COVID-19 has shaken higher education and exposed the need for examination of the current system. This, along with the mass exodus of community college presidents due to expected retirements, has shown the need for candidates that can take the reins and lead institutions into the future. As such, leadership and understanding of the community college environment will be paramount in the coming years. The purpose of this chapter is to explore how community college presidents are hired, the process behind it, what colleges say they want in a president, and what changes will need to be made to find leaders that can guide institutions into the future. To assist in providing a look at contemporary KSIs, qualities, and characteristics being requested by boards, a content-analysis of current presidential listings was conducted. This, in conjunction of a review of the literature, will provide insights into current and future practices of community college presidential hiring. Common themes are discussed and recommendations made on the impact this has on presidential hiring.

The breadth of issues faced by community college presidents today cannot be overstated. While the importance of the position has remained since the creation of community colleges, the roles they play, types of challenges they face, and how they influence and lead their institutions have changed throughout the decades. The roles of presidents today can be examined under four categories: financial officer, community representative, political representative, and academic officer. Through each of these lenses, this chapter explores how presidents lead their institutions under these roles, the responsibility of each role, and the challenges facing contemporary and future community college presidents.