Heineman named North Shore Community College president

Paul Leighton, The Salem News, Beverly, Mass.
·2 min read

Apr. 7—DANVERS — North Shore Community College has named William Heineman as its new president.

Heineman is currently the provost at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill. He will become the fifth president of North Shore Community College.

Heineman was selected by a unanimous vote of trustees during a Zoom meeting on Tuesday. His appointment is subject to the approval of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.

In announcing the selection, NSCC board chairman J.D. LaRock called Heineman "one of the finest academic leaders in the Massachusetts public higher education system."

"But his analytical and business acumen impressed us as well," LaRock said in a press release. "He understands that American higher education is facing immense pressures, and that to thrive all colleges — including NSCC — will need to improve."

Heineman said in the press release that he was "honored" by the support of trustees and other groups at NSCC.

"What I saw during the interview process is a strong institution with a deep commitment to its students and its community," he said. "What I heard was a passionate desire to meet the challenges facing North Shore together, collaboratively, and that is what we will do. The challenges that our rapidly changing world pose to North Shore and its community are significant enough that only a team effort can meet them and I am fully committed to leading that team."

North Shore Community College began looking for a new president in September after the retirement of Pat Gentile last July. Nate Bryant, a vice president at Salem State University, has been serving as interim president. Bryant was an applicant for the permanent president position but was not among the five finalists.

Heineman has served as a faculty member and as an administrator in academic affairs and student affairs at Northern Essex Community College. He has a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts Boston, a master's in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Rochester in New York.

Heineman has also participated in the Aspen Presidential Fellowship for Community College Leadership, the American Association of Community Colleges Future Leaders Institute, and the Massachusetts Community College Leadership Academy.

North Shore Community College is a two-year school based in Lynn with a campus in Danvers. Its student enrollment in 2020 was about 10,000, down from 13,500 five years ago, according to its website.

Heineman is scheduled to start the job at NSCC on July 1.

Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.