Kodiak College Seeks New Director
This page will be updated throughout the Search Process.
Tuesday, June 29 update
The search committee has identified 3 finalist candidates. All candidates will be available for Community Forums. Each Forum will be held at Kodiak College in the Campus Center from 5:00-6:00PM. The schedule is as follows:
Dr. Matthew Hisrich: visiting Tuesday, June 23
Dr. Samuel Hirt: visiting Tuesday, July 7
Dr. Erik Fortune:visiting Thursday, June 25
Below are the candidates' bios and CV's
- Dr. Matthew Hisrich: Tuesday, June 23
Dr. Matt Hisrich is an experienced higher education leader, educator, and community builder with a career spanning academic affairs, student success, fundraising, strategic planning, and organizational leadership. He has served in senior leadership roles that have enabled him to guide institutional initiatives, develop community partnerships, and support innovative educational programs that strengthen student learning and engagement.
Throughout his career, Dr. Hisrich has worked across both academic and administrative settings, bringing a collaborative leadership style focused on relationship-building, shared governance, and mission-driven growth. In addition to his work in higher education, he has launched new initiatives in nonprofit organizations and owned and operated a successful small business, providing firsthand experience with entrepreneurship, budgeting, and strategic decision-making.
Outside of his professional work, Dr. Hisrich is an artist, writer, and avid reader. He and his wife, Heidi, enjoy hiking and gardening together, and their family shares a love of the outdoors and nature. They currently reside in Ohio and are excited about the opportunity to learn more about Kodiak College, the University of Alaska system, and the Kodiak community.
- Dr. Sam Hirt: Tuesday, July 7
Samuel Hirt was born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, and graduated from Barrow High School, where he played on the third-place state championship basketball team. Go Whalers! His love for nature and the outdoors was cultivated during long Alaskan summers spent camping, hiking, and salmon fishing with his family, activities he continues to enjoy today in the Blue Ridge Mountains with his wife, children, and friends.
After high school, he attended Brigham Young University, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Integrative Biology in 2006. A term paper in mammalogy sparked his interest in graduate research, leading to a master’s degree from Auburn University in 2008, where he focused his thesis on silver-haired bats. For his PhD dissertation, Dr. Hirt drew on his connections to Alaska to develop a method for estimating the calving rates of bowhead whales using baleen samples collected by scientists working alongside Inupiat whalers of the North Slope. During his final years as a doctoral candidate, he gained diverse teaching experiences across various institutions of higher education, including a community college, a land-grant state university, an online school, a small technical college, and a full-time role as a visiting professor at a small, liberal arts university.
Dr. Hirt joined Southern Virginia University as an assistant professor of Biology in 2016. Throughout his decade at SVU, he has been deeply involved in teaching, institutional service, administration, and leadership, while maintaining an active role in community outreach. Promoted to Associate Professor in 2022, he has served as division chair, associate provost, and program coordinator, and has chaired multiple committees and led training initiatives for faculty and teaching assistants. During the 2025-26 academic year, Dr. Hirt served as interim provost, participating on the president’s council and cabinet to build collaborative connections across the university. Most notably, he played an integral role in the university's SACSCOC accreditation reaffirmation, oversaw a balanced academic budget, developed a new foundational student program, revised the academic eligibility policy, managed the transition of a new president and provost, and implemented a successful new recruiting strategy for the performing arts.
Dr. Hirt’s career remains dedicated to improving lives through quality education. He is a firm believer in the power of higher education to transform individuals into community and workforce leaders and to foster partnerships that build strong, resilient communities.
- Dr. Erik Fortune: Thursday, June 25
Erik Fortune, Ed.D., is a transformational higher education executive with more than 20
years of experience in higher education. He has served in senior administrative roles
spanning student services, academic affairs, enrollment management, and finance.
