Dr. David SamPresident of Elgin Community CollegeDr. David Sam began his tenure on February 12, 2007, as the eighth president of Elgin Community College.
Dr. Sam has an outstanding professional career experience. His previous appointment was as president of North Harris College in Houston, Texas, where he was responsible for one of the five colleges and two satellite centers in the Lone Star College System, formerly known as North Harris Montgomery Community College District. Prior to his presidency in Houston, he was dean of the community and technical college as well as a professor of social science and business management at the University of Akron, Ohio. He previously served as vice president for faculty and instruction at Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania, as well as acting vice president for academic affairs and dean of natural and social sciences at Mott Community College in Michigan. Additionally, Dr. Sam has held professional and teaching positions at the College of DuPage and Harold Washington College, both in Illinois. Dr. Sam is well-versed in the complexities of funding educational facilities while maintaining quality in the classroom. Students are a top priority. He believes in the transformational power of education to enhance and change lives and says, “The world is so interdependent that we have to ensure that education is relevant and that students are ready for this kind of world. To that end, I enjoy working with all constituencies to advance the mission of the college." A native of Ghana, West Africa, Dr. Sam has impressive academic credentials. He is a cum laude graduate of Illinois State University with a bachelor of arts degrees in economics, political science, and history. He holds an MA in law and diplomacy and a PhD in international economic and political relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Additionally, he holds an MBA in finance and marketing from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a JD degree from the University of Akron Law School, and an LLM, Energy Law and Policy, Center for Energy, Petroleum and Mineral Law and Policy at the University of Dundee, United Kingdom. Dr. Sam is currently a member of the board of directors of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, Alignment for Collaborative Education and the Golden Corridor Family YMCA, as well as a member of the Rotary Club of Elgin. He is also a member of the District of Columbia Bar, American Bar Association and Energy Bar Association. |