Bay College unanimously selects Dr. Nerita Hughes as new president

UPPER MICHIGAN (WLUC) - Dr. Nerita Hughes of Minnetonka, MN, was selected unanimously by the Bay College Board of Trustees to become the College’s next president.

According to a press release from the college, Hughes 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.

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.

Hughes 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.”