Illinois Central College has identified the three finalists in the search to become the college’s next president.
Following a comprehensive national search, the ICC search committee narrowed the candidates down to Jamonica Rolle from Broward College in Florida, David Ferreira from Charter Oak State College in Connecticut and Lisa Armour from the Maricopa County Community College District in Arizona.
“This is a defining moment for Illinois Central College and Central Illinois,” ICC Board of Trustees chair Cindy Byrd said in a media release. “The next president will advance ICC’s mission and help shape how we prepare students for careers, support local employers and drive regional economic vitality.”
The finalists are vying to succeed Sheila Quirk-Bailey, who retired in December after holding the position for 10 years. Bruce Budde has served as ICC’s interim president since her departure.
Rolle is Broward’s College provost and senior vice president of academic affairs and college operations. She oversees operational strategy for an institution serving 52,000 students with 1,100 faculty members. She has more than 20 years of experience in higher education and has championed innovation through emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
Ferreira, Charter Oak’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, also has more than 20 years of experience in college administration. He has been recognized for his AI efforts, launching a statewide academy to provide students with credentials for evolving labor market needs.
Armour serves as executive vice chancellor and provost of the Maricopa Community Colleges District, which consists of 10 independently accredited colleges with more than 140,000 students. She oversaw a large-scale institutional transformation that redesigned shared governance and unified student-facing systems.
All three candidates are set to visit the ICC campus in East Peoria for interviews over the next two weeks, beginning with Rolle on Thursday followed by Ferreira on March 9 and Armour on March 10.
Each visit will include an hour-long public forum with students, faculty, staff and community members, scheduled for 4 p.m.
