of Mike and Janet Boyd of La Harpe and he has one brother, Jeff Boyd.
After high school, Michael went on to Illinois State University and obtained a B.S. in English Education in 1998. He continued his education at Illinois State University completing a M.S. in English Studies in 2001 and a Ph.D. in English Studies in 2004.
On July 1st of this year, Michael will become Kankakee Community College's seventh President and CEO.
Michael states "I come to this position from my current role as Vice President of Instructional and Student Success, the Chief Academic Officer at KCC. I've been in my current role since 2014. Prior to coming to Kankakee Community College, I was a full time faculty member and administrator at Illinois Central College (2006-2014) and a high school English Teacher at Morton High School in Morton, Illinois (1998-2006)."
"I grew up watching both of my parents, Mike and Janet, work hard to support my family. From them, I developed a work ethic which led me to my first job at the La Harpe Swimming Pool where I discovered a passion for teaching and learning. As I taught swimming lessons and lifeguarding, I began to realize the positive impact that teachers could have on people's lives. During those years, Mrs. Lila McKeown spent time coaching and mentoring me.
She helped me understand that effective teaching, like effective leadership, is primarily about building relationships.
I was lucky to have another mentor take interest in my intellectual development. My high school English teacher, Mr. Craig Rigg, taught me the value of big, complex ideas and deep thinking.
Those engaging and rigorous lessons my classmates and I learned in Mr. Rigg's classrooms inspired me to pursue a career in education.
The education I received from La Harpe High School prepared me well for college, and after graduating from Illinois State University with a degree in English Education, I found my first teaching job in Morton, Illinois."
"During those 8 years as a teacher and coach at MHS, I met my wife Maureen. Maureen supported me both spiritually and emotionally as I pursued a graduate education at Illinois State University. I wouldn't have been able to make these accomplishments without her infallible support during these busy years as we raised our growing family."
"In 2006, I left high school teaching behind after learning of the amazing work that Illinois Central College was doing to serve non-traditional and underrepresented students in the Peoria area. It wasn't long into my tenure as a community college faculty member that I truly understood the community college mission and its focus on creating career pathways which lead to economic empowerment for those students who are willing to work hard to achieve it. The call to leadership soon beckoned, and I developed my skills first as a Six Sigma Black Belt and then as Associate Dean for the English, Humanities, and Language Studies division."
"Becoming the Chief Academic Officer at Kankakee Community College in 2014 offered me the opportunity to develop new skills as I assumed greater responsibilities for ensuring quality instruction for the college's credit-bearing academic programs and non-credit workforce development offerings. My service to KCC and the communities it serves has been a rewarding experience and one which has led me down this path to the college presidency. As the seventh president for the college, I know that I am following great leaders; however, I'm confident that the strong work ethic and foundational education I received in La Harpe, have prepared me to lead KCC to even higher levels of excellence and innovation."
"Growing up in a close family where love was always abundant, provided my brother and I a safe and reliable environment to grow, learn, and develop. I'll never be able to truly express how influential my mother, father, and brother Jeff have been in my life."
"My brother, Jeff, and I were always so proud when my Dad volunteered to coach our little league teams. Because of my fond memories of these days, I've made it a commitment to coach my children's recreational sports teams. I also enjoy weightlifting."
Michael says a favorite memory is "summertime at the La Harpe Swimming Pool is source of many fond memories with friends".
Michael is currently living in Manteno, Illinois with his wife Maureen and their four children: Michael (19), Maddie (15), Milana (14), and Mitchell (11).