The Illinois Board of Higher Education has chosen Daniel J. LaVista, McHenry County College president, to replace Keith Sanders as its executive director.

Sanders, who has held the position for four and a half years, will retire at the end of May after giving a month of oversight to LaVista, who will assume the responsibilities of executive director on May 1.

LaVista has gained a lot of experience as president of two colleges that will help him succeed as the executive director of IBHE, Sanders said.

LaVista is “exceptionally well educated,” Sanders added. “He is a man of integrity and eloquence, and I expect that he’ll do a great job.”

LaVista said he had been looking for an “opportunity to make a contribution to education at a higher level and working with the board at this level was very appealing.”

He also mentioned his commitment to making colleges to more students.

“The qualifications that I bring will be best served to help access affordability and diversity among colleges and universities,” LaVista said.

Donald Sevener, IBHE director of communications, said it is clear that LaVista “has the same values and priorities that the board has for policy agenda.”

Since 1997, LaVista has been president of McHenry County College where his successes included gaining a $9.14 million state capital grant to construct a student services center and a classroom; implementing a referendum that increased tax rates going towards the college’s education fund; and establishing various community outreach plans such as “Make a Difference Day” and the Biznet Business Expo.

LaVista was also president of the College of Lake County for eight years preceding his presidency at McHenry County College. While at CLC, LaVista raised the college’s foundation assets from $40,000 to $700,000, and planned development of a $13.5 million performing arts center. He also managed the college through a time while its surrounding community went from a rural to largely suburban population.

LaVista was also Chancellor for the Community Colleges of Baltimore County, which was a merger of three colleges. He was vice president for academic affairs at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio and served as chair of the Illinois Community College Presidents Council.

LaVista has a Ph.D. in speech and dramatic arts from Syracuse University, a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Dayton and a bachelor’s in English from Siena College in New York.