GODFREY – After more than four decades of dedicated service to students, staff, athletics, the community and Lewis and Clark Community College, Vice President of Student Life George Terry has announced that he will retire on June 30.
The college announced this week that Sean Hill, associate professor of social sciences at Lewis and Clark, will succeed him.
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Terry has served the college in various student support roles throughout his 41 years of service to Lewis and Clark, with extensive work in minority affairs and student services.
“Vice President Terry is a respected leader among employees, students, athletes and the various community organizations which he serves,” L&C Board Chairman Robert Watson said. “His presence on this campus has had a tremendous impact on the lives of thousands of students he has mentored.”
Terry earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Illinois State University, and completed a Specialist in Educational Administration degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He has served on the Alton School Board for more than 20 years and is a past president. He is a life member of the Alton branch of the NAACP, serving more than 25 years
and has been a member of 100 Black Men of Alton since its early years. In addition, he has provided more than 20 years of service as a member of the Madison County Urban League, and was a member of the executive board of the Madison County Equal Opportunity Commission. His other board commitments include, among others: the Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education, the Salvation Army, the Alton Boys and Girls Club, the Gateway Council, and the Alton Park and Recreation Commission.
L&C President Dale Chapman said he is honored to have had the experience of working alongside such a revered community leader.
“As much as the college and our students have benefitted from his involvement with many community groups, the community has benefitted greatly from George’s knowledge, experience and leadership,” Chapman said. “The community will surely continue to be advantaged even more so in his retirement.”
Terry is the recipient of numerous accolades throughout his decades of service. He has also been honored for his athletic prowess and support. He is a member of four halls of fame including the Athletic Hall of Fame at ISU as an individual player and as a member of a team. He was recently
named to both the Illinois Coaches Basketball Association Hall of Fame and the Lewis and Clark Community College Athletic Hall of Fame.
“Growing up in Alton, I always wanted to give back to the community and especially to young people,” Terry said. “I feel like my time here at Lewis and Clark has allowed me to do that, and I am honored to have been able to fulfill that dream for the past 41 years.
“I feel that God has blessed me to work at Lewis and Clark Community College. This job, like any job, has its good days and its bad days, but I can truly say that my good days have far outweighed any bad days I have encountered along the way.”
Chapman announced that an internal search committee has identified Sean Hill as Terry’s successor. Hill currently serves as an Associate Professor and Coordinator in the Social Science division of Lewis and Clark and has taught courses in psychology, sociology, and education. He has been with the college since 2002 and has served on numerous campus committees and as
a club advisor for student organizations. Outside of the campus he has worked with the YWCA of Alton, Edwardsville School District, Cornerstone Center for Early Learning and is a member of several professional organizations. In addition, he has taught courses as an adjunct instructor
for Missouri Baptist University, Greenville College and Northwestern Business College.
Hill has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Anderson University (Indiana), a master’s degree in student personnel from Slippery Rock University (Pennsylvania) and a Ph.D. in Research Methodology/Human Development from Loyola University Chicago.
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Hill into this new position, and we are confident that his background in student personnel and academics has already proven his commitment to students and the community,” Chapman said.
Chapman noted that the position, once titled Vice President for Student Life, as been refocused and renamed Vice President for Student Services.
“As we continue to focus in on student success and student completion, we find ourselves strengthening and enhancing our student service areas,” Chapman said. “Although Sean will continue to provide leadership to the same areas previously led by George Terry, he will also be tasked with working with other student service areas on campus to enhance services that will boost student success, retention and ultimately completion.”
"I am looking forward to this new position and opportunity,” Hill said. “My primary goal is to create a stronger connection between the academic mission of the college and student services and programming. I strongly believe education is not confined to the classroom or the sole
responsibility of instructors.
I hope to build on George Terry's work and relationships on the campus and in the community. It is also my desire to form new relationships with community and educational leaders to find mutually beneficial ways of supporting the educational mission of the college and the intellectual and social development of the entire community."
Hill lives in Edwardsville with his wife Rachel and their two children - Anna, 5 and Mark, 2.
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