Harper staff chief named president of Illinois Central College

Illinois Central College in East Peoria has chosen Sheila Quirk-Bailey, Harper College's chief of staff and vice president of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness, as its president, beginning July 1.

"Serving as Illinois Central College's fifth president will be a great honor," Quirk-Bailey said in a news release. "I am looking forward to working with all of the outstanding people I met during the interview process and establishing relationships with our students, employees, partners and community stakeholders."

Quirk-Bailey's "focus on student success, data-driven decision making and workforce development will be key in sustaining the successes ICC has experienced in its first 50 years," said Sue Portscheller, chair of the presidential search committee.

At Harper, she was the chief architect and facilitator of the college's community-based strategic plan, which resulted in a 10-point increase in Harper's graduation rate. Quirk-Bailey also chairs the Northwest Educational Council for Student Success (NECSS), an innovative partnership between Harper College and its three sender districts that has helped significantly increase college readiness of recent high school graduates in math. And she has created strategic partnerships with local businesses and hospitals. She is the past chair of the board of directors of the Schaumburg Business Association.