Dr. Jo Alice Blondin, president of Clark State College has been appointed as Chair of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Board of Trustees; her tenure is effective September 1, 2022 through August 31, 2024.

Blondin has served the Higher Learning Commission in multiple capacities since 2005: as a peer reviewer, a contributor to the Assessment Academy Design Team, an Institutional Actions Council member, a Board Trustee, Chair of the Committee on Trustees and most recently as Vice Chair of the HLC Board of Trustees.

“I am truly honored to be elected chair of the Higher Learning Commission, and I look forward to contributing to the innovative, student-focused work that HLC is leading nationally,” said Blondin.

Blondin said the Higher Learning Commission provides to its members, and more importantly, to students and the public, an assurance of quality in higher education, across a diversity of missions, as well as guidance for continuous improvement. 

Blondin was first elected to a four-year term on the HLC Board of Trustees in 2018. She became the fifth president of Clark State College on July 1, 2013. Blondin focuses her efforts on realizing the mission of the institutions she has served and is known for both her student-centered approach and her emphasis on workforce development.

"During Dr. Blondin's time on HLC's Board of Trustees, she has demonstrated her commitment to students and quality in the higher education ecosystem,” said Barbara Gellman-Danley, President, Higher Learning Commission. “Her extensive experience as a college president will be a great asset to the board and our member institutions."

The HLC accredits colleges and universities in the United States. The Board has primary responsibility in three areas: HLC policy; finances and planning; and institutional actions: direct decision-making regarding initial status, sanction, withdrawal of accreditation and change of ownership.