Governors State University Board of Trustees
Dr. Judy L. Mitchell served as the ninth president of Joliet Junior College (JJC), having been unanimously appointed to the role by the JJC Board of Trustees in September 2016. Prior to her appointment, she served as interim president starting in March 2016. Dr. Mitchell retired in 2022 and was recognized with President Emerita status at the June 15 Board of Trustees meeting.
Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Mitchell has been an active community leader, serving on multiple boards, including Silver Cross Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, First Secure Bank & Trust, and Governors State University. She is also an engaged member of the Rotary Club of New Lenox and the Lincolnway Area Business Women's Organization.
Under her leadership, JJC successfully navigated the state of Illinois' fiscal crisis, reducing operating costs by over $2 million over four years. Dr. Mitchell also championed creative revenue sources, including securing more than $5.4 million in grants in FY15 to offset operational expenses. In FY22, she presented the college's 49th consecutive balanced budget to the Board of Trustees.
The college's financial team, under Dr. Mitchell's guidance, received the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Best Practices in Community College Budgeting award for FY21, a prestigious recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting. JJC's efforts in promoting diversity and student achievement were also highlighted when it won the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Advancing Diversity Award in 2021.
Additionally, JJC was named a 2022 Most Promising Place to Work in Community Colleges (MPPWCC) by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD). Dr. Mitchell presented nationally at the AACC Future Leaders Institute in 2021, focusing on bridging the equity gap in community colleges.
Dr. Mitchell's contributions to education and the community have earned her numerous accolades, including the Silver Cross Hospital Sangmeister Medal of Excellence in 2024 for outstanding service, and the Governor State University Distinguished Alumni Award in the College of Business in 2023. She was honored with the BSA Distinguished Citizen Award in 2022 and received the Gary W. Davis Ethical Leadership Award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association in 2021, recognizing her commitment to ethical leadership and decision-making. In 2018, she received the Zonta Club of Joliet’s Woman of Distinction Award for her efforts to improve the status of women in the community.
Dr. Mitchell’s tenure at JJC spanned more than 26 years, beginning in 1996 as an administrative assistant in the CIOS department. Over the years, she held various leadership positions, including program management specialist in Adult and Family Services, director of business and auxiliary services, and vice president of finance and administrative services. She completed her doctorate in community college leadership from National-Louis University in 2012, along with a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Business and Technology from Governors State University. She also earned an associate degree in microcomputers for business and computer programming from JJC in 1998.
In her retirement, Dr. Mitchell founded Judy Mitchell Consulting, a successful consulting firm focused on supporting community colleges. Her commitment to student success remains at the heart of her legacy, and she continues to make a positive impact through her work in higher education.