News
Search Progresses for Next SMC President
Published on August 21, 2025 - 11 a.m.
Southwestern Michigan College provided an update today on the search for its ninth president.
Director of Human Resources Nicole Lehman noted that the position was promoted on nine different professional job boards and attracted 128 applications over a six-week period which ended on Aug. 17. “The candidates have a wide range of experience and backgrounds, and submissions were made from all over the country,” she said.
The Board of Trustees and the Presidential Search Committee are reviewing the applications now and will determine a list of first round candidates to interview.
"The Board is delighted with this substantial amount of interest, which demonstrates that SMC is quite a jewel within the higher education field. Our balanced budgets, dedicated staff and faculty, pristine campuses, lack of deferred maintenance, current expansions, and four consecutive years of enrollment growth make it a preferred destination for many executives."
SMC’s eighth president, Dr. Joe Odenwald, resigned in February and Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Brent Brewer was named Interim President effective May 11.
Updates on the search process can be found at https://swmich.edu/presidential-search/
