Dr. Tony Miksa speaks at the Student Open Forum in CoLab, Wednesday, Feb. 19. (Photo by Yan Luciano Arantes Dornelos Souza.)

More than a year and a half after the resignation of Dr. Andy Bowne, Johnson County Community College will finally have a permanent President starting July 1. In an email sent to the JCCC Community on Thursday evening, Melody Rayl, Chair of the JCCC Board of Trustees, announced that Dr. Tony Miksa will be the college’s next President.

The following is the email sent to the JCCC Community in its entirety:

JCCC Community – 

After a nationwide search that brought forth a large pool of highly qualified candidates, Dr. Tony Miksa has been selected to serve as Johnson County Community College’s next President. The College’s Board of Trustees unanimously approved Dr. Miksa during the board’s regular meeting on March 13, 2025. 

Dr. Miksa currently serves as President of Walters State Community College in Morristown, TN, and has more than 20 years of experience in higher education. He brings notable leadership experience to JCCC. He has served as Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs at McHenry County College; Dean of Math, Science and Health Professions at Elgin Community College; and as Dean of Mathematics, Science, Education and Health at Kishwaukee College.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Dr. Miksa is the Chair of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Board in Lakeway, TN. He has also served as Chair of the Morristown Chamber of Commerce and was actively involved with the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce, both in Tennessee. He has received multiple awards, including the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) President’s Paragon Award for new presidents and Mount Mercy College Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dr. Miksa holds a Doctor of Education, Community College Leadership, from National Louis University; a Master of Arts in Mathematics from the University of Northern Iowa; a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Mount Mercy College; and an Associate of Arts in Mathematics from Kishwaukee College.

Dr. Miksa will assume the position of JCCC President on July 1, 2025.

During the Fall of 2024, JCCC announced it would launch a nationwide search for its next College President. After establishing a Presidential Search Committee, the College held community-wide listening sessions where JCCC stakeholders and community partners shared thoughts about the characteristics, accomplishments, and experiences the ideal Presidential candidates should bring to the position. The input provided helped to develop a “Search Profile” for the position, which was posted in October 2024.

The Presidential Search Committee interviewed semifinalists in January of 2025, following which the Search Committee identified three finalists, who visited JCCC’s main campus last month. Each finalist candidate participated in community open forums where attendees could ask questions of the candidates. After each forum, attendees were encouraged to share feedback on the candidates through an online survey.

After thoughtful consideration of their respective experiences and abilities and reviewing feedback from College stakeholders, Dr. Miksa was selected as the next JCCC President.

On behalf of the entire JCCC Board of Trustees, I want to express my thanks to everyone for their interest and participation in this important process. Dr. Tony Miksa is a proven leader who has demonstrated a commitment to Johnson County Community College’s mission, vision, and values. We are so excited to welcome Dr. Miksa to our campus and look forward to his leadership.

Melody Rayl 
Chair, JCCC Board of Trustees 

Miksa will take over from Interim President Dr. Judy Korb, who assumed her functions on Jan. 2, 2024, following Dr. Andy Bowne’s resignation.