Dr. Nerita Hughes Selected as Next Bay College President

News

The Bay College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to select Dr. Nerita Hughes, to succeed Dr. Laura Coleman and become the College’s sixth president.

Dr. Nerita Hughes of Minnetonka, MN, was selected unanimously by the Bay College Board of Trustees to become the College’s next president. She has served as the Interim Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs and Workforce Innovation and the Dean for the School of Business, Careers, Education and Workforce Innovation at North Hennepin Community College. Dr. Hughes has a variety of expertise which ranges from public and private sector to higher education, including experience as a part-time faculty instructor for the Human Resources Program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Business and Careers Programs for Minnesota State.
 
She holds a Bachelor of Science from National American University, a Masters of Business Administration, and a Doctorate of Education in Leadership, both from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
 
"I am extremely excited to join and lead a student-centric institution that has a continued commitment to equity and belonging,” said Hughes. “Bay College will be the "community's college" and having the opportunity to lead within a rural community offers what I like to call [radical imagination] for our future."
 
Dr. Hughes was among four finalists to visit the Escanaba and Iron Mountain campuses and be interviewed by the Board of Trustees and meet with employees and community members.  She will assume the office on July 10, 2023.
 
Board Chair Joy Hopkins said, “The Board of Trustees and I were very impressed by the quality of the candidates who applied for the Bay College presidency. Dr. Nerita Hughes embodies the best qualities in education, workforce development and leadership, and I am delighted to have her lead Bay College in the future. She is an intelligent, dynamic leader, and I believe she is the leader who will continue and expand Bay’s legacy as the community’s college into the future.”

Bay College is devoted to your success in the classroom, on-campus, online, in the community and into the workforce. We’re proud to offer certificates and programs that result in successful careers, associate degrees and credits that transfer to universities, and workforce training to sharpen your skills and advance your career. Join the conversation! #BayIsTheWay @BayCollege