James “Jim” Reed, Jr. became the Illinois Community College Trustees Association’s sixth executive director on July 15, 2019. His appointment was made after an extensive national search supported by The Pauly Group. Reed most recently served as Director of Government Relations for the Illinois Education Association, which represents 131,000 teachers and education support professionals across the state of Illinois.
“I am humbled to have been selected to serve as the next Executive Director of the ICCTA,” said Reed.
“Having worked closely with educators and education support professionals for more than a dozen years, it is clear to me that the success of our public education system in Illinois cannot be achieved by focusing solely on K-12 education. Community colleges are an integral part of that success and professional associations such as the ICCTA play an important role in educating the public about the benefits of a well-funded community college system.
“Furthermore, the trustees who are critical to the success of our community colleges need to be supported and encouraged to be strong advocates. I believe that ICCTA plays a critical role in providing that support. I look forward to working with the leadership and staff of ICCTA to advance the issues of importance to the organization and educate policymakers about the role they play in making Illinois community colleges attractive to students,” he said.
Reed served as Deputy Legislative Director for Attorney General Lisa Madigan from 2002-2006. Prior to joining the Office of the Attorney General, he was the legislative director for Citizen Action/Illinois.
He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, where he received a B.S. degree. He received a Juris Doctor from the Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. Upon completion of his studies, Jim worked as a judicial clerk for the Michigan Supreme Court under Dennis Archer and Conrad Mallett, Jr.
“Mr. Reed is an accomplished leader with demonstrated results,” said ICCTA president Bob Thompson of Sauk Valley Community College. “We are excited that he is joining the Trustees Association as we prepare to celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2020.”