Most recently, he served as Assistant Vice President of Administration at SUNY
Westchester Community College, overseeing the Bursar, Student Financial Services,
Purchasing, and Payroll operations.Recognized for his ability to align financial strategy, operational infrastructure, and
student-centered services to advance institutional goals, Dr. Fortune has managed
budgets exceeding $60 million, led large-scale technology implementations, coordinated
accreditation efforts, and championed equity and belonging across campus
communities. His leadership is grounded in data-informed decision-making,
collaborative governance, and a deep commitment to student success and degree
completion.He earned his Doctor of Education in Community College Leadership from Morgan
State University, where his dissertation examined the relationship between student
engagement and institutional resources at Maryland community colleges. He also holds
a Master of Arts in Human Resources Management from The Catholic University of
America, and Bachelor's degrees in Finance and Economics from the University of the
District of Columbia. He also completed executive education at the SUNY SAIL
Institute’s Business Officer’s Leadership Academy.
April 9 Update: As Kodiak College begins the search for a new Director, the Search Committee values the input of our students, faculty, staff, College Advisory Council, and community members. Your anonymous feedback will help us identify the leadership qualities, strategic priorities, and community values most important for our next leader. We appreciate everyone's feedback and we have closed the survey.
The Kodiak College Director Search committee was appointed by Chancellor Siemers on March 26. The committee members are:
- Marie Gardner: Director Mat-Su College
- Mike Trussell: KoC Library Manager
- Erin Tomson: KoC Communications Instructor
- Jared Griffin: KoC Professor of English
- Libby Eufemio: Associate Professor of AKNS
- Lorraine Stewart: KoC Career and Technical Education Coordinator
- Sandra Chichenoff: KoC Administrative Assistant to the Director
- Ryan Bucholdt: Vice Chancellor, Administrative Services, UAA
At the helm of Kodiak College (KoC) is the Director, who oversees all aspects of campus operations and serves as the primary representative of Kodiak College to the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and to local, regional, statewide, and national partners. Reporting directly to the UAA Chancellor, the Director works closely with the Provost, Vice Chancellors, Deans, and system leaders to provide visionary leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight in support of the university’s mission and priorities.
Kodiak College is nestled in the tall Sitka Spruce on Alaska’s beautiful Emerald Isle, situated on the ancestral homelands of the Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people. Kodiak Island is both breathtakingly wild and economically vital, a place where mountains, forests, and ocean converge, and where community, culture, and industry are deeply intertwined. The island is a cornerstone of Alaska’s economy and a national leader in seafood production. Kodiak consistently ranks among the top five commercial fishing ports in the United States by both volume and value of seafood landed, driven by diverse, year-round, high-volume fishing operations. Kodiak is also home to the largest United States Coast Guard Air Station, further underscoring the island’s strategic importance to maritime safety, national security, and emergency response.
As an essential community campus of UAA, Kodiak College is uniquely positioned to support the economic development and workforce needs of the entire state. The Director serves as the chief advocate for Kodiak College within the UAA system, ensuring that programs and initiatives remain responsive to local community needs while advancing university-wide goals. The Director is responsible for advancing UAA’s strategic plans, fostering innovation and academic excellence, and serving as the primary budget authority for the college.
The Director champions Kodiak College’s commitment to accessible education, workforce
development, and community partnership by cultivating strong relationships with industry,
government, tribal organizations, school districts, the Coast Guard, and community
partners. Through these partnerships, the Director supports faculty and staff in delivering
high-quality academic and career-focused programs that meet the evolving needs of
Kodiak Island, Alaska, and beyond.
Kodiak College plays a vital role in preparing students for both transfer pathways and applied careers, offering certificates and degrees, career and technical education, and workforce training aligned with Alaska’s key industries. The campus serves as a hub for lifelong learning, workforce innovation, and community engagement - bridging local knowledge, Indigenous place-based understanding, and statewide economic priorities.
To thrive in this role, the successful applicant will be an effective and empathetic communicator, able to engage diverse audiences and build trust across cultures, sectors, and communities. They will unite individuals with varied backgrounds and perspectives into a collaborative, mission-driven campus community. The Director will anticipate challenges, set clear goals, and execute thoughtful, well-aligned plans while balancing shared governance with timely decision-making. Above all, the successful candidate will excel at building community - creating an environment where people feel valued, connected, and inspired to contribute to a shared vision rooted in place, purpose, and possibility.