Huntington, WV — (June 16, 2022) — Huntington Junior College (HJC), Huntington, W.Va., which was acquired in March by SensibleSchool, Inc., has appointed Juan “Kiko” Suarez, Ph.D., as Chief Academic Officer, a newly-created position. Click to tweet.
The appointment was made by HJC President Fred Fransen and is an important step in positioning the college for future success. As chief academic officer, Suarez is tasked with growing the college’s academic offerings based on the needs of the local business community and national trends.
“We are incredibly fortunate to bring Dr. Suarez on board, and are especially excited to draw on his expertise in competency-based learning and credentialing,” said Fransen.
Suarez said that joining HJC aligns with his mission of providing opportunities to others. “I am excited to work with the excellent staff and leadership team at HJC to create pathways for learners that will lead to further education and employment,” said Suarez. “My vision is to create a learner-centered, affordable, transformative, and scalable competency-based college that benefits students, employers, and communities.”
Suarez is a globally-recognized leader in the areas of workforce development and educational innovation. Born in Spain and a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2016, Suarez brings a unique blend of international experience in leadership development, education, marketing, communications, corporate responsibility, and information technology in Fortune 50 corporations, entrepreneurial startups, nonprofits, and strategic philanthropy.
He joins HJC from Territorium, a learning technology company, where he served as vice president for higher education and workforce development. He also has held senior leadership roles at United Way of Central Indiana and Lumina Foundation, a private foundation committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all.
Suarez has a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University and was awarded the title of “doctor honoris causa” from National Louis University. He is an associate professor of Business Communications and Executive Presence at the Jack Welch Management Institute and an adjunct professor at Davenport University.
About HJC
Founded in 1936, Huntington Junior College (HJC) is a comprehensive, open-admission private institution that serves students from the West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio tri-state area, as well as globally. The mission of the college is to prepare students for successful employment and lifelong learning. The college is ranked among the top six medical assistant schools and dental schools in West Virginia and has a robust program in substance abuse counseling and business management. HJC is owned by SensibleSchool, Inc., a subsidiary of Certell, Inc.
