Office of the President

John Selmon

President

Dr. John Selmon, who became MCC’s President on July 1, 2022, has more than three decades of experience serving in key leadership roles at both public and private higher education institutions. Well acquainted with Muskegon Community College (MCC) as the Provost/Executive Vice President for the past 11 years, Dr. Selmon provided leadership and oversight for Academic Affairs, Athletics, Facilities, and Student Services.

At MCC, he helped spearhead a college-wide Achieving the Dream initiative resulting in a Leader College designation and has coordinated several multi-million-dollar major building projects. Dr. Selmon instituted significant emergency practices and procedures to greatly enhance campus safety and security and launched a series of college-community events to proactively increase meaningful dialogue on divisive issues affecting the nation. He is strategically focused and passionate about developing policies, programs, and systems to improve access, completion, and equity in higher education.

Prior to coming to MCC, Dr. Selmon served as the Executive Dean of Student Services at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, MI, after working in Student Services at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, GA. He began his career in Michigan with Grand Rapids Junior College prior to joining the Davenport University Educational System, where he held numerous administrative roles during his 18-year tenure leading to his position as the Davenport system’s group vice president. He has served on numerous community organizations.

Dr. Selmon earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In addition, he has participated in several leadership programs, most recently a 2020 graduate of the Aspen Institute’s Presidential Fellows Program.

Beth Dick

Chief Financial Officer

ABOUT

Beth Dick returned to Muskegon Community College in August 2021 after serving as Director of Finance/Assistant County Administrator for the County of Muskegon since 2015. Previously, she served four years as the Director of Finance for MCC.

With extensive knowledge and experience, Dick has directed the preparation and administration of budgets for large organizations, strategically managed financial assets, and provided oversight of sound policies and operations. In her role, she provides financial leadership to the campus community, collaborates to accomplish strategic priorities, and supervises all accounting and financial services functions. 

Kristine Anderson

Chief Human Resources Officer

ABOUT

Kristine Anderson serves as the Chief Human Resource Officer at Muskegon Community College.  She and her team are responsible for all aspects of human resources that promote a culture of teamwork and support that allow the other faculty/staff to focus their efforts on student success.

Kristine values her role as a collaborative partner and servant leader across the organization as a member of the executive and senior leadership teams planning, implementing, and supporting strategic direction and initiatives.

Since joining MCC, Kristine and her team have successfully adopted a number of new practices and technologies to create efficiencies for employees both in process and access.  Some of these technologies included benefits enrollment, training, performance evaluations, onboarding, pay, and hiring processes.  Other campus wide initiatives have included health and safety, contracts, policies, community outreach, strategic implementation, and improved communication.

She is passionate about fostering teamwork across campus, living our values, emphasizing the importance of weaving equity and inclusion through everything we do and continuing to promote opportunities at MCC for our students and employees.

With nearly 25 years in Human Resources, Kristine started her career at Quality Stores corporate office where her focus was on leadership training, later managing employee relations across 200+ locations throughout the nation with an emphasis on harassment and discrimination prevention.  She moved to Spartan Stores Retail Division and was soon leading the HR team in the corporate division with a focus on building new HR processes and improving the diversity in leadership roles.  She made the leap to higher education at Davenport University where she led a team as the Director of Recruitment & Employee Relations and was a part of a number of successful projects including cultural growth, restructuring and DEI initiatives which lead to awards such as the Great College to Work for and Excellence in Diversity from Inside Higher Education for 3 consecutive years during her tenure.

Kristine earned a B.S. degree from Western Michigan University, and has held a number of HR and Title IX certifications.  Most recently she was honored to be selected for and completed the Michigan Community College Association Leadership Academy.

Sue Samaniego

Chief Advancement Officer

Ken James

Chief Diversity Officer

ABOUT

Ken James became Muskegon Community College’s first-ever chief diversity officer (CDO) on Sept. 20, 2021.

As a member of the President’s Cabinet, James will implement a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategy and serve as a catalyst to leverage best practices and resources across campus to promote a culture of inclusion. The goal is to ensure that individuals of all racial and ethnic identities, ages, nationalities, social and economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, religious, political and ideological perspectives, and physical and mental abilities are able to thrive and be engaged.

“Ken James is a highly skilled and experienced DEI professional,” noted MCC President Dale K. Nesbary. “He will add tremendous value to the College and our region. We are fortunate to have his talents back in Muskegon.”

“The role of chief diversity officer will be a driving force in supporting MCC’s constituents in attaining their individual, community, and global needs,” said James. “My goal will be to continue supporting the existing efforts that promote inclusion for all, by building on successes and addressing any challenges that may arise.”

“Over my professional career I have striven for and continually supported the betterment of organizations by initiating and maintaining dialogue of underserved and mainstream populations in whatever role I was in. The experience I have gained from my time working with the business community, municipal governments, healthcare systems, nonprofits and higher education have allowed me to see multiple facets on approaches to building consensus while providing me with the knowledge to navigate any barriers to teamwork.”

The director of inclusion for the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce since 2018, James brings a wealth of DEI experience to his new role. He served as the affirmative action director for the City of Muskegon from 1997 to 2005 and was appointed to a statewide committee that piloted a Michigan State Department of Civil Rights program to create engaging communities.

James was director of management learning and development at Hackley Hospital for a year before becoming assistant vice president for affirmative action in 2008 at his alma mater, Grand Valley State University. He subsequently worked as an independent consultant with Meijer, Inc. as a general training specialist and part of a team that developed, implemented, and piloted comprehensive regional ethics training initiative that was adopted organization-wide in 2012.

He joined Spectrum Health University in 2012 as a senior learning advisor and was a key contributor to a corporate university team that garnered two national awards for Best Corporate University and Excellence in Leadership Development. In 2015, he became a senior recruiter for Spectrum Heath Talent Acquisition and led a team that developed and implemented an organization-wide, paid internship program for 100-plus summer interns annually.

A native of San Diego, CA, James earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Kentucky State University and a master’s degree in public administration from Grand Valley State University.

“MCC is a huge part of my professional foundation,” added James. “I served as director of the Intercultural Community Leadership Academy, a community program that operated out of MCC. I was honored to be a recipient of the Love in Action award in 2007, presented by MCC. Also, as past chair of the Muskegon County Diversity Committee, I was part of numerous Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day Breakfasts held in Collegiate Hall.”

Named to the Grand Rapids Business Journal 40 Under 40 in 2007, James has been active with Leadership Muskegon, Leadership West Michigan, and Leadership Grand Rapids. He has been an adjunct professor at Grand Valley State University and serves as a deacon and board member with Renaissance Church in Grand Rapids.  He serves on the boards of Home Repair Services and Cascade Community Foundation. He is the African American Heritage Fund Chair for the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, the diversity chair for the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, and co-chair of the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute Advisory Council. A Legacy Lunch Committee member, he is a Diversity Council member with the Grand Rapids Young Professionals.

He and his wife, Tamasha, are the parents of three teenage daughters.

Kristin Tank

Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

ABOUT

Paula Halloran

Executive Assistant to the President