Naze selected as vice president

David Naze, Ph.D., an experienced teacher and administrator, has been selected as the next vice president for academic affairs at Kankakee Community College.

Naze is currently dean of academic excellence and support at Joliet Junior College. He will be KCC’s chief academic officer, responsible for administering the college’s credit and non-credit instruction and workforce development programs. Naze will start at KCC effective July 1.

“I am honored to be joining Kankakee Community College, and am dedicated to supporting the educational needs of the entire community we serve,” Naze said. “I look forward to working hard to ensure educational excellence for incoming and existing students.”

Naze began his career at Prairie State College, where he was a faculty member and speech team coach for 10 years. He then became Prairie State’s associate dean of academic affairs. In 2016, he accepted his current position at Joliet Junior College, where he oversees a range of academic programs including dual credit, curriculum development, online education, and academic scheduling procedures. He is also a member of the Illinois Community College Board Program Review Advisory Committee and is a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission.

“As a community college graduate himself, Dr. Dave Naze fully understands the community college mission,” said Dr. Michael Boyd, KCC’s vice president for instructional and student success. “He comes to KCC with impressive leadership experience at community colleges in Illinois. His energy and enthusiasm for student learning are contagious. I have complete confidence that Dr. Naze will not only help KCC achieve our strategic goals, but that he will help the college’s academic programs reach new levels of excellence and innovation.”

Naze started his collegiate career at Rock Valley College in Rockford, where he earned an Associate of Arts degree. Following Rock Valley College, Naze earned two degrees from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb—a bachelor’s degree with upper-division honors in communication; and a master’s degree in communication with an emphasis on rhetorical studies. In May 2012, Naze earned a doctorate from the department of communication and culture, with an emphasis in rhetorical studies, from Indiana University in Bloomington. He also has earned a certification as a master online teacher from the University of Illinois Springfield and the Illinois Online Network.

Naze will fill the position currently held by Boyd, who will become KCC’s next president, effective July 1.