In an message sent out to employees and students on Wednesday, Deneece Huftalin announced that she will step down as president of Salt Lake Community College in June 2024, nearly a decade after her tenure began.
Huftalin joined SLCC in 1992, starting as director of academic and career advising. She went on to serve in various capacities at the school – including dean of students, vice president of student services, and interim president – before being inaugurated as president in September 2014.
“I am looking forward to retiring and having more time to travel and spend with family and friends … I am thankful for this extraordinary institution and for the incredible opportunities to transform lives through education. I am also humbled to have worked alongside so many outstanding colleagues,” Huftalin wrote in her announcement.
Huftalin expressed pride in the school’s efforts to strengthen student success, create a more inclusive environment for students and employees, and “serve as a model for colleges nationwide in affordability, innovation, equity, and commitment to mission.” She also pointed out SLCC’s championing of the value of associate degrees and workforce training.
The announcement communicated that the chair and vice chair of SLCC’s Board of Trustees, Brady Southwick and Lori Chillingworth, have started working with the Utah Board of Higher Education to outline the search process for the next president.
Details related to the search committee and relevant timelines are forthcoming, Huftalin’s announcement went on to say. The school’s hope is for the next president to begin their tenure in June.
