FREEPORT — Highland Community College (HCC) President Christina (Chris) Kuberski announced that she will retire from her position at the end of this fiscal year. Kuberski shared her intent with the Highland Board of Trustees during a closed session at the September 17 regular board meeting. She has served as president since July of 2020 and is the college’s 9th president. 

“President Chris Kuberski’s tenure at HCC has been outstanding. She has truly been instrumental in helping HCC fulfill its mission of providing education opportunities for the people of this district,” said Doug Block, chair, Highland Community College Board of Trustees. 

Kuberski started at Highland in 2015 as the executive vice president, where she provided leadership to the administrative team. She also served as the chief academic officer helping align planning for the college and providing input, coordination, and leadership for institutional planning and effectiveness. 

Shortly into her tenure at Highland, the College was notified by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of compliance concerns that occurred prior to her arrival. Leveraging her knowledge as a trained HLC Peer Reviewer, she played a pivotal role in helping Highland navigate through the HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation requirements. She quickly implemented corrective measures, strengthened internal controls, enhanced training, and fostered a culture of accountability. Through a hands-on approach, on November 19, 2019, Highland was notified by the HLC Board of Trustees that the College demonstrated it met all requirements for accreditation.

When Kuberski stepped into her new role as president, she faced the unprecedented challenges brought by COVID-19. With staff and student safety as a top priority, she helped the College transition to online learning and back to an in-person/online hybrid model to ensure that students and educators could seamlessly adjust to a more dynamic, blended educational experience. 

In addition, Kuberski took a proactive approach to improve the College’s culture prioritizing transparency, staff empowerment, and inclusivity. Through initiatives like Campus Connection, hosting open houses in her office during Opening Days, recognition programs, and increased leadership accessibility, she has created a more engaged and collaborative environment. Empowered by its positive culture shift, Highland was able to secure a $10K CampusWorks grant for its continuing culture work.  

Kuberski has been instrumental in securing various grants that helped expand programs and facilities across Highland’s campus. In December of 2024, the College received a grant from the Department of Education Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education focused on Rural Postsecondary and Economic Development for $555,689. It was led by Northern Illinois University with collaboration from HCC and the Regional Office of Education. 

Last spring, in a joint effort with Rock Valley College and McHenry County College, this three-college coalition was able to acquire a $5.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. Through this grant, Highland will receive over one million dollars to support the pipeline of potential employees in CNC machining and welding careers. Kuberski believes that this collaborative effort will not only benefit manufacturing and welding industries, but will have a positive economic ripple throughout northern Illinois.

She also led the “reimagine” efforts on campus, which have resulted in new campus exterior signage, new welding and CNC machining labs, nursing simulation hospital, mobile medical unit, renovations to fine arts, expansion of the agricultural research farm, and upgrades to student spaces. Furthermore, new software to support students was purchased, including DegreeWorks, a degree-checking software system, and CourseLeaf catalog management system. Kuberski worked closely with the HCC Foundation to cultivate relationships and secure donations for the College on many of these updates and renovations, which also includes the purchase of a new Estonia grand piano for Fine Arts.  In total, the College has invested $18.1 million on improvements to the campus during Kuberski’s tenure. 

As a result of the College’s work and Chris’s leadership, Highland has been recognized two years in a row with the Best of the Region Community’s Choice Award for employers with 101 — 500 employees.  Additionally, the College was recognized by the financial company SmartAsset, who compared 616 two-year schools, and ranked Highland 59 nationally and #1 for Best Community College in Illinois.  

Although college enrollment nationwide has generally declined, Highland has seen steady increases six of the last seven semesters.  The College has also created, or expanded, at least twelve programs or certificates under Kuberski’s watch. 

Outside of her duties as college president, Kuberski is an active member of the community. She serves on the boards of Greater Freeport Partnership, Northwest Illinois Economic Development (NWILED), and Region 1 Planning Council.  In 2021, Kuberski was honored to receive the YWCA Women of Achievement Business Award.  

After forty-one years serving in Illinois higher education, Kuberski is ready to complete this final chapter of her academic career so she can spend more time with her grandsons and family at the farm, travel with her husband, and enjoy a less chaotic calendar. Kuberski carries with her a deep sense of gratitude as she reflects on her time at Highland. She feels blessed to have worked alongside such dedicated and inspiring community of staff, faculty, and Board.  

She stressed that while she is retiring, she has not yet retired and has many goals she hopes to help Highland achieve. Kuberski will be focusing a great deal of her time and energy moving the athletic and learning facility closer to realization and preparing the College for a smooth transition. Her hope is to finish strong, leaving Highland well positioned for a successful and sustainable future. 

The Highland Board of Trustees will convene in the coming weeks to discuss and finalize a strategy for selecting the next president, ensuring the decision aligns with the College’s long-term vision and growth objectives.