Robert Matthews is the Vice President of Student, Academic & Workforce Success at Mott Community College. In this role he serves as the Chief Academic Officer of the College, working with all faculty and academic leadership in providing an outstanding teaching and learning environment for students. This includes curriculum in Business, Fine Arts and Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Humanities, Science and Mathematics and Technology. One of the important roles he serves is as the College's liaison to its accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission. He also is responsible for Career and Technical Education, Professional Development and Experiential Learning and Library Services.
He also provides leadership, vision and guidance for key student services departments including Admissions, Athletics, Counseling and Student Development, Placement Testing, Records & Registration, Student Life, Financial Aid and the Student Success Center including Disability Services, Special POPS, Peer Tutoring, TRiO and Upward Bound.
In addition, he oversees the identification and leveraging of city, federal, state, philanthropic, and corporate resources to promote and advance community, economic and workforce development, and other strategic initiatives at the college.
Mr. Matthews has over 20 years of experience in higher education which includes workforce development, student services, career development, grants development and management, supervision and program/curriculum development. Most recently he served as the MCC Associate Vice President, Workforce & Economic Development.
His previous experience includes enrollment management, career services and the development of tutoring and mentoring programs for urban youth. Mr. Matthews holds a BA from The University of Michigan-Flint, and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Rackham School of Graduate Studies at The University of Michigan and is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at The University of Michigan-Flint.
Dr. Marcus Matthews serves as the Associate Vice President and Chief of Staff at Mott Community College, where he provides strategic leadership and oversight for institutional research, public safety, strategic initiatives, and the operations of the Office of the President. In this role, he ensures that the college’s actions and initiatives align with its mission and strategic priorities while supporting the President in advancing institutional goals.
Dr. Matthews has a distinguished career in higher education, recognized nationally for his leadership in workforce and economic development. Under his direction, Mott Community College has strengthened partnerships with industry leaders, expanded apprenticeship programs, and increased enrollment through innovative career pathways. His work has led to the successful development of initiatives such as the Consumers Energy Electric Lineworker Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program, which received the National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE) Exemplary Program Award as the top non-credit program in the nation.
A sought-after speaker, Dr. Matthews has presented at numerous national conferences, including the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), the National Council for Workforce Education (NCWE), Achieving the Dream (ATD), and many others. His presentations focus on strengthening workforce training, developing industry partnerships, and creating innovative career pathways that align with labor market needs.
Dr. Matthews holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from Ferris State University, where his dissertation focused on developing effective internship programs for community college leaders. His commitment to student success and institutional excellence continues to shape his approach to leadership, ensuring that Mott Community College remains a driving force for workforce innovation and economic growth.
Jim is an accomplished global executive focused on people and profitability with a consistently strong record of delivering sales growth and building high-performing teams with exceptional employee engagement. Throughout his career, Jim has successfully partnered with global Fortune 500s, mid-market organizations, and nonprofits in Talent and Leadership Development, Career Transition, Executive Search, and multiple commodities in the global supply chain. He is a thought leader, trusted at the highest levels to navigate challenging transformations and turnarounds by corporations, boards of directors, media, and the US military.
In his current position, Jim is the Managing Partner of Talent4ward, a consortium of subject matter experts working with companies and individuals to successfully manage organizational transformations and accelerate talent performance. Jim was previously the President of LHH Knightsbridge, based in Toronto, Canada. He moved into the top position in 2017 after LHH’s Canadian acquisition of Knightsbridge in 2015. Jim quickly restructured LHH’s third-largest market, leading a team of 550 professionals to reverse sales declines, increase operational contribution, and improve delivery quality. During the pandemic, Jim was first-to-market with the complete digitalization and virtual delivery of all services, setting revenue and profitability records and outperforming the Canadian market. This was accomplished while achieving top-tier employee engagement scores and rapidly implementing digital healthcare solutions to address pandemic-related employee health challenges. In 2021, Jim became the parent company’s (Adecco $18B) lead President for all Canadian companies.
Jim played a key role in LHH’s North American expansion and rise to become the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company, with 8,000 professionals serving 15,000 clients across 66 countries, impacting millions of lives each year through recruitment, outplacement and leadership development. Prior to moving to Canada, Jim was the SVP & Managing Director of LHH’s Midwest Region, headquartered in Chicago, IL. He successfully merged four regions into LHH’s largest geographic market by accelerating sales pipeline volume and velocity, launching innovative customer solutions with AI and Big Data, and improving productivity and profitability. His Great Place to Work scores consistently led the company throughout his career at LHH. Jim started with LHH as a General Manager in 2004 and led the turnaround of the Detroit office, where he negotiated and won LHH’s first major automotive contracts.
Early in his career, Jim progressed through sales, marketing, and pricing positions at CSX Corporation. He played pivotal roles in the company’s navigation of industry deregulation, expansion in the energy sector, and global supply chain integration. In 1998, Jim was selected to join the M&A strategy team that led to the $4.3B acquisition of Conrail. He held Director positions in Export Coal, International Sales & Marketing, and Merchandise Market Strategy.
Jim supported numerous community organizations and charities, including running three marathons to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Win4Youth. He held Board of Director leadership positions with Detroit Public Television, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Detroit Economic Club. Jim is a recognized speaker at global conferences and has frequently appeared on TV, radio, and social media outlets in North America.
Jim is a published author on transition economies. He holds Master of Science degrees from the London School of Economics and Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from John Carroll University.
Larry’s responsibilities at the college include budget, debt management, capital funding, grant reporting, investments, purchasing, bursar functions, internal and external reporting, including the annual financial audit and other required reporting to state and federal oversight agencies. He is also responsible for oversight of facilities services, including construction projects, building maintenance, and custodial and grounds services.
Larry holds a Bachelor’s of Accountancy degree from Walsh College and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Michigan. In September 2015, he was awarded the Outstanding Chief Business Officer for the region by the Community College Business Officials (CCBO).
Kirk Yaros is the Acting Chief Technology Officer for Mott Community College. He is responsible for providing the high-level leadership and strategic vision for all technology aspects of the College. This includes the security, networking, systems administration, computer support, multi-media services, enterprise services, reporting and computer support services. The information technology department consists of 29 full time staff and multiple student workers across four teams.
Kirk has a Masters in Business Administration along with a Bachelor of Computer Science from Saginaw Valley State University and has obtained multiple Agile Technology certifications including Certified Agile Scrummaster and Certified Agile Product Owner. Kirk has held various positions in the information technology field - starting out as a customer support phone operator for an internet service provider and working up to a programmer, programmer analyst, supervisor and manager of various IT teams across multiple industries from Healthcare, Insurance, Manufacturing, Retail and Higher Education. Kirk served his longest tenure as the Director of Enterprise Services at Mott Community College for nearly 10 years.
Outside of Mott Kirk is actively involved in his community and served on multiple boards - having served as Deputy Treasurer (2 years), Treasurer (4 years) and is currently serving as Deputy Clerk for Maple Grove Township along with being the Zoning Administrator for both Maple Grove and Brady Townships in Saginaw County. Kirk also served as the S&M Local 2102 Union vice president and president at Mott Community College.
Dale Weighill is the Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Mott Community College.
His responsibilities include providing high-level leadership and management to the College’s resource development initiatives including the ongoing cultivation, acquisition and stewardship of major gifts from external sources. He has oversight for the Grant Development Department and The Foundation for Mott Community College.
Dale has a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts degree – both in Political Science -- from American University in Washington, DC and The University of Michigan in Dearborn, respectively. He graduated with Highest Distinction from both institutions, receiving numerous academic and student leadership honors and awards.
