Tri-C names Michael Baston new president

Michael A. Baston has accepted an offer from the Cuyahoga Community College to become the college’s fifth president, according to a news release from the college.

Baston has been president of Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y., since 2017.

He will succeed Alex Johnson who will step down June 30.

At a May 9 special board meeting, trustees are scheduled to approve Baston’s appointment. He will be formally sworn in at the June 30 board meeting and begin his leadership on July 1.

“Dr. Baston’s proven experience and leadership are an ideal fit for the next chapter at Tri-C,” said Helen Forbes Fields, Board chair, in the release.

“He has an incredible enthusiasm to lead the college and to serve both students and the community. We are pleased and excited to welcome him to Cleveland and the Tri-C community, and we are eager to see his vision take shape,” Forbes Fields indicated.

The announcement concludes a national search that launched in January 2021.

Baston visited Tri-C last month to meet with various stakeholders and participate in a town hall forum with students, faculty, staff and community members.

“It is a high honor to be selected to serve as the fifth president of Cuyahoga Community College,” Baston said in the release. “TriC’s legacy of commitment to students and the community, and enormous regional economic impact is a testament to the extraordinary leadership both past and present. I look forward to leading this vanguard institution toward a bold, bright and ambitious future.”

Baston is chair of the Black Male CEO Educators network and a member of the AACC Board of Directors, chairing its Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Baston holds a B.A. from Iona College, a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, and an Ed.D. from St. John Fisher College.