The Wisconsin Technical College System is seeking its next president to oversee the System Office and act as the head of the oversight body for the 16 technical colleges throughout Wisconsin. WTCS is the largest higher education system in the state, serving more than 284,000 students each year. The next exceptional leader will help us meet our vision to empower technical colleges to recognize and meet the unique needs of individuals and employers in driving economic prosperity for all and promoting lifelong learning as a model for the advancement of diverse communities throughout Wisconsin.
The finalists have been announced!
President Candidate Finalists
Robert J. Griggs, J.D. has served as the president of Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the last eight years. Prior to his current position, he served sixteen years in progressively responsible leadership roles as dean, CIO, chief academic officer and vice president for innovation at Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College in Minnesota. In his different leadership roles, he has worked to develop new academic programs and forge new partnerships with business and industry focused on meeting the workforce needs of the region. During his tenure as president at Southeast Tech, the college achieved its highest student enrollment in the past ten years and has been recognized by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program as being in the top 10% of all two-year colleges in the country in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025. Mr. Griggs completed a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Dakota and a juris doctor degree from the University of North Dakota School of Law.
Download a high-resolution image of Mr. Griggs
Layla Merrifield has been the executive director of the Wisconsin Technical College District Boards Association, an organization representing the trustees of the 16 Wisconsin technical colleges’ district boards, since 2015. Prior to that she served as a fiscal analyst for the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau then a Wisconsin Technical College System policy advisor. Ms. Merrifield has an extensive background in System-wide leadership and advocacy, and intimate knowledge of local colleges’ operations, student success goals and challenges. Having served in a System-wide leadership role for the past nine years, she is well-practiced in maintaining consistent communication between and among various stakeholder groups. Ms. Merrifield has a bachelor’s degree in politics from Hendrix College and she is the chair of the Community College Association Executives.
93%
of graduates find employment within 6 months
$56156
was the median annual salary reported for Associate Degree graduates
91%
of technical college grads reporting a location were working in Wisconsin
Timeline
- Search announcement: March 5, 2024
- Position description posted: April 9, 2024
- Applications accepted through: through 11:59 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2024
- Interviews: June - August 2024
- New president begins: Late summer 2024
Search committee
Read the press release announcing the search committee:
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S. Mark Tyler, WTCS Board Chair
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Douglas A. Holton, Sr., WTCS Board Vice-Chair
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Dr. Quincey Daniels, Jr., WTCS Board Secretary
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Sara Rogers, WTCS Board Member
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Leslie Svacina, WTCS Board Member
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Charles J. Bolstad, Southwest Wisconsin Technical College District Board Trustee
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Dr. Jeannie Worden, Northcentral Technical College